Lewis not playing down importance of Bradford City and Carlisle game

Two points and four places currently separate the sides ahead of their second meeting in 26 days.

The onus will be on the Bantams on Saturday to cover the gap and avoid slipping out of the play-off places in the increasingly-claustrophobic top half of League Two.

City are six points off Northampton, who are looking increasingly wobbly in the final automatic spot after three defeats in four, and still have a game in hand.

But equally, there are five teams within a three-point spread behind them.

This weekend has the feel of a potential momentum-shifter one way or the other.

And far from playing down the build-up, Lewis is ready to revel in the expectation.

“We know it’s a massive game,” said the City keeper. “It’s a gap that needs to be closed.

“As far as I’m concerned, we’re still looking at automatic promotion. We’re not happy with play-offs.

“I’m still looking right up the table and it’s up to us now to go and deal with that.

“There will be pressure on for both sides and we need to manage the occasion better than they do.

“When we’ve had disappointing results, and we’ve had a few, it’s about showing a reaction.

“You’re only as good as your last game and, as we all know, we were miles off it against Rochdale.

“I don’t think we deserved anything from that game. But we can take a bit of comfort from Saturday that we can dig in and fight and be there for each other.

“Hopefully we can take that spirit we showed and display that in the home game and the big pressure that’s going to be coming on Saturday.”

City’s clean sheet in the goalless draw with Wimbledon was their ninth of the campaign. Lewis felt it was the response needed after the flop against Rochdale.

“For me, we’re a little bit below where we want to be (with clean sheets). But we’re making progress.

“We’ve conceded four goals in the last two home games and that’s not what we want to be doing.

“Obviously I’ve got my own personal targets and we’ve got team targets we aim for as well and keeping the ball out the net is high up there.

“We’re not perfect. I don’t know what I was expecting when I came into this club and into League Two but nobody wins every game.

“There are shock results every week. Anyone can have a good day at any point.

“When you have a bad one, individually and collectively, it’s about making sure that you turn it around as quick as you can and not let it hang over.”

Lewis was not too downbeat about leaving London with a point after playing the final half hour with 10 men following Jamie Walker’s red card.

“A draw felt almost like a win in the circumstances because of the satisfaction of having to dig in and help out your mates,” he said.

“When you’re away from home, in particular, if you can’t win then make sure you don’t lose.

“This season is the first time I’ve experienced in football the absolute gut punch of a goal that goes in late in the game costing you points.

“It felt nice to see that out. That’s a team effort.

“I had to make a couple of saves but I don’t feel like they were really laying siege to the goal.”

Lewis pulled off a fine tip-over to deny Ethan Chislett’s free-kick.

The South African had scored against him with a set-piece earlier in the season. But City’s number one got it right on Saturday to save his side - and avoid a rollicking from Mark Hughes.

“I said it to Chislett after the game, ‘I remember you doing me over the wall at Valley Parade’. I had a feeling he was going to go my side.

“We look at the set-plays before the game and I know how much quality he’s got, so we’ve got to be aware of a player like that.

“You don’t want to give free-kicks away on the edge of the box.

“But I said to the gaffer if that had beaten me my side, he’d have killed me - he said, ‘yeah!’

“As a keeper you’ve got to defend half the goal. If he whips it up and over the wall, as he did at Valley Parade, then there’s only so much you can do.

“But if he goes your side, you’ve got to save it.”

City will be very familiar with their next opponents after the quick turnaround since the recent meeting in Cumbria. Lewis knows exactly what to expect.

“I came into this league and hadn’t played any of the teams before.

“But now once you’ve played everyone, like with the Chislett free-kick, you are aware of the dangers.

“I’m a lot more aware of opposition forwards and who their main threats are. You’d like to think that’s an advantage and will help us.

“For me, it’s about managing the occasion and that’s what we’re going to have to do on Saturday.”