21 hours Ago
ALEX Pattison insists City’s spirit remains strong for the “massive” promotion run-in after their Port Vale setback. Last night’s 2-0 defeat to the team immediately behind them in the automatic places has piled on the pressure for this weekend’s home clash with Crewe. City are now only goal difference above Vale in second and Notts County will move two points behind if they beat MK Dons tonight.
Doncaster are three points back but have a game in hand. But Pattison, who came through his first full game since having his appendix removed, feels the morale has not been jolted. “We are still second,” he said.
“I know it wasn’t a great result but we’ve still got six massive games to play and we are confident going into them. “It was a tough one to take but it’s not the end of the world. We’re still confident of getting the job done.
” Leaders Walsall drew for the fourth straight game with a late equaliser at Doncaster to go two points clear. Wimbledon surprisingly slipped up against Swindon as results elsewhere again went in City’s favour. Pattison added: “We’ve had a few chances now to go top and haven’t taken them.
“We need to do that now because your luck will run out eventually and other teams will overtake us if we aren’t winning games. “But we’re a confident group. We were disappointed with the result but nobody is too down.
“We’ll stick together for these remaining games and want to go and win the majority of them to finish the job that we’ve started.” City’s defeat at Vale Park – their third in the last five games – was on the cards once the home side raced into a two-goal lead before half-time. The Bantams improved after the break but Pattison admitted they had not been up to scratch in the first half.
“We didn’t really get going at all and gave away two horrendous goals defensively. “We didn’t look to play and were shelling too many balls down the line without any quality. Alex Pattison scored in City's draw at Crewe - but was also sent off (Image: Thomas Gadd) “I think we showed in the second half the team that we need to be.
But we can’t give teams around us in a play-off race a first half like that, letting them come in 2-0 up and then deciding to play. “If you come away to a team that doesn’t concede many goals and give them a 2-0 head start, it’s always going to be an uphill battle. “We need to be better than that but we showed some character second half to try and get back in the game.
“We showed more bravery to get on the ball. We made more attacking runs with actual purpose rather than running into nowhere and had chances from it. “But we need to do that from the first minute.
” City will need Pattison on his best form for the final month of the league programme. He revealed how hard it has been since waking up in agony ahead of City’s trip to Salford. “I went home that Friday and woke up during the night in horrendous pain.
It was the worst I’ve had. “I knew something was wrong, so I messaged the physio and took myself to A and E about 2am. I was taken up to the ward and had them taken out pretty much straight away.
“It wasn’t nice and the first few days after were quite tough. “But to come back two and a half weeks after appendix surgery shows my character. I want to be involved in these last games.
“It was good to be back out there. It was my first full 90 so it was a bit tiring. “But I’m a fit lad to get through that and I’ve got the confidence now to know that I’m back and can play a full game.
I wouldn’t play if I wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t do that to the team. “I’m happy to be back but I want to be back part of a winning team.”.
