Bradford City v Fleetwood Town: Rory McArdle says Bantams won't be caught cold at home again

The Bantams trailed 3-1 to Millwall after 45 minutes of the tie, just as they had three years earlier when last involved in the promotion deciders at home to Burton Albion.

It was a low moment and one that, a year on, McArdle admits City cannot afford to repeat tonight as Bradford once again plays host in the play-offs.

“I honestly can’t say why we started so slowly against Burton and Millwall,” said McArdle when asked by The Yorkshire Post about those two previous semi-final ties on home soil.

“It was just one of those things. Maybe the mindset wasn’t right and people got caught up in things, looking around and thinking: ‘Wow, this is the play-offs’.

“Before we knew it, we were losing and it can be too late to get the focus back then. What I do know is we can’t afford to get off to a bad start against Fleetwood like last time.”

A late strike by Garry Thompson against Burton in 2013 helped limit the damage of those opening 45 minutes and City subsequently went on to reach Wembley by winning the return 2-0.

Last year, however, there was to be no such reprieve as Millwall protected admirably that two-goal half-time advantage over the following 135 minutes to reach the final.

Memories of that exit remain strong among the Valley Parade faithful but much has changed in the meantime with Stuart McCall having succeeded Phil Parkinson, while there has been an influx of new faces.

Of the side likely to face Fleetwood tonight, a little under half were not at the club this time last year but McArdle has no plans to bring them up to speed with recent history.

“I won’t speak to any of the lads who weren’t here,” he added. “If they want to ask, fine. But I won’t force it on anyone, it might put them under pressure as they might not even know what happened in previous years.

“Why bother them with it? They can play their own game that way. We have played Fleetwood twice this season so we know what they are like as a team.

“It might be a bit of cat and mouse because they know how we play as well. We will just look after ourselves and, hopefully, it will be enough.”

As with City’s previous four tilts at the play-offs, the all-important second leg will be played away from Valley Parade. Just one of those road trips has been lost, the 1988 tie at Middlesbrough that saw Terry Dolan’s side beaten 2-0 to crash out 3-2 on aggregate.

Victories at Blackpool (1996) and Burton four years ago were enough to book trips to Wembley after the home legs had been lost, while even last year’s exit at Millwall saw Bradford avoid defeat on the night at The Den in a 1-1 draw.

“People have been asking me if I wanted the home game first or second and I wasn’t bothered,” said McArdle, who reached the League Two play-off final with Rochdale in 2008 only to lose at Wembley to Stockport County.

“If you look at our play-offs history, the last two home ties didn’t go to plan. But we got through in one against Burton and not the other. It is what it is.

“What we have to do is learn from those past experiences. Last season, we finished really well but then the first 45 minutes against Millwall went against us.

“The tie is over two legs but we were pretty much dead and buried after that first one. It left us with a massive mountain to climb, especially as Millwall were solid at the back. It was always going to be a tough task and we ended up going out.”

City boast the only unbeaten home record in the League, a run that included a 2-1 win over Fleetwood back in September.

McArdle added: “As good as the home record has been this season, we can’t rely on that and expect it to be easy. We can’t just turn up and think everything will be okay.

“Both teams will be fired up and determined to come out of the traps quickly. That can be different to the last few games of the season, when there hasn’t been too much to play for so not as high an intensity.

“Experience always helps, in my opinion. Play-off games are big. You do all the usual preparations but the games can be different.

“All the cameras will be there and the crowd will be close to a sell-out, which is not unheard of for us but is still a big thing.

“The season will be defined by what happens now. There is no way of clawing it back if these next two games go wrong.

“Anyone who says they are not nervous ahead of games like this is probably not telling the truth. For those lads whose first taste it is, they have to be ready.”

Last six games: Bradford City WWWLWD, Fleetwood Town WLWWWD.

Referee: O Langford (West Midlands).

Last time: Bradford City 2 Fleetwood Town 1; September 27, 2016; League One.