CITY can use the hostile Den crowd in their favour to revive their play-off hopes at Millwall.

The visitors will be up against it in Friday night's semi-final second leg after the 3-1 loss at Valley Parade.

But Bantams legend Greg Abbott reckons the intimidating London audience could become an unlikely weapon.

Abbott said: "At the moment, Bradford have it all to do and everybody at Millwall will expect them to get through.

"The fans are so vociferous and biased towards their own team like that – but that can work against them.

"If Bradford can keep it tight and nick a goal back, the fans could turn and then it becomes more nerve-racking on the home team.

"That's the difference. I remember being at Valley Parade when Bradford were 3-1 down at half-time to Burton in the play-offs last time and the crowd were still singing 'there's only one Phil Parkinson'.

"That wouldn't happen at Millwall. They are hardened fans but there's a capacity to turn if things don't go their way and Bradford can exploit that."

Abbott, recently appointed head of recruitment at League Two side Cambridge, was at Sunday's first leg and thought Millwall were physically too strong for the Bantams.

He felt James Hanson was a big miss – and they have to get him fit after his calf injury for the return game.

Abbott said: "Big James has got to play, for me. He is pivotal for Bradford. You get balls from back to front and he makes it stick and crosses go in and you know he's going to get on the end of them.

"(Jamie) Proctor did all right. He is mobile and makes strong runs but he has not got that aerial presence and threat of James.

"Millwall were too strong in midfield and had two big lumps at the back. I don't think you are going to out-football them and create Arsenal-type goals.

"It's about getting balls into the box and let the big man fight for it. Seeing him back would be a massive bonus.

"When James is on form, he is unplayable in the air. He's very good at what he does.

"He owes me a favour anyway because he always scores against my teams. We had centre halves who couldn't deal with him."

Millwall are odds-on favourites to complete the job but play-offs can do funny things to teams and Abbott is certainly not discounting his old club's chances.

He said: "I was at Barnsley on Saturday and they scored twice in a minute against Walsall. You also saw Derby get turned over at home.

"It gets to people at different times. I was nervous at Valley Parade on Sunday. I went to the game with no nerves, got to the stadium and suddenly it affected me.

"I saw 20,000 people there and just wanted to go out on that pitch and try to help. Bradford are still my team. They look after me more than any club I've been at and when you walk into the ground, it feels like you are at home.

"It's a tough ask taking a two-goal deficit to the Den. But if there's one club in League One should be able to cope then it's Bradford with the recent past they've had in major cup competitions.

"I don't think 0-0 at half-time would be a bad score. They don't have to go chasing it and risk leaving themselves open.

"Keep it tight in the first half and then go for it in the second. The fans will get edgy and so will their team – but Phil will know that because he's got enough experience in that situation.

"Bradford have got the knack of finding a goal in games which have been tight. As long as they score no later than 60 minutes; do that and they've still got a chance."