York City boss Chris Brass will be seeking new options for Tuesday night's crucial home match against Yeovil after accusing certain players of "hiding".

A frustrated Brass added that the performances of unnamed individuals in Saturday's 2-0 Bootham Crescent defeat against Cheltenham were unacceptable and their displays are sure to cost them starting places in the relegation-threatened side against the Glovers.

The City boss is now intent on selecting as many players as possible that he can rely on for consistency of performance during the vital last four matches of the season.

He said: "One or two went hiding for me against Cheltenham and I can't accept that. You are a professional footballer and you are fighting for your lives.

"I can't accept what I saw from one or two people. What does it take? Do you have to shake them to show them what it actually means to get something out of them?

"What frustrates the hell out of me is they can do it. They showed on Tuesday night that they had the fight and the passion to get out of this predicament but you have to do it week in, week out.

"You can't just turn it on or off. It's not like a tap.

"Some of our players need to wake up and have a look at the Conference table and think whether they want to go to those places. I know where I want to play.

"If they don't then that's not good enough and they have to take a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror. One or two things keep reoccuring and I am in a position to change that.

"In times like these you have to shake it up and make sure the players you feel are characters will step forward and get you out of this predicament."

Brass limped out of the action after 50 minutes of Saturday's game but hopes to be fit to face Yeovil.

He picked up a hip injury with the score at 0-0 and watched on in pain as his side conceded an own goal and a penalty.

"I was disappointed I had to come off but it's not a one-man band," he said. "You should not be reliant on other people to give you that spark which one or two players were lacking."

City's defeat and Rochdale's victory against Leyton Orient on Saturday means the Minstermen's fate is no longer in their own hands and they will be relying on other teams' results to ensure their safety.

A victory against Yeovil would move City level on points with third-bottom Rochdale and fourth-bottom Scunthorpe with three games to go but the Minstermen's goal difference is 19 worse than the Spotland outfit.

Brass said: "Saturday was an opportunity to get points on the board but now we are starting to make every match must-win games and you makes it blinking difficult for yourselves when you are in that predicament."

John Ward expressed regret as his side's victory deepened his former club's relegation crisis.

The ex-Minstermen boss said: "I feel extremely sorry and disappointed for York City and the situation they are in.

"Of course, we all had to do the best we possibly could for Cheltenham Town but if I have played a part in getting them relegated that will be a great shame."

Updated: 11:33 Monday, April 19, 2004