YORK City boss Terry Dolan will make do and mend in the wake of the Minstermen's disappointing 3-0 defeat at Hartlepool.

The reverse saw City fall to 18th in Division Three, just four points off the bottom. At the same time, they are just five points off the play-offs.

Amid the first grumblings of discontent from the terraces on Saturday, Dolan insisted now is not the time to panic but for everyone to come together ahead of tomorrow's tough LDV Vans Trophy tie at Notts County.

"We have got to work hard as a group and try to rectify it because every mistake we are making is ending up in the back of the net at the moment," he lamented.

With injuries again starting to bite, the City chief has ruled out making more wholesale changes for the tomorrow night's County clash despite defensive errors again costing City dear.

Darren Edmondson and Graham Potter both missed the game at Hartlepool through injury and neither will be fit for tomorrow night.

With Mike Basham and Matt Hocking both dropped on Saturday, City's defence contained three fresh faces, including full debutant Chris Smith, from the side that lost at Exeter City.

Dolan has ruled out a raid in the transfer market to bolster his defence and is unable to bring in any more loan players with the squad already bolstered by Michael Proctor and Mark Maley from Sunderland.

"You can change formation and you can change the personnel but if you keep making mistakes then it makes life difficult," he reasoned.

"With regards to changes we are going to be dictated to by injuries to a certain degree.

"We have got the game at Notts County when we can work on things and in training as well."

The City boss admitted he was desperately disappointed in the way City fell apart after falling behind to former Minsterman Mark Tinkler's opening goal on 37 minutes.

He also cited City's misfortune after Christian Fox fired against the post in the opening minutes and the fact Tinkler had earlier escaped with a caution for a crude tackle on Nick Richardson.

"It was a very disappointing performance after the first 35 minutes but there was nothing in the game up to that point," said the City manager.

"Maybe the game would have taken a different course if we had scored early on when we hit the post and it has bounced out.

"And the first goal came from Tinkler who some people might say was lucky to still be on the field."

He added: "The first goal was another mistake. We talked about things at half-time but before things have got started and the game has got going we are 2-0 down due to another basic mistake.

"We didn't press hard enough when we went down to 2-0 and once the third goal went in we were losing the ball and giving it away far too much.

"We got a bit ragged which is disappointing from my point of view."

Updated: 09:24 Monday, October 15, 2001