St Leonards travel to Spalding United tomorrow without former Albion defender John Crumplin but The Firs hierarchy have denied suggestions of a mass exodus.

The Argus revealed on Wednesday that Crumplin had left the club but St Leonards have retained the registrations of Carleton Chatelier and Simon Fox even though neither are playing for the team.

Micky Taylor said: "My decision to release John Crumplin was on financial grounds only. He did very well for us a player and as a captain but I can't afford to keep him. My budget has been cut and what is the point of keeping one player at the expense of three?"

Chairman Jon Cornelius said: "I am sorry to see John go, he put the tackles in for us. But we are not cutting players wholesale. The other players have left for their own reasons and not because we wanted them to go.

"We should have cut the budget at the start of the season, and Micky knew that when the FA Cup run ended he would have to make a cut just to bring it back to the original budget. How the manager chooses to reduce the budget is up to him. He has decided to let John go, that's the manager's decision and he's the one that has to live by it."

Former Albion favourite Crumplin is now concentrating on his sports clinic at Shoreham FC and taking stock of his future.

He said: "I put in all the effort for them but unfortunately the club's finances can't cope. I've played three games in four days now. I'm 34 and looking forward to a weekend off. I'm disappointed to leave because I enjoyed my time there and got on well with the manager. But they have cut their budget and I have got to go."

Taylor will have Dominic Barclay back after he missed Saints' midweek Sussex Senior Cup tie with the flu.

Table-topping Hastings Town will be without former Millwall striker Lee McRobert when they host Corby Town tomorrow. McRobert is suspended and Chris Honey comes in.