We know Bradford City’s grim statistics too well – one win in 19 games, none in the last 11, no home victory in over four months.
It is a grisly sequence of results which the Bantams are desperate to snap against Crewe at Valley Parade in a fixture that has taken on real significance.
Every player has been through a run when the points suddenly dry up. For Kyle Bennett, the on-loan Doncaster winger, it brings back memories of this time last year.
Not a lot went wrong for Rovers as they steamed to the League One title and promotion. But February proved a surprising sticking point.
A team that generally could not stop winning went five games without one. It was hardly the current drought that City are experiencing but it still came as an unwelcome jolt to the system.
Doncaster dusted themselves off and recovered to finish the season like the blip had never happened.
Bennett, who is available again tomorrow after his debut red card, believes his new side are capable of following suit.
He said: “When I signed, the gaffer here told me to come in and give it a bit of a spark. They’ve not been doing great in recent weeks but that happened to us last season when we got promoted.
“We had a patch when we were struggling and couldn’t get a win. I don’t know why it happens but obviously it just turns round quickly.
“It’s just a case of going back to basics, working hard in training and knowing that it will come good again.
“You have to remind yourself that you’re a good team – you don’t become bad players overnight. It’s just a dip in form but keep trying hard and you’ll get back to where you want to be.”
City’s downward spiral has seen them slip closer to the drop zone than the play-off spots. They are seven points off fourth from bottom while 12 adrift of sixth-placed Walsall, admittedly with a game in hand.
But Bennett refuses to write off their chances and reckons that one win can change the picture once more.
He said: “It’s all about momentum. Look at Blackpool in the Championship – they won five out of six at the start of the season but now they are struggling and have just sacked their manager.
“If we can get the momentum going, this is the business end of the season now. This is when it matters.
“Football changes suddenly. One minute you can be on the bottom and the next you’re shooting towards the top.
“It’s a big ask to get back into the play-offs but Bradford did it last year. That’s what a club like this should be aiming at.”
For Bennett, the rest of the season is about minutes on the pitch. The Neil Kilkenny episode brought his first City outing against Preston to a premature end but there will be far more opportunities at Valley Parade than the Keepmoat.
Paul Dickov, who took over the Rovers helm in the summer, had restricted him to only four substitute outings. So the chance for Bennett to get away for a second loan spell – he also had a month at Crawley – was too good to ignore.
He said: “It’s a strange one at Doncaster. The manager was part of offering me a new deal but then I’ve just not been involved.”
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