DAVID Hopkin insists City are back on an even keel as the survival fight heads into the final third of the season.

Saturday’s goalless draw at Wycombe was not enough to lift them out of League One’s bottom four.

But the Bantams have picked up five points from the last three games as they prepare for back-to-back Valley Parade clashes against Fleetwood and fellow strugglers Plymouth.

Hopkin is relieved to put January behind them and the distraction of the transfer window for the 15-match run-in that will decide their season.

He said: “We have to focus on what happens on the pitch. That’s all that is important now.

“The two earlier games (when City were beaten by Barnsley and Southend) coincided with a lot of transfer talk and things going on at the club.

“I’ve seen the buzz back around the place in the last week.

“I think they’ve maybe realised they are all going to be here and we’ve added a couple of quality players which has lifted training.

“I spoke to the players on Friday and made it clear to them that this is the squad we have until May. We need to make sure we all believe now where we want to go.”

After last week’s dramatic win over Shrewsbury, Hopkin felt City should have followed up with another at Adams Park. But he was pleased to keep the run going against one of the division’s in-form teams.

He added: “It’s a good point away but again, like at Burton the week before, I was disappointed not to get all three.

“But it shows how we have been doing when you’re a wee bit disappointed to leave a top-10 team with just a point.

“We’ve got two home games coming up now against Fleetwood and Plymouth. They are going to be massive but every one of them will be for us through until May.

“But if you pick up a point on the road and then try to win your home games, it keeps everything ticking along.”

City will monitor defender Calum Woods, who missed out at Wycombe with a muscle injury. Deadline-day recruits Jacob Butterfield and Billy Clarke will also have a full week to work with the squad ahead of Fleetwood’s visit.

Hopkin said: “Calum might miss one or two games but it’s nothing major. His hamstring just felt a wee bit tight so we left him to get some treatment.

“We’ve got Connor Wood and Adam Chicksen and I thought Adam played well.

“Wycombe are a good side in the wide areas, they move the ball quickly and try to get crosses into the box.

“I was tempted to play young Connor at left back and maybe put either Billy or Jacob into the team. But I thought it would be unfair on them because they’ve only just come in.

“We need to make sure they have a good week’s training and hopefully the two boys will add that bit of quality. You could see that when they came on.”

Butterfield’s late sub appearance was his first senior outing of the season after being frozen out by Derby boss Frank Lampard.

The Thornton-born midfielder said: “I’ve played under-23s football and the standard is good, to be fair. It probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

“But there’s not that atmosphere or big crowds and no real competition. It’s more about development than win or lose, so to get on again in a proper game was great.”