GARY Bowyer has challenged City to become last-gasp heroes to beat the drop.

The Bantams host Bowyer’s former club Blackpool tomorrow as League One’s bottom side.

With eight games left, the gap to safety is six points but the City boss is adamant nobody is waving the white flag.

And he predicts the relegation dogfight, which effectively covers half the division currently, will go right to the wire.

Bowyer said: “I still can’t tell you the exact points that will be needed but, in my opinion, I believe it will go to the last game.

“I believe it will go to the last minute of that last game up and down the country somewhere.

“We’ve got to make sure we give ourselves that fighting chance to be going into the last game possibly still in it.

“Hopefully we could have done it before then. But I’m sure it will be like that.”

City have been leapfrogged by in-form Wimbledon, whose burst of three wins has been highlighted by Bowyer as proof that fortunes can be revived. The Dons were nine points behind them just over a month ago.

“They probably found the pressure was totally off them and the freedom was there,” he added.

“We’ve looked at good examples with the players where we can actually go, ‘they have done that so why can’t we?’

“Get everybody onside and have that belief. That’s all we can do.”

Bowyer still believes his side can rescue their perilous position – and insists he can feel that confidence within the dressing room despite winning only twice since New Year’s Day.

“I can only go off the evidence put before me when I set the team out and how I want them to play,” he said.

“I try to be a positive person as much as I can but realistic too. There were lots of positives against Peterborough and Luton.

“Last week there were different moments of positivity which made me think that none of our lads have got the white flag out. That’s massive.

“I won’t allow it anyway. But I don’t see any of that and it’s a big strength.

“You saw the belief in the players from that one performance (against Peterborough).

“We’ve got to get back to that. If we hadn’t shown that, I wouldn’t say we had those capabilities – but we have, no doubt about that.”

City have no fresh injury concerns ahead of another vital Valley Parade clash but Sean Scannell will not be considered.

The winger, out since October, suffered a slight setback earlier in the week but he hopes to be back in training today.

His manager said: “Sean was very good in training on Monday with the quality he showed. But he felt a little bit sore, which was just a case of him coming back and getting used to the intensity.”