STUART McCall reckons City are due a lucky break against Oxford today in their bid to nail down a place in the play-offs.

One more win would virtually secure a top-six finish for the Bantams, who have a six-point cushion going into the final four League One games.

McCall’s men will hope to achieve that at Valley Parade this afternoon against the only team in the division to have beaten them twice.

Tenth-placed Oxford ended City’s two-month undefeated start to the campaign – and denied them a possible Wembley date in the Checkatrade Trophy with another win in the quarter-finals.

McCall felt his team did not get the rub of the green on either occasion and is looking to turn the tables in front of another bumper home crowd.

He said: “We were unfortunate to take nothing from both previous games.

“Looking back at the highlights of the league game there, we had some very good chances as well as missing the penalty.

“A draw would have been fair but they won it with the last kick and were the first team to beat us.

“Even in the Checkatrade Trophy, we didn’t do an awful lot wrong. Rory (McArdle) came off and they scored twice while we were down to ten men.

“So maybe we’re due a little bit of fortune against them because certainly we didn’t get any down there.”

City also face champions-elect Sheffield United in a televised derby at Bramall Lane over the Easter weekend but McCall insists the blinkers are on for this afternoon and maintaining the unbeaten Valley Parade record.

“When we’ve had two games in close proximity, we’d normally say to the lads there will be changes made,” he added.

“But our focus is just entirely on this one – it’s huge. Regardless of Monday, we’re only looking at the Oxford game.

“Take your eye off the ball for one second and football can change so quickly. We’ve seen it on many occasions.

“The players know they can’t take their foot off the gas or they won’t be in the side. It’s all about momentum.

“If we are going to be successful and have a strong finish to the season, these are the games you want to be involved in.

“There’s no doubt that we’ve played better earlier in the season than the last three home games, even though we’ve won them.

“Don’t get me wrong, we’ve deserved to win but maybe not had the same flow.

“We’ve been saying for the last month that it’s only results that count at this stage but you want players at the top of their game because it breeds confidence.”

Oxford have to win to keep alive their slender hopes of gate-crashing the top six from seven points out. So McCall expects an open contest.

“It will be slightly different to the last couple here,” he said.

“Oxford have had a terrific season for their first one since coming up and they’ve been strong away from home.

“Successes in the cup might have caught up with them with the amount of games they’ve played. But they will still think it’s there for them.”