YORK City boss Terry Dolan has admitted he was "erring on the side of caution" when substituting hard-man Kevin Hulme during the 1-1 draw at Darlington on Saturday.

Dolan took off the combative midfielder after 75 minutes of the hard-fought clash, just two minutes after the former Halifax skipper was booked for a challenge on Quakers substitute Paul Campbell.

Hulme - shown the red card twice last season - had given a typical all-action style display and had been involved in a running battle with Darlington captain Martin Gray throughout much of the game, before being replaced by Lee Bullock.

When asked if he took 32-year-old off to prevent a possible sending off, Dolan said: "We have to make sure we've got 11 men on the pitch at the end of the game.

"The crowd were starting to get worked up, and when we've players on the bench who can do a good job you've got to look at that.

"Once a player's been booked there is always a possibility that if he does anything else he will get sent off."

Hulme, the only City player cautioned, was himself the victim of a rash challenge by Craig Liddle which saw the Quakers defender join three of his team-mates in the referee's book.

Dolan added: "One or two of their players got away with things which I think infuriated other people."

As for Hulme's running battle with Gray, the City boss said: "They are both a similar type of player and neither likes to give anything away."

Darlington could easily have been down to ten men themselves after just four minutes when 'keeper Andrew Collett upended Peter Duffield in the box, which resulted in the City striker giving his side an early lead from the spot.

Referee Eddie Wolstenholme decided a caution was sufficient, however, and the Quakers, who equalised minutes later, stayed at full strength.

But Dolan was not complaining. "In some cases the referee will send the keeper off, but he (Wolstenholme) has decided to give him a yellow card and we've got to accept it," he said.

"I don't worry about referees. They make decisions as they see it and we've got to get on with it.

"It might have made a difference, but we got the goal and that was the most important thing."

City went on to earn a point at last season's play-off finalists, who remain unbeaten this term, and Dolan said: "I'm pleased with a point away from home.

"We restricted them to long-distance shots and I would say we've had the better chances - Steve Agnew could have finished the game with his.

"Apart from the little spell where they hit the woodwork twice in quick succession, they did not cause us a problem in the second half. They did not play through us, although we made one mistake with the goal when (Anton Kaak) got a free header from a corner."