'YORK City for promotion' is the rallying cry from inspirational skipper Chris Brass.

A turn-around in fortunes has seen the Minstermen claw their way back up the standings having at one stage been just one off the bottom of the Football League.

And while sealing safety remains the priority, 26-year-old Brass believes there will be no excuses if they don't carry on their improved form into and throughout next season's campaign.

Unfortunately, City's hopes of swiftly proving Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Luton was no more than a blip in the Reds' revival have been dashed with tonight's Bootham Crescent clash with Carlisle being postponed.

The decision was taken by Knaresborough referee Kevin Lynch after an 8.45am pitch inspection deemed the waterlogged pitch unplayable.

The match will be played on Tuesday, April 9.

However, Brass shrugged off the disappointment of tonight's postponement by looking to the future. The former Burnley ace said: "We are hitting form now, and have gone on a run, but it is too late for this season.

"We started the season well then we had a six or seven game spell where it has gone pear-shaped.

"In my opinion, the way we are playing now is what we should be doing week in, week out - from August to the very last game in April.

"We went on a good run when I came last year and there were one or two new faces. We wanted to carry that on into this season and we seem to be doing the same again now, but we have to learn from this.

"Whatever happens in the summer, whether new people come in or a new manager or new players we don't know, but I think that we've got a realistic chance to have a real go at it next season and I think we have to start talking about it.

"In the summer last year we said we would have to better ourselves and get ourselves in a better position, but as it stands this hasn't happened, so we have to make sure from now until the end of the season it does.

"Then in the summer we've got to be realistically be pushing for the play-offs and promotion next year."

Tonight's call-off is good news for Darren Edmondson. The wing-back suffered a bang on the hip in training and while he would probably have been fit to face his former club he now has more time to recover.

Likewise Mike Basham, who suffered a dead leg against Luton and was replaced by 17-year-old Stuart Wise.

Peter Duffield was the only player from the trip to Luton Road who would have been definitely ruled-out tonight. The striker picked up an ankle injury and is due to see a specialist today.

Updated: 11:22 Tuesday, February 26, 2002