YORK City's inspirational start to the season was not enough to yield the first manager of the month award for rookie player-manager Chris Brass.

The August award for the basement division today went to Brian Flynn, whose Swansea side leap-frogged back over the Minstermen to pole position after their 4-1 mauling of Mansfield at the same time as City's four-game winning run careered to an end in a 3-0 defeat at Lincoln City. Both results left Swansea and York on 12 points, each having won four games and losing just one.

However, while recognising the 'magnificent' merits of Brass - the country's youngest manager - it was Swansea's free-scoring exploits that clinched the award for the veteran Flynn, added to the progress made by the Vetch Field side since they secured their Football League survival on the last day of last season.

So far the Swans have amassed 15 goals from their opening five League outings, almost three times as that of the Brass battalion. Such Swan-upmanship, however, does not take into account that the Welsh side have conceded nine goals, more than double the amount let in by York.

League spokesman Chris Hull said today: "It was the toughest of all the three divisional awards to decide."

Updated: 11:08 Monday, September 01, 2003