MICHAEL Duff reckons his Cheltenham side put down a marker with their first away win of the season.

Like City, they go into the Whaddon Road clash on the back of successive victories after beating Salford 2-0.

It was a result that lifts them up to sixth, goal difference ahead of the Bantams, despite several injury absences.

And Duff is looking for the Robins to build on that in a testing week, which sees them face City and then a trip to Plymouth.

He said: “They are two of the fancied teams in this league.

“But I still think we can improve. We can still move the ball better, be braver and make better decisions.

“People will expect us to finish in the bottom half, I’d imagine. We are not interested in outside noise, only what goes on in our camp.

“It doesn’t matter they are saying you are good, bad or indifferent.

“That’s why last season when people said we were rubbish, we didn’t pay any attention. We won’t go the other way, either.”

While Cheltenham have been very strong at home with 10 points from four games, they had not even scored away before Saturday. Ryan Broom’s double was their first goals on the road since Good Friday.

City will have to be wary of attacking midfielder Broom who has already equalled the four he scored in the whole of last season.

His form suffered after interest from Burton but a new two-year deal in the summer has invigorated his performances. He also scored and claimed an assist in the previous week’s 4-2 win over Stevenage.

Cheltenham have also beaten Scunthorpe and Carlisle at home and average three goals a game at Whaddon Road.

Only Swindon have come away with anything after a 2-2 draw which saw City’s on-loan striker Eoin Doyle score twice for the visitors.

Duff, who has been in charge for a year, said: “Ideally you pick up points home and away but 70 all at home, you’d take that.”