YORK City boss Terry Dolan made a stirring defence of his "magnificent" team after the Minstermen's play-off dreams were all but shattered by Exeter.

A candid Dolan was forced to concede City were not good enough for a top seven finish in the wake of the Grecians' 2-0 Bootham Crescent victory.

But while "bitterly disappointed" at missing out on promotion - barring a miracle - Dolan maintained his team have every right to hold their heads up high after a season beset by off field strife.

And while dejected with defeat and its ramifications, Dolan was left equally upset by the behaviour of a small section of supporters who barracked the players at the final whistle.

"The players are bitterly disappointed, we all are, but I won't have anyone criticising anybody in this football club because nobody deserves the criticism that was flying around at the end of the game," said the City chief.

"There were one or two yobbos who let their feelings be known at the end of the game.

"I can understand people being frustrated. But how anyone can be critical of this group of players, who are still waiting to receive monies they should have got in December and are all deferring their wages, is beyond me.

"People should think about that before they start criticising the players. I have the utmost admiration for every one of them."

He added: "There is a lot of disappointment but there is no criticism at all from me.

"This group of players have been absolutely magnificent all season and the vast majority of supporters have been absolutely fantastic.

"They know they've had an exciting season, unfortunately it has not finished as we would have liked.

"But nobody can be disgraced after a season I certainly will never forget.

"It's a big improvement on last season and that is more than a fair achievement when you think what they have had to go through this time.

"We now have to improve just that little bit more next season to make sure we finish in the top seven."

While accepting City did not deserve to beat Exeter, Dolan insisted it was not Saturday's defeat alone that looks to have cost City a play-off berth.

"You cannot pick out just one game," he reasoned.

"I just think over the season we have not been quite good enough to finish in the top seven, unfortunately.

"We have always been positive at this football club, hoping that the positive feeling would get us through.

"Unfortunately, in these last three or four games we have been a little bit tired and that is perhaps not surprising.

"We have got a small squad, it will probably be even smaller next season and we will be expected to improve.

"That will give me enough to think about over the summer months and we will see where we go from there, because a lot of things will have to be resolved in the summer."

City's play-off hopes are not completely at an end although the Minstermen are banking on a near miracle and glut of goals.

With just this weekend's trip to Oxford United remaining, Saturday's defeat left City three points adrift of the play-offs.

However, even if the Minstermen end the season with a victory at the Kassam Stadium and seventh-placed Lincoln lose their last match at home to Torquay, an inferior goal difference is likely to dash any lingering promotion hopes.

One-time City striking hero Paul Barnes is smack back among the goal-grabbing honours.

Barnes was on target in Doncaster Rovers' 4-2 triumph away to Hereford United to register his 25th goal of the season and with it the Nationwide Conference Golden Boot award as the League's leading marksman.

Now Barnes will be aiming to keep his shooting boots on as Rovers prepare for the end of season play-offs to see who bags the second promotion slot to the Football League Third Division alongside runaway Conference champions Yeovil.

Updated: 11:49 Monday, April 28, 2003