Bradford City defender Matty Platt eyes big finish to season

Matty Platt had to rack his brains to come up with a contender anywhere near his thunderous strike against MK Dons.

“It was not in a professional game,” smiled the centre half. “A few of the lads were asking me and I think I took them back to a primary school game where I might have scored one similar.

“I’d have to go back a long way for anything that would rival that.”

Turn the clock back to this time last week and who would have forecast the Bantams ending their win drought in the league at Wrexham and then following it up with a four-goal blast against MK Dons?

And Platt scoring the first of those with a rocket from the edge of the box?

The response of those around him would suggest the third option was the most unlikely in the minds of the other players.

“I was watching a few of the videos actually and watching a few of the reactions was funny. I think it was more of shock than anything.

“I must admit I’ve watched it probably too many (times). When you score a goal like that, I couldn’t watch it enough.”

Morale within the group, as Graham Alexander has maintained, did not dip too much despite the frustration of draw after draw in recent weeks.

While many had effectively written off the rest of City’s league campaign, Platt said the players were encouraged to keep believing because of the performances.

“It’s easier when you are playing well if that makes sense. When people are writing you off and you aren’t playing well and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, I’d say it’s tough.

“But with having those good performances, we’ve just kind of not been getting those results. It’s a bit easier, we have some good characters in the dressing room and use that to keep us going.

“We know anyone can beat anyone in this league and it’s keeping that belief and getting the validation in the last two games has been great to add to that belief that we can carry on for the rest of the season.

“We have some really experienced boys and they definitely help in those times.

“The thing is not getting too high when you are winning and too low when you are losing. That kind of pays dividends for us - to keep believing and doing the right things on the training pitch.

Brad Halliday is clearly impressed with Matty Platt's goal (Image: Thomas Gadd)

“But you have still got to go and show it on the pitch that you have that belief.

“Wrexham was a big one - it was tough to go there with a big atmosphere against a really good team, hang on in moments and eventually get the win.”

That was an impressive result in isolation, but City needed to follow it up with a long-overdue home victory. The winning margin in midweek made it all the sweeter.

Platt added: “In the time I have been here, the home record has been something we’d have wished to be a bit better.

“Coming off the back of Wrexham, it was definitely on my mind to keep that momentum going and to do that on Tuesday was massive.

“To give those home fans something to shout about with a 4-0 win was perfect.”

City are odds-on to make it three wins in a row against bottom side Sutton this afternoon and continue the upward trajectory.

Platt knows that wins are needed if they are to gatecrash the play-off race. That remains his target and he is happy to carry the weight of expectation.

“We will approach the game like we do any team,” he said. “From the outside, it’ll be one where we do have to win.

“From ourselves, we know where we are in the league and in games like that, we’ve got to take advantage and get a win. We’ll be trying our best to go and do that.

“We’ve got that pressure on us now, but we’ve got to take that and thrive on it.

“From now until the end of the season, we will have to win more than we lose. Hopefully we will keep that run going.”