GARY Mills admitted he has “a lot of work to do” after his second spell in charge of York City started with a 2-1 defeat at Manchester part-timers Curzon Ashton.

The Minstermen missed out on an FA Cup first round proper trip to Westfields – the lowest-ranked club left in the competition – after Richard Brodie’s early goal was cancelled out by Alex Brown and Niall Cummins strikes either side of half-time.

Mills will now decide whether to look for reinforcements ahead of Saturday’s National League home match with Chester and, delivering his verdict on the Cup exit, he said: “We were second best and very poor and I heard that was the case on Saturday as well.

“We kept giving the ball away and our decision making and discipline was poor. You also have to say fair play to Curzon Ashton because they passed us off the park on a beautiful pitch and we didn’t have any idea how to break them down.

“They deserved to go through over the two games and it wasn’t what I want to see, but I know I’ve come in to do a big job. There are three league games coming up and nine points to play for, so I’ve got to do what I can to organise, motivate and change the mindset because, on a first showing, that wasn’t good enough.

“Quite a few players need to be fitter but things won’t change overnight and I’ve only been here 48 hours. The chairman knows how I want my teams to play and we’ve got a lot of work to do.

“The players have got to show if they can do what I want or not, because it has to be sorted and we’ll change it, either with the players here or with new ones coming in.”

Mills was given a rousing welcome by City’s travelling fans and the 2012 double-Wembley winning chief promised he will get the club back on track.

“A lot of supporters turned up and, if that’s what they have been watching all season, I can understand their frustrations,” he confessed. “The fans gave me a lovely reception and they know what they will get from me, but it’s not about me – it’s about the team getting results.

“We need brave players to stand up and be counted and I’m looking forward to the challenge and getting my feet under the table again to get this football club where I want it to be. I know what I’m capable of and I will get it right.”

Luke Simpson, meanwhile, played in goal with first-choice Kyle Letheren struggling with a sore hip.

“Kyle could hardly kick, but we put him on the bench in case there was an emergency,” Mills explained.