HULL City boss Brian Little has vowed to beat York City tonight 'for his brother Alan'.

Halifax boss Alan Little is under pressure at the bottom of the Third Division and will be meeting the Shay side's board of directors tomorrow.

Top of their agenda will be how Halifax intend to avoid relegation from the Football League.

That means that Halifax's home game against Southend tonight will take on extra significance.

But brother Brian is also feeling the pressure at Boothferry Park, having had the dreaded vote of confidence.

There are murmurings of discontent from the Tigers, with the club suffering such a hiccup in form it is quickly becoming a bad case of indigestion.

Having had high hopes of winning automatic promotion, a run of just one win in eight attempts on their travels - during which the Boothferry Park club have scored just twice - has seen them slip down the table.

The club, so deadly at home, were even booed off on Saturday despite beating Shrewsbury 3-0 - a game which saw the Tigers outplayed for long periods.

Hull chairman Adam Pearson has vowed to stick with Little, whose brother Alan was sacked by York in March 1999, although privately it is believed he is becoming increasingly concerned by the downturn in form.

Hull's cause will not be helped by suspensions to leading scorer Gary Alexander and Mike Edwards, while Justin Whittle (hamstring), Ian Goodison (thigh) and Ben Petty (training ground collision) are all out injured.

On-loan striker Neil Roberts, a Welsh international from Wigan, Matt Wicks and Nicky Mohan will come into the side.

Updated: 11:43 Tuesday, January 29, 2002