MARK Trueman views Cheltenham as the acid test for the in-form Bantams.

City are aiming to continue their push up League Two after jumping to 16th spot with the midweek win over Morecambe.

But their impressive recent run faces its toughest challenge tomorrow against the side that Trueman currently rates the best in the division.

The third-placed Robins sit two points off the lead after a two-month unbeaten run – and City’s interim boss sees the Whaddon Road clash as a real marker for how far his team have come.

Trueman said: “They are obviously on form and have had some good results lately.

“They are a well-organised team, who like to keep the same formation, and have got different strengths like the (long) throw and set-pieces.

“They keep the ball well and they move it. We know they are a strong team and up there for the right reasons.

“For me, they are probably the best team in the league at the minute. We’ve got to be at our best to get anything from the game.

“But these are the games we want. We want to see the benchmark for us.

“The way we’re playing and how confident we are as a group, we’ll go into any game and want to get a result.

“We know it’s going to be one of the tougher challenges but if we can overcome this then it will only give us more confidence for the next run of games.

“The performance against Morecambe was key and how we moved the ball and defended the box. We looked a threat but also defended well.”

Trueman and Conor Sellars have picked up an impressive haul of 21 points from their first 10 games in charge. City, who have lost only once in that time, are now nine off the play-offs with a game in hand.

But Trueman insists there is no chance of getting carried away.

“We’ve got to manage expectations and that’s what we’ll do,” he added. “We’re quite grounded in our approach and just focus on the next game.

“It’s a cliché but that’s all we can do.

“If we find ourselves mathematically away from the relegation zone, then we can probably start thinking about our next goal in the league.

“We’ve had enough rest, we’ve had enough games called off. We just want to play matches, put in performances and hopefully get the results that are going to get us high up the table.”

City remain in no rush to make a permanent hot-seat appointment despite the upturn under the current duo.

Asked if they want the job, Trueman said: “Obviously, we’re having success and it’s something we are working towards. That’s a decision for the board.

“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing and, hopefully, if they think we’re the right people then we’ll take the job.

“If they feel we’re not, then we’ll have to see what happens from there.

“It’s obviously something we’re looking to do in the future. So, if we get the opportunity here, then we’ll take that.”

Connor Wood said: “I think they've come in and proved they do deserve a shot at being made permanent. The lads have got a lot of respect for them.”