Salford City v Bradford City: Bantams enjoying it as the going gets tough

With only three points separating the Bantams in second from Notts County in fifth, the chasing pack are swapping places all the time depending on who plays when, and how they get on.

But buoyed by 10 wins in their last 13 league matches, a 12.30pm kick-off at Salford City on Saturday gives Bradford the chance to apply the thumbscrews to leaders Walsall, cutting the gap to the leaders to four points ahead of their home game against Swindon Town.

The emotion behind every win and every slip-up is magnified with only 13 games to play, and Alexander says his team are really enjoying that.

“We will keep rotating the team because we have to," he said. "We’re still in this thick fixture list.

“The players are enjoying the game to game. I think they are revelling in the toughness of it.

“They are not shying away from how difficult these fixtures have been every three days and all the travel.

“They are showcasing how ready they are for this sort of period. We’ve got a good, strong squad for tomorrow and hopefully we’ll pick the right XI.”

Muddying the waters is the hamstring injury Lewis Richards picked up in Tuesday's win at Bromley, but if the left wing-back fails to make it, Tyreik Wright is not yet ready to step in.

The hope is that centre-back Ciaran Kelly will be back in training next week.

Bradford are certainly showing many of the symptoms of a successful side, and Alexander took the reaction of his players to Bobby Pointon’s winning goal at Hayes Lane on Tuesday as a case in point.

With the game still scoreless going into the last 10 minutes it looked like the Bantams’ weakness on the road could strike again until homegrown forward Pointon found the net, prompting joyous celebrations.

“It was like one big group hug!” said Alexander. “It was a great moment for everyone and Bobby should take his booking (for it), that is what football is all about.

"More scenes like that and we will be doing something right.”