CAPTAIN Steve McNulty says York City need to get "the monkey off their back" ahead of today's home game against Brackley Town.

The veteran centre-back - who has just passed 500 league games - admitted the dressing room was a "bit deflated" following Tuesday's goalless draw against Farsley Celtic, and said City need to learn to play against sides who are looking only for a point.

Bootham Crescent, he believes, is where City should be aiming in particular for their maximum point hauls - and that is where teams are going to be at their most obdurate.

"We need to get the monkey off our back," McNulty said. "No matter what, you've got to win home games, and the sooner we get the home win the better."

Of the atmosphere in the dressing room following the Farsley stalemate, he added: "We were all a bit deflated. They had come for a 0-0.

"We have to get our heads around the fact that teams are going to play for a draw, especially when we're at home."

"We can't come off our plan. I thought the last 20 minutes we played into their hands a little bit. We need to stick to what we do best and that's pass the ball and pass through the lines.

"York are the biggest club in the division by a country mile, and we're going to get games like that.

"The crowd were great on Tuesday night. You could hear their frustration and it filtered onto the pitch a bit.

"We've got to learn. We've got a lot of young lads.

"We're going to be favourites every game. It's going to be these teams' cup finals when they come to York - it's a big scalp."

A two-time promotion-winner with Tranmere Rovers in the seasons directly preceding his move to York, McNulty's appearance on Tuesday was the 500th of his career. Cup games included, his tally rises closer to 600 across the six teams he has featured for.

Despite this being his 30th season in the game - if his time with Liverpool youth teams are taken into account - McNulty insists his passion is not waning, having previously iterated his intention to play for another three years.

"I like playing games and I like playing football," he said.

"You pick up experience through the games you play in and I'll be trying to pass on any knowledge and experience onto the lads."

On his experience of arriving at York, he added: "I've loved it.

"It's another big challenge.

"It's a massive club that shouldn't be at this level but is for reasons that are out of our hands.

"It's going to be a big challenge but one I'm looking forward to.

"It's a very talented group of lads. I was pleasantly surprised by the standard of players the gaffer's brought into the club.

"The more time we spend together on the pitch and playing in matches, the stronger we'll get."