BILLY Clarke believes Valley Parade can create the same intimidating play-off arena for Fleetwood that City faced last year at Millwall.

A crowd of around 18,000 is expected for Thursday’s semi-final first leg against Uwe Rosler’s Cod Army.

Striker Clarke is likely to step in for hamstring victim Alex Jones after an eye-catching display against Rochdale at the weekend.

And he reckons the fans have a big role to play as City look to take their unbeaten league home form into the opening promotion showdown.

Clarke hopes the partisan crowd can make it just as uncomfortable a night for Fleetwood – who are expected to bring around 1,000 fans – as the Bantams encountered from the Den when they exited the play-offs at the same stage last season.

He said: “We’ve got to bring our own atmosphere on Thursday and I’m sure it will be incredible.

“We need to bring the numbers and put them in the situation that we were in down the Den.

“We want to go out there and do what we have been for the last 23 (home) games.

“We definitely want to get a good result. But even if we don’t, it’s still over two games and we know anything can happen.”

Clarke missed the first leg against Millwall with a fractured cheekbone and watched in horror as the visitors won 3-1. He was able to play the return game wearing a protective mask.

Having fallen short last time, he is desperate to make amends in a tie that he feels will bear little similarity with before.

“You need to learn from every experience,” he added. “It was obviously a bad one last year.

“I felt the first game was so out of character. We didn’t do ourselves justice.

“I don’t think we conceded three at home all season before that.

“But there’s nothing else to take from it, other than we don’t let it happen again. It’s too long ago to worry about now.

“We’re playing a completely different team with a different style – and we’re totally different (from last season) as well.

“Anyone involved in the play-offs has got to be excited and really look forward to it.

“It’s tough to call – we beat Fleetwood (in the league) and they beat us. But we played well in both games.

“We were definitely unlucky to lose there but we can take a lot of confidence into it. We’ve been playing well for the last couple of months.”

Clarke, like Stuart McCall, is not too concerned about playing at home first. Fleetwood, having finished fourth, host the potentially-decisive second leg on Sunday.

“There’s no away goals or anything, so it’s not really an advantage,” said Clarke.

“It’s nowhere near the same as playing at the Den on a Friday night. That was incredible.

“It’s just going to be two exciting games between two sides hoping to get to where we ultimately want to be.”