NO MORE Mr Nice Guys was the stark message from York City skipper Chris Brass after the Minstermen's 4-0 defeat at Hull City.

The deflated City skipper refused to pull his punches in the aftermath of the derby trouncing, insisting the match had proved a pertinent reminder of just what is required in Division Three.

"I think it is a bit of a wake-up call for us," he told the Evening Press.

"We have been playing some really good football but in this division sometimes you do have to rough it and mix it, sometimes you are going to have to grind a result out.

"Last year we laughed about being the 'grinders' but I would have been quite happy with a 0-0 horrible, derby grind against Hull.

"I think we have got to get our heads around that and make sure in some games that is what we do."

Brass admitted a disputed 60th minute penalty awarded to Hull when the score was just 1-0 in the Tigers' favour had perhaps turned the tide.

"It was debatable but the referee has seen something. Personally, I don't think it was a penalty but it was a major turning point," he said.

However, the plain-speaking Brass refused to hide behind the penalty for City's defeat.

"We are not looking for excuses. We have just got make sure we learn and change our outlook a little.

"I think we were second-best in the second-half and that was the real reason we got beat."

Yet the City captain maintained the defeat could be the making of the Minstermen.

"The measure of this side will be how we bounce back," he insisted.

City chief Terry Dolan was clearly seething at the display.

He said tersely: "We were a bit too powder-puff. We didn't play well enough - full stop, and the bottom-line is we weren't good enough in the second-half."

Updated: 11:38 Monday, September 10, 2001