FORMER England caretaker manager Peter Taylor has expressed his admiration for York City boss Chris Brass ahead of Saturday's big clash at the KC Stadium.

Hull City chief Taylor, who managed his country for one friendly game against Italy after a successful period in charge of the Under-21 team, has been impressed by City's 28-year-old player-manager since his summer appointment.

The ex-Leicester City boss also admitted that the table-topping Tigers had to produce their best performance of the season to beat the Minstermen 2-0 at Bootham Crescent on Boxing Day.

Taylor said: "It's going to be a very difficult game. They will come here and make it hard for us.

"I think Chris Brass has done a tremendous job in difficult circumstances. A lot of people were surprised when he got the job but he has done really well.

"It was very hard at York but I think overall it was our best performance of the season and it took that to beat York."

Taylor's team have won six successive matches going into tomorrow's match - a sequence that began with the Christmas victory over City and has also included wins against title rivals Doncaster and Oxford, as well as Cambridge, Darlington and Cheltenham.

The Minstermen's last home game saw them extend Huddersfield's winning run to six matches so Brass will be keen to upset the form-book tomorrow.

But it will be a big task.

Hull are one point ahead of Doncaster at the top of the Third Division and only fellow promotion-chasers Mansfield have beaten the Humbersiders in a home League game this season.

The Tigers are also hoping for a 20,000-plus crowd for their first home game since January 17, having made the match all-ticket for away fans.

Jason Price is expected to return to Hull's starting line-up after missing the 2-0 win at Cheltenham because of a one-match ban.

He would have been unavailable for the postponed match against Boston last Saturday anyway because of a calf injury but is expected to return if he passes a fitness test.

If Price does not make it, Hull have two able replacements waiting in the wings with new signings Jon Walters and Lee Marshall looking for their first starts.

Walters, normally a striker, has been signed for £80,000 from Bolton while England under-21 international Marshall is on loan from West Brom.

First-choice right-back Alton Thelwell will not play because of a groin injury.

Updated: 11:11 Friday, February 06, 2004