Crestfallen Neil Thompson picked himself up to issue an upbeat verdict as another game spilled from York City's clutches.

NEW FACE: Matthew Hocking, during his full debut for City at Luton last night

City were within touching distance of a precious point at Luton Town to aid their scramble from the jaws of relegation from Division Two.

But the Minstermen - again the joint leakiest defence with fellow strugglers Burnley - yielded a stoppage-time winner last night at Kenilworth Road.

That late, late woe extended the Minstermen's losing run to six games at Luton. But more significantly they careered to their 11th defeat in their last 14 games to remain just as deeply lodged in the mire.

Stuck back in 19th position just two points adrift of the bottom four City now have a mere seven games left to avoid the big drop.

Caretaker-manager Thompson however opted for bullish defiance, despite his dismay at another blank outing.

Said Thompson, who recalled himself as one of five swingeing changes to the side so dismally beaten at home to Chesterfield four days earlier: "We are all absolutely gutted because the endeavour was fantastic as was the commitment.

"But I have to look at the positive side. And looking at that performance, then if we keep showing that level of commitment we are not far away."

Matthew Hocking, City's deadline day signing from Hull City, and youngster Andrew Dawson both made their full debuts.Thompson hailed the response he got from his players following the Chesterfield setback as superb.

Had City taken the clear chances they created in the opening ten minutes of the first-half, insisted the City boss, they would have been celebrating a second consecutive away victory.

"We got punished after we had two great chances to score. It could have all been over. But that's what it boils down to."

To Thompson's dismay City reinforced their reputation for surrendering poor goals. And the City manager, who fired the visitors ahead with a scorching long-range free-kick in the first-half, did not exempt himself from blame.

"Our problem has been defensively all year. Again we made the wrong decisions at vital times and I include myself in that," he said.

"Luton stepped up the pace in the second-half and put us under that bit more pressure. We never started as well as I wanted after half-time and we defended a lot deeper. Yet we still had great chances. The game ebbed and flowed."

Even his goal - his sixth of the season to put him joint top scorer with Rodney Rowe - was of slight consolation.

Sighed Thompson: "You get pleasure from it at the time, but it's pretty irrelevant.

"I would much rather we got a couple of tap-ins and won the game."

Meanwhile, last night's two other Nationwide games netted fillips for Walsall and Bournemouth.

Walsall leapt above Preston and into the second automatic promotion spot thanks to Rob Steiner's goal against Wrexham, while Bournemouth edged into fourth place, 1-0 winners over bottom club Macclesfield. Top scorer Mark Stein was on target six minutes from time.

City are expected to field the posse of players who were axed from last night's game in tonight's Pontin's Central League second division game at Lincoln City (kick-off 6pm).

In the second-string will be goalkeeper Andy Warrington, defender Wayne Hall and striker Neil Tolson, as well as out of favour duo Steve Agnew and Neil Woods. Youngsters James Turley and Michael Dibie are also expected to get a run-out.

City reserves: from Warrington, Fox, Rennison, Tinkler, Hall, Agnew, Bullock, Connelly, Tolson, Woods, Turley, Keegan Walters, Dibie, Fielding, Thompson.

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