It wasn’t the first pub I’ve been in this season when the name Gary Jones has been serenaded.

And the City skipper was the subject of a raucous chorus in the Torquay hostelry on Monday night.

Only this was a group of Rochdale fans singing about their former midfield general for the benefit of the Bantam contingent propping up the bar.

It was a bit of a mutual appreciation society being as Dale had just done City a big favour with their dramatic come-from-behind win at Exeter.

That unexpected bonus, coupled with the three points Phil Parkinson’s side had taken from Plainmoor and suddenly the phrase “top seven” was cropping up in conversation once again.

Could it really be on? Or is a late play-off burst a dream too far?

Eleven minutes into the last home game I think we’d all given up the ghost. When Southend scored their second goal within the space of 60 seconds, the top seven seemed as far-fetched as the Easter temperature nudging double figures.

Suddenly the calculators are back out again. Each game, starting with this afternoon’s tussle with third-placed Northampton, becomes make or break.

The glass half-full brigade will point to four of the final half-dozen matches being played at Valley Parade.

If, and it is an if, City can recreate the all-conquering home form of the first half of the season – remember they were League Two’s stingiest hosts up to Christmas – then there is an opportunity to bulldoze their way to grabbing that final play-off ticket.

The optimists will also stress that four of those last six opponents are currently occupying the hallowed ground of the top seven – Aidy Boothroyd’s Cobblers, Steve Evans and Rotherham, Burton and Cheltenham on the final day.

Each one a so-called “six-pointer” – three for City denying three for those teams they hope to catch.

But without sounding too curmudgeonly, let’s examine the statistics of the season so far.

City’s record against the better teams in this division has been poor. In 17 games against sides in the top half of the table, they have won on only four occasions.

Seventeen points from a possible 51 is less than half the amount leaders Gillingham have plundered against the same clubs.

The form against the top seven is even worse – only two wins in ten, with seven defeats. One of those was at Northampton on a Tuesday night in October. But the Cobblers were 12th at the time, still to launch the blistering home run that has seen them rocket into the automatic positions despite possessing the second worst record on the road.

So there has been only one occasion when City have toppled a team who were in the promotion spots at that time. That was three days before the Sixfields triumph when third-placed Cheltenham were beaten 3-1.

That come-from-behind victory was also the last occasion they scored three past a League Two opponent at Valley Parade.

So maybe now is not the time to start screaming and shouting.

Make no mistake. It is still up for grabs if the Bantams can string a winning run together.

The second-half fightback against Southend and the quick recovery from conceding another soft early goal to beat Torquay were evidence of the spirit that still runs strong within the players.

But for City to succeed with a “modern day 1996”, they will have to do what has proved beyond them so far.