"IT was a case of having hearts and some of our players didn't have them."

This was the damning assesment of furious Quakers boss Gary Bennett after seeing his beleagured side lose 2-0 at York City - a result that plunges the club perilously clos e to the Division 3 dropzone.

Angry Bennett rounded on his players after his side slipped closer to the bottom of the table after their four-game unbeaten run came to an end at Bootham Crescent last night.

The alarm bells are ringing again as bottom club Carlisle triumphed over Leyton Orient to lift themselves a place up the table, while Quakers are now just three points above the new bottom club, Halifax Town.

Manager Gary Bennett was forced to field two new signings with Peter Keen coming in for Andy Collett, who broke a finger against Hartlepool on Saturday and full back Olivier Bernard making his debut.

The performance was unconvincing at times. Quakers had plenty of possession in the second half, but they lacked the ideas to break down the home defence.

Bennett said: "We need players who want to die in the penalty area, in ours to clear the ball away from danger and also in the opposing penalty area to attack the ball.

"If you don't do that then you don't win the game. Some of our players weren't determined enough."

York had the first chance of the game after three minutes when former Darlington striker Lee Nogan got away down the left and pulled the ball back for Steve Agnew to fire right-footed towards goal, but Craig Liddle managed to deflect the ball for a corner which new signing Peter Keen confidently punched away.

Quakers nearly took the lead themselves two minutes later when Glenn Naylor glanced a Mark Ford corner across the face of goal, then Steve Harper forced York keeper Alan Fettis into a diving save down to his left from 25 yards.

Quakers hit back at the other end. Steve Harper found Clint Marcell with a long ball into the box down the right and the striker's right-foot shot was deflected just past the far post.

However, York nearly broke through on the half hour when Alcide picked up a headed clearance from Liddle and tried to lob Keen, but the keeper back-pedalled quickly enough to touch the tall striker's effort over the top.

The home crowd could sense a goal coming and it duly arrived at 40 minutes. Richard Cooper put the ball into the box following a contested throw in on the right, the Darlington defence allowed the ball to bounce twice and Richardson took advantage to fire theleft-footed past Keen.

York nearly added a second at the start of the second half when Cooper crossed from the right for Alcide to side-foot straight at Keen from ten yards.

Quakers had penalty appeals turned down when Jackson appeared to be pushed in the back, but failed to turn pressure into goals.

Mark Ford saw a shot deflected wide from the edge of the box then Mark Kilty headed straight at Fettis from 12 yards. But York put the game out of Quakers' reach after 84 minutes when Nogan beat two men in a run towards the box where he set up Alcide who easily beat the advancing Keen