Manager Steve Toyne had no less than 15 players unavailable on Saturday when he took his squad to Teversal and lost 4-0.

Then on Tuesday night a makeshift Town side made the trip to Bridlington and lost 5-3.

Toyne encouraged the club's supporters to be patient until he has the bulk of his first team available for selection once more.

He said: "We had quote a good crowd there on Saturday, but some of them left early grumbling and they need to realise that our squad is decimated."

"I apologise for the result on Saturday, but not the performance – the lads gave it their all, but it's asking boys to do a man's job."

"What the team needs is encouragement. We had 15 players out on Saturday and we're playing with both hands tied behind our backs."

Town finished with just nine men on the pitch after four players left the field injured.

Toyne explained: "Matt Haigh had to go off to hospital with a twisted knee, Matt Smith thought he had broken his foot and he went to hospital."

"My son was playing in goal and he pulled his calf muscle and came off, but we'd used all our substitutes so forward Gavin Allot had to go in goal."

"Then their striker went over the top on Gary Hibbert."

"Even their bench agreed it was a straight red card, but the referee just booked him and, as I was carrying Gary to the changing room, the same player scored for them."

"So we finished with just nine players. It was a fiasco," he added.

Two goals from Liam Cartledge and a 30-yard Danny Lindley strike weren't enough to keep Town from going down again on Tuesday night at Bridlington, although Toyne's men actually moved up from bottom spot to 19th on goal difference.

Dinnington are in action in the FA Cup tomorrow, at home to Atherton Laburnum Rovers (3pm) and Toyne hopes they can repeat the heroics of last year, when his side began the competition on Sky TV and made it all the way to the Third Qualifying Round.

He told the Guardian: "We must do something in the FA Cup, but we are still bereft of players. I can't miraculously heal injuries. We'll go with what we've got."

l STRIKER Danny Reet has left Dinnington Town before kicking a ball in anger.

The former Mansfield Town forward played for Glapwell in a pre-season friendly against Worksop Town on Saturday, after signing for the UniBond First Division side late last week.

Toyne said: "Glapwell came in with an offer that he could not refuse."

"It's a decent week's wages, in his words a massive cash incentive. There was nothing I could do and he apologised but it was too good an offer to say no."