STUNNED manager Terry Dolan was still reeling today after York City suffered the cruellest of 1-0 defeats at Southend United, losing to almost the final kick of the game.

The Minstermen looked well set to collect a valuable away point - only for Shrimpers' substitute Barrington Belgrave to notch a late, late winner for United deep into stoppage time.

More than two and a half minutes of added time had already gone - the fourth official had signalled just two to be played - when Belgrave pounced in a crowded City penalty area to lift the ball over Alan Fettis.

There was barely enough time for City to restart the game.

To add insult to injury, the Minstermen should have been celebrating not just a point, but their second away win in succession after playing some of their best football of the season, in the first half especially.

"Basically, I am lost for words," said Dolan. "You can use all the cliches in the world but sometimes football hits you right in the stomach and it hurts - and that hurt.

"We dominated the first half and even in the second-half we had a couple of chances.

"Unfortunately, at the moment we are not taking our chances."

City have now scored just two goals in their last seven games after banging in 13 in their opening seven matches of the campaign, with Saturday's result dropping City to tenth in the table.

Dolan added: "On the positive side, we did play some good football, particularly in the first-half.

"But I thought we lost a bit of discipline towards the end and gave too many free-kicks away and in the end the pressure told.

"Having said that, I was a bit puzzled about some of the decisions that were given against us, but you have to accept those decisions.

"We coped okay and we defended when we had to.

"In fact, Alan had only one save to make just before they got the goal so that tells you how we coped."

City defender Gary Hobson, who made his 300th League appearance on Saturday, admitted it was a memorable match, but for all the wrong reasons.

"The lads are gutted," he confessed. "We played arguably some of our best football of the season in the first-half."It was probably the best half of football I've played in since I've been here.

"Our passing was really good and Lee Cook put some good balls in from the left and we really could have been 1-0 or 2-0 up.

"And in the second half too, but for a 20 minute spell towards the end we played pretty well too.

"I thought we deserved at least a point out of the game and so to lose in the last minute is sickening."

To make matters worse for City, Darren Edmondson picked up his fifth booking of the season and will now miss City's match at Bournemouth through suspension.

Former City and Southend United boss Alan Little has reportedly applied for the vacant manager's job at Exeter City. Little's brother, Brian, the former Darlington, Leicester, Aston Villa and Hull boss, has also reportedly put his name forward.

Updated: 09:05 Monday, October 14, 2002