ROCHDALE have got to “man up” about their current sliding form.

Dale blew a two-goal lead to only draw at home to Crewe in midweek – after scoring twice in the opening six minutes.

That followed a defeat against the same opponents ten days earlier and a home loss to Millwall.

Defender Ashley Eastham stressed they must pick it up again at Valley Parade tomorrow.

He said: “Bradford are a good side and they’ve won two on the bounce so they’re going to have their tails up.

“We are going to have to keep a clean sheet, first and foremost. That’s the main thing – we need to be doing that.

“With having the likes of Hendo (Ian Henderson) and Peter V (Vincenti), there’s always a goal in us so we need to stay strong.

“We’ve got to be men about it, marking from set-pieces and doing the right things. It’s clichéd stuff but it gets you points.

“We’ve got to do it because Bradford are a big, big side.”

Rochdale’s last win came against leaders Burton – they also stunned third-placed Walsall 3-0 at the Bescot at the start of the year.

But they are now 12 points adrift of the play-offs in 16th.

“We’ve got 16 games left to make something of this season,” said Eastham. “We’re not prepared to just let it die out.

“We’ve got to be positive. We’re in a bit of a sticky spot at the moment but we’ve got the characters in there to get us out of it, there’s no doubt about that.”

Calvin Andrew, who scored the late winner on Dale’s last visit to Valley Parade 13 months ago, is likely to miss out with a leg injury.

But Keith Hill could hand a debut to Scunthorpe centre half Niall Canavan, who signed on loan on Monday. He was on the bench for the Crewe game.

Hill said: “Have you seen the size of him? He’s a player I’ve wanted to sign for quite a while and it gives me real competition for places.

“It pricks everybody maybe to show a bit more desire to keep their place in the side.”