Manager George Wakeling is refusing to panic about Hastings United's dramatic slump in form.

United have won just once in 12 league games and slipped into the premier division relegation zone for the first time this season with Saturday's 3-1 defeat against bottom side Ilkeston.

Wakeling said: "It is not a crisis yet and I'm not panicking because there is still a long way to go.

"This is not something new, we have been faced with this problem for a couple of months now. Worrying about it is not going to help anyone, we just have to scrap out a couple of results and get ourselves out of it.

"It is a very tight league and you only need a couple of wins and everything will look different. If we are still down there in a couple of months time then I might start worrying."

Duncan McArthur is suspended for tomorrow's home game against Bath City after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Ilkeston.

It was his first start in two months after returning from a six-match ban he received for comments made to a referee.

It means McArthur has missed a staggering 16 matches through suspension this season.

Wakeling is standing by the former Brighton player. He said: "He was unlucky to get that booking and I felt sorry for him. "