Furious York City chief Terry Dolan today lambasted reports suggesting the Minstermen are willing to let young starlet Chris Hogg move to Manchester United without a fight.

The 16-year-old City junior and England Under-15 international's trial spell at Old Trafford is due to end this weekend after which United may offer the Middlesbrough-born youngster terms.

However, reports in national newspapers and on television this week had suggested City were resigned to losing the teenager and a deal had already been done with Old Trafford.

But a clearly angry City boss Dolan today slammed "mischief-makers" in the national media and insisted City were not yet ready to lose Hogg, who has been groomed for stardom at City for three years.,

"We most certainly are not resigned to losing him," said Dolan. "We strongly hope he will stay with us and as far as I am concerned that would be the best career move for him.

"Reports suggesting he is going anywhere else are being very presumptuous.

"He is enjoying himself here but if someone wants to have a look at him with the rules as they are we cannot stop that. But we sincerely hope he stays with us."

Dolan's sentiments were echoed by City's assistant youth coach Brian Neaves, who insisted Hogg's future was not a foregone conclusion.

"There are a lot of scenarios but nothing has been decided yet," said Neaves.

"First of all, United may decide not to take him on. They may want him but he might not want to go.

"Chris has been at the club for a long time and he has got a lot of friends here in the under-16 squad and at the club.

"He is very much a home boy and so it will not by any means be a foregone conclusion.

"As a club we have tried to help Chris as much as we can and we have encouraged him to go and have a look around United because we think that is the best way of keeping him.

"If we had been difficult and not encouraged him then that would not have helped the lad long term."

Hogg made a second-half substitute appearance for England Under-15s in last week's 5-0 victory over Scotland and Neaves revealed the England coach, Steve Rutter, had given the youngster a glowing reference.

"He said he is on a par with anyone else in the squad and they have got three friendlies in February and he intends to use him," said Neaves.

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Evening Press, City's LDV Vans Trophy first round tie with Darlington, postponed on Tuesday because of a waterlogged Bootham Crescent pitch, has now been rearranged for next Wednesday, December 13, kick-off 7.45pm.