GRAHAM Alexander wants City to keep Valley Parade smiling during their glut of home games.

Having won a first league game in their own backyard since November in midweek, the Bantams host bottom club Sutton tomorrow.

They then face Wycombe in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy with the prize of a Wembley visit up for grabs.

Alexander insists it is time City give the home crowd plenty more to cheer about.

“As soon as the referee blows that whistle, there’s a responsibility on us to keep the mood high and encourage the supporters to stay positive,” he said.

READ MORE: Training-ground update on injured City trio

“We want people coming into Valley Parade with a spring in their step, looking forward to the game and seeing their team compete and hopefully win.

“We want to try and create that emotion.

“We know we haven’t hit the heights at home. There has been a lot of good stuff we’ve done over the last three months but generally a lot of it has been away.

“Hopefully Tuesday was a mark of what we can achieve if we do things in the right way and not give ourselves mountains to climb early on.

“Everyone talks about the crowd at Valley Parade – not just us but away teams and away managers.

“It’s very loud and passionate and we want to keep it like that with a smile on their faces.

“It’s not what they come into the stadium with, it’s what they leave with. It’s leaving with smiles, that’s what we want.”

City’s 4-0 win over MK Dons was their largest league win at home since November 2016 when they beat Rochdale by the same score.

It was only their fifth Valley Parade victory in 15 games this season – just six sides in League Two have picked up fewer home points.

Alexander added: “Confidence is really hard to gauge but it goes without saying you feel better about yourself when you pick up positive results.

“It improves your motivation to want to work even harder because you want to keep that feeling.

“Everyone feels great after a win, the supporters, the staff, the players, the families, it goes through. That’s what it means to us all."

City had drawn four and lost with that late collapse to Crawley since their previous home win over Accrington in November.

“It was getting a monkey off our back rather than putting down a marker,” admitted the City boss.

Different type of feeling playing home games

“That burden at not winning for so long at Valley Parade was frustrating for us all. We wanted to remove that any way we could.

“To win 4-0 against a very good team in the play-off positions was a validation for the players’ work and their motivation.

“But each game is different, they are all challenging and difficult. We’ve got to focus on the next one.”

Sutton are seven points adrift of safety in the frantic scramble to retain their League Two status. City can expect pumped-up opponents – but Alexander knows that is something they face in most Valley Parade encounters.

“We’re trying to create a team that can go anywhere and win games and be positive.

“Nobody would have given us any hope at Wrexham or Derby and we won those. These are really difficult venues and tough opponents and we’ve overcome that.

“I just think it’s maybe a different type of feeling at a home game. We have to adjust our sails to what we face.

“Maybe I’m guilty of wanting us to be consistent and play the same way home and away.

“I think I have to adapt a little bit to our home games because the opposition certainly do that to come and play at Valley Parade.

“That’s something we have to get to the bottom of. If we do that, Valley Parade will be a weapon for us and that’s what we want it to become.”