Barrow v Bradford City: Bantams find an 'edge' from within as they keep their League Two season alive

For Bradford City, even accounting for their modest league position for a club of their stature in 2023-24, it’s somewhat different.

After their awful loss at Harrogate Town on March 23 - their fourth defeat in a row - the smart money was on a hard campaign petering out amid a fair amount of acrimony. Instead, Graham Alexander’s side have found some inner belief and provided some welcome rays of optimism.

Their gutsy weekend win at play-off candidates Walsall was their fourth in five games, an unbeaten run which has seen them take 13 points from the last 15.

Mathematically, they still possess a slight chance of gatecrashing the top seven. It’s unlikely, but not yet impossible.

What City can definitely do is ensure that they finish a challenging season in the best possible fashion with a home game with Newport County following Tuesday’s game at Barrow, where the hosts are seeking to nail down their own play-off place.

The Bluebirds will seal their place if they beat City and eighth-placed Doncaster Rovers - who beat them on Saturday - lose at Colchester United.

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Alexander, whose side can go into the final day with their outside hopes of participation in end-of-season lottery still intact if they triumph in Cumbria, said: “Our edge has come in the last few games from ourselves.

"Salford weren’t going for promotion (recently) and were relatively safe and I don’t think there was anything there (on the game).

"But we had the motivation going into that game and the ambition was good as was our intent and desire all the way through the game.

"From minute one all the way through, I thought we were the best team. This is it and our aspiration in games.

"We are away again on Tuesday and our eyes are open, so we are fighting and ready to perform and win. That’s what we have to get to.

"Some teams have had massive prizes to play for, but our performances have been very high and that’s really good to see.”