YORK City boss Russ Wilcox declared the importance of avoiding “panic” signings after a quiet transfer deadline day at Bootham Crescent.

While the likes of fellow Sky Bet League Two strugglers Cheltenham, Carlisle and Hartlepool all added to their ranks before last night’s 11pm deadline, Wilcox decided to keep faith with the squad he feels have shown their credentials during the club’s last two games against promotion-chasing pair Southend and Burton.

There were also no departures in North Yorkshire, meaning third-bottom City boast 16 senior professionals and two teenagers in Ben Hirst and Cameron Murray to supplement their five loan signings going into the final three months of the campaign.

The City boss watched Leeds United Under-21s play Sheffield Wednesday yesterday, as he ran the rule over possible future recruits.

But, on his decision not to bolster the Minstermen’s squad last night, Wilcox explained: “It’s important not to panic after the last two performances and, while I understand the need to win games and the fact we only took a point from both matches, we will get results if we maintain that level of performance.

“It was hard to stomach going away to one of the top teams in Southend on Saturday and losing even though everyone in the stadium knew we should have won.

“You need to pick up points when you play like that because it’s hard to reproduce that form on a consistent basis and it’s disappointing we haven’t picked up the points we have deserved in January but that’s how it goes.

“That’s got to be addressed quickly because we only have 18 games to play so, hopefully, we can also pick up points when we don’t deserve them.”

As one of the quietest January transfer deadline days came to a conclusion, Cheltenham were the busiest of the basement division teams bidding to escape relegation.

The Robins recruited three players - Wes Burns of Bristol City, striker Eliot Richards who was released from Bristol City and has signed an 18-month deal at Whaddon Road, and Denny Johnstone joining on loan from Birmingham City also until the end of the season.

Cheltenham have extended defender Lloyd Jones’ loan terms from Premier League Liverpool until the end of the campaign.

Carlisle United signed defender Nathan Buddle, who was key to Blyth Spartans’ FA Cup giant-killing run that tumbled out Hartlepool from the first round.

Bottom-placed Pools also busied themselves when taking striker Marvin Morgan on loan from Plymouth until May.

Meanwhile, Leeds United were significantly active in the final day of transfer action.

United recruited Albanian international striker Edgar Cani from Italian club Catania on loan for the rest of the season, while a similar deal took midfielder Michael Tonge from Elland Road to fellow Championship strugglers Millwall.