MANAGER Terry Dolan looked to the positives as York City lost their latest pre-season friendly 3-0 to Sunderland.

The City chief, denied the services of eight players due to injury or illness, refused to be too downcast by the defeat, played in sweltering conditions at Bootham Crescent.

All the goals came inside a 15-minute first-half spell with Dolan indicating he hopes that period to be a pertinent reminder to his players that they must look to retain possession better.

"I am not going to be too critical," said the City manager.

"The important things were the players got some more match practice and it is a fair chance the weather will be very similar on the first day of the season - it usually is.

"We talked about one or two things we need to do in those conditions.

"Unfortunately, early in the game we didn't do it.

"When the opposition has someone who is so much taller than anybody in our team (central defender Stanislav Varga) we need to show a little bit more nous.

"We didn't and before we knew where we were we were 3-0 down. That is going to affect the confidence of everybody.

"Sunderland passed the ball around quickly which is what we wanted to do, but we did not have the ball enough in the first-half.

"We talked about things at half-time and I think we looked a lot more solid in the second-half."

Dolan revealed such were the injury problems facing his squad - Stephen Brackstone was ruled out at the 11th hour due to sickness, while Mike Basham was sent home at half-time suffering from 'flu - he was forced to play trialist Nicolas Mazzina against Sunderland.

However, despite some impressive touches from the Argentinian, the City chief reaffirmed his decision, as reported in the Evening Press on Saturday, he will not be following up his interest in the winger.

Dolan praised young goalkeeper John Collinson but confirmed he would step up his search for an experienced 'keeper this week.

"John has acquitted himself well but in my mind he is not ready for first-team football on a regular basis," said the City manager.

York City chairman John Batchelor has confirmed a Football League tribunal is set to decide whether Reading are still obliged to pay the £50,000 owed to City following the Royals' promotion to Division One last season.

The payment was a condition of Graeme Murty's move to the Madejski Stadium in 1998, although Reading now claim because the player has signed a new contract the clause is no longer valid.

A date for the tribunal has still to be arranged.

Updated: 12:41 Monday, July 29, 2002