City have charged to the brink of the play-offs – but the job is far from done.

That’s the warning from Steve Parkin ahead of a night which could see them hit the top seven.

As the Bantams aim to make it three wins on the bounce against League Two form team Bristol Rovers, Parkin is guarding against any giddiness. But he does not expect that to be a problem in the dressing room.

The assistant boss said: “You can’t help the fans being elated and a few getting carried away about being in the play-offs. But I think the players are really focused.

“They aren’t stupid. They look at the fixtures and realise our run-in is probably the most difficult but also the best one to have.

“When you’re playing all the teams up there, there’s only one team who can get the three points if they win. That obviously makes a difference in the shake-up at the end.

“There’s a focus to be tough to play against, athletic, fit, strong and committed – as we have been and will have to be tonight to get a result.”

In a week, City slashed the gap to seventh place from eight points to two as other sides have started to flounder.

Parkin anticipates more twists and turns to come and said: “We’re surprised the gap has closed as quickly as it has but with three points for a win, that’s what can happen.

“You’ve only got to string two or three games together at this time of year, with someone getting a couple of draws or the odd defeat, and the picture changes quickly – and it can change again.

“We needed to win matches to get back in to where we wanted to be. We’ve managed to do that but to get to where we really want to be, that’s got to continue.

“Draws for all the teams in and around us are no good to anybody.

“Lots of people get surprised with results at the end of the season but it happens. The pitches are poor, the players are committed and it’s a great leveller. That’s why some teams at the top have suffered against those at the bottom.

“We have tough fixtures, no doubt about that. We’ll need every man jack to be on their mettle, including all the lads in the squad who’ve been out of it for the last two or three games.”

City slogged their way to victory over Northampton on Saturday and are braced for another battle against a Rovers side who have won four of their last five games.

“The fans realise that when you get to this time of the year, what matters most is what happens in both boxes,” said Parkin.

“We would all love to play free-flowing, passing football but that won’t happen. There’s too much at stake.

“This is a game to really look forward to. The in-form team are coming to town, we’ve got the fans right behind us and it’s the recipe for a cracking game.”

Centre halves Andrew Davies and Rory McArdle and both strikers were feeling the effects from Saturday’s bruising encounter but Parkin expects them all to be available.

He said: “Let’s not forget how many games some of these lads have played. They are battle-hardened.”