Bantams are all set 
to gatecrash play-offs

Ninth-placed City, whose outside hopes of reaching the end-of-season lottery are still alive following a haul of seven points from their last three matches, tackle third-placed Northampton this afternoon, with the Cobblers managed by Bradford-born Adi Boothroyd.

It is one of four matches in their final six regular fixtures which are at Valley Parade, where City must also tackle promotion hopefuls Rotherham United and Burton Albion.

Parkinson’s men – five points behind and with a game in hand on the side currently occupying the final play-off position in Exeter City – must also travel to another top-seven side in Cheltenham.

On what amounts to effectively a six-game season for City, beaten just once in nine league games, Parkinson, who reports no fresh injury concerns, said: “We have given ourselves a chance with the points from Easter fixtures. But we need to keep going as we are on a decent run.

“The good thing is that of the sides to play, most are challenging for promotion and we can have a say in the outcome and still want to be involved in things.

“The idea is to beat those teams who are above us and be there on their shirt tails. To do that, we have got to continue to win games of football.

“To be in the mix, we have got to play well. In our last home game against Southend, we got back to how we can play at home and as I have always said, we need to make sure anyone leaving Valley Parade with anything must have played exceptionally well to have achieved that.

“We must just concentrating on what we can do, which is playing to our maximum.

“We have trained well and ready for action again on Saturday. The squad is looking strong and we go into this match full of confidence.”

One man who will certainly be relishing this afternoon’s tussle with the Cobblers is City’s 18-goal top-scorer Nahki Wells, the Bermudan striker who has hit five goals in four matches against them during his time in the claret and amber.