Bradford City v AFC Wimbledon: Play-offs guaranteed if City extend home run

Stuart McCall: Hopes his players will be refreshed after giving them time off following defeat to champions the Blades.Stuart McCall: Hopes his players will be refreshed after giving them time off following defeat to champions the Blades.
Stuart McCall: Hopes his players will be refreshed after giving them time off following defeat to champions the Blades.
AFTER a couple of days off in the wake of Easter Monday's disappointing defeat to champions Sheffield United, Stuart McCall is today expecting a re-energised Bradford City to clinch a play-off place.

The Bantams need just a point from their final two games to ensure their season will be extended into May.

Considering the upheaval of last summer that brought new owners, a change of manager and an influx of 12 new faces, securing a place in the top six would be a big achievement.

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“We are just focused on ourselves,” said McCall, as City look to complete a league double over the Dons following last October’s 3-2 win in south London.

“It is not our job to have any knee-jerk reactions to good or bad results. We won’t overreact to anything.

“You are where you deserve to be after 46 games and we are aiming to get over the line and into the play-offs.’

“We have got to continue the good results we have had at home and we are looking for another victory this weekend.”

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If City get the point required to seal a play-off place, it will mean the club ending the season with the only unbeaten home record in the Football League.

With that in mind, home advantage in the second leg could be crucial. McCall, though, refuses to get too far ahead and is merely focused on ensuring Bradford get over the line today.

He added: “Prior to the Sheffield United game, we needed four points to be certain of getting in the play-offs. After the (lunchtime) game, we needed four points but, a couple of hours later, we only needed one.

“If there was something positive to come out of the day, then it was Southend and Millwall both losing. But the focus is on us and finishing with two really good performances.”

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Automatic promotion is not mathematically out of the question but a five-point gap to second-placed Bolton Wanderers does look insurmountable.

City’s players returned to training on Thursday, McCall calling a team meeting to run through where things had gone wrong at Bramall Lane in the Easter Monday defeat.

“The result at Wimbledon (earlier in the season) gave us a lift,” added McCall. “It gave people a message that we can go and get results at tough places

“We are focused on ourselves going into this game and what we can do with an awareness of how they can hurt us. We had a meeting to show the lads what we need to improve on.”

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