MANSFIELD Town boss Paul Cox has asked Stags fans not to panic over the lack of a goalkeeper at the club.

Cox was speaking after the first pre-season match, a 3-1 win over Notts County thanks to goals from debutant Alex Fisher, defender Martin Riley and substitute Ollie Palmer.

When asked by the NewsJournal if there was still a chance for the Stags to sign last season’s late-season loan arrival Lewis Price on a permanent deal from Crystal Palace to replace Alan Marriott, Cox said:

“The Lewis Price thing looks dead in the water to be honest. It’s finance.

“I know some people are throwing themselves off bridges because we don’t have a keeper, but the situation is under control.

“I will leave the panicking to everyone else. I know supporters are anxious and want everything yesterday and I understand and appreciate that.

“But I have to stay patient and make 100 per cent sure it is the right keeper I bring in.”

Mansfield played Nottingham Forest’s Bulgarian keeper Dimitar Evtimov in the friendly win over County.

Cox said he was impressed, but would look at two or three other keepers, including one from Switzerland, before making a decision on signing one on a loan deal.

Cox would not name the other trialists, who included a striker and a defensive midfielder in the sewcond half, and a left-sided wing-back in the first 45 minutes.

“It’s nothing personal. But everyone is looking for something special and I just want to keep names under wraps at the moment,” he said.

“There were some good performances today. But there are massive question marks for me. I have to bring in the right players and they have now all had 90 minutes over two games for us.

“We will have more trialists in later in the week.

“With Fergus Bell coming in, who I thought had a very good second half, we are up to 18 players and that means just two to four maximum to come.

“I may go with one keeper and just rely on loans.

“I thought Dimitar was excellent today apart from that early lapse of concentration. Forest regard the boy very highly.”