CITY won’t “pat themselves on the back” about their mini-revival – as Graham Alexander warned against letting the focus drift in the final week of the season.

The Bantams could still mathematically squeeze into the play-offs with three wins but realistically it remains a long shot.

Alexander still sees today’s trip to Walsall and the matches to come against Barrow and Newport as important tests in maintaining concentration levels with the end in sight.

The City boss does not understand any player wishing the season away.

“That makes it look like you don’t like playing football and you can’t wait for it to be over," he said. "I don’t really get that mentality, to be honest.

“Listen, we all like a holiday and to spend time with our family, but we are in a great job here.

“It’s not like grinding through at the bottom of a pit at the end of the day. We are playing and coaching professional football.

“That was a concern after the Harrogate game - how do we as a club, team, squad and each individual, staff members, approach these next six or seven games after looking like it’s gone?

“I said at the time that comes down to your personal pride and mentality and whether you need a big carrot to do the right things or do the right things anyway, regardless.”

That sorry 3-0 loss at Wetherby Road four weeks ago was arguably the lowest point of City’s season – a fourth defeat on the bounce with 13 goals conceded in the process.

But Alexander’s side have picked themselves up since to register three wins and a draw. He is demanding that run continues to finish strongly.

“What has impressed me is that a load of players in the last four games have shown they can still perform, regardless of what it potentially might mean or not.

“There’s where we have to get to. You cannot differentiate between games where one game is more important than the other.

“Every day, game and session, you always have to be there.

“We’ve still got three big challenges to make sure we go into the summer with this mindset and mentality. The three games are just as big a challenge as the last four games.

“We haven’t done anything to pat ourselves on the back. Let’s keep driving our standards forward and trying to improve and keep our levels high.

“I’ve seen the supporters leaving the stadium feeling good about themselves, why wouldn’t you want that feeling as often as possible. That’s our challenge.”

Hosts Walsall are still very much in the mix and are only a point of the play-offs in eighth.

Alexander added: “At this stage of the season, clubs may be in a position where they think, ‘it’s all or nothing’ and have to for it.

“They might be thinking that with their close proximity to the play-offs.

“But their motivation doesn’t concern us. It’s about ours and us going there and proving the things I’ve been talking about.

“What the play-offs have done in the English game in the last 30 years is amazing. It’s kept the season alive for so many teams.

“It means all games virtually all season mean something.

“But it needs to mean more to us than anybody else and that’s my focus.”