HAT-TRICK hero Alex Godfrey has warned that York City Knights have to up their game when his old club, Dewsbury Rams, visit Huntington Stadium seeking revenge on Sunday.

The Knights beat 12-man Gateshead Thunder 54-26 in their Arriva Trains Cup cross-section clash at Bootham Crescent on Wednesday but coach Richard Agar was left frustrated by the performance, and Godfrey concurred that improvements were needed for the potentially vital Yorkshire group clash against the Rams.

He told the Evening Press: "I was happy with the three tries on Wednesday - Mark Cain was on form, putting me in for all three - and I was happy to get man of the match, but it's a team game and we were all a bit disappointed with the team effort, especially as far as our defence goes.

"To let a 12-man side stretch a 13-men side is not good enough in anybody's book."

He added: "It's been an up and down couple of weeks. We should not stray from what we've got to do (as regards the Arriva Trains Cup and National League Two campaigns) but being in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals three days before Wednesday's match meant people were still getting over that.

"The Cup run has definitely had an effect. We've got a lot of young lads who have maybe not had that much media attention before, seeing themselves on TV as much as that. It's had an effect on me and maybe everyone else too.

"But that's where we need to be professional and stay focused."

The Knights need to beat Dewsbury on Sunday to consolidate second place in the ATC Yorkshire section ahead of the final group game away to Featherstone, who are their big rivals for that second qualifying spot.

The Knights will be clear favourites this weekend having recorded their biggest win of the season at Rams Stadium, thrashing Dewsbury 58-16 in February. But Godfrey reckons the West Yorkshiremen will be a different kettle of fish this time, with Andy Kelly - Agar's head coach at Featherstone last year - having since been installed as their new boss.

"Dewsbury will be really tough," said Godfrey. "They're going to have a massive turnaround from when we last played them.

"Andy Kelly is a good coach and will have a massive impact, they will scrap for everything and if we turn out a performance like we did on Wednesday we will get our legs lifted.

"But maybe a game like that is what we need to recognise our potential again. We won't worry so much about them, we'll have one eye on that, but the main thing is how we do. We're back at home, back at Huntington Stadium for the first time in a long time, and we will want to take the game to them."

Updated: 11:14 Friday, April 02, 2004