Graham Alexander spurring Bradford City on in late League Two play-off push with dreams of what could go right, not fear of failure

The Bantams were in deep despair after a 3-0 defeat at Harrogate Town in late March seemed to condemn them to a fifth consecutive season of fourth-tier football.

But five wins and a draw since have given them a glimmer of hope. A faint one, perhaps, but one they had not expected.

If City inflict an eighth straight defeat on Newport County at Valley Parade and Barrow suffer their fifth defeat in six matches – the fourth was against Bradford on Tuesday – to League One-bound Mansfield Town, then Grimsby Town avoiding defeat at Crawley Town, who are winless in the last four, will send the Bantams into the play-offs for a second successive spring.

Doncaster Rovers need only a final-day point to be there too – not even that if Crawley do not win.

Valley Parade is set for a bumper crowd expecting the Bantams to at least do their job but Alexander will drive his players on with thoughts of how good pleasing them will be, rather than avoiding the hollow feeling of letting them down.

"That's a decision I make," said the experienced manager, who took over in November.

"There is a fear of failure. I've had that since I was eight or nine years-old. I was scared witless about not being a professional footballer, because I was useless at everything (else), I didn't want to do anything else.

"I was driven by thinking I could not fail. It's a good source of motivation but it's quite a hard life to have that every single day so if you can have your motivation from positive stuff, I think that's a more fulfilling lifestyle and I think you can take the hits a lot better.

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"The fear of failure is still there but I'd rather talk and concentrate about the contentment and pleasure from just doing your job well.

"I think if you've got that (positive) motivation it's more consistent.

"I've not always felt like that, certainly in my younger days, but it helps me be the best I can. There's still loads of room for improvement in a flawed individual who's just trying his best.

"I wanted to be here for that crowd and that pressure so don't moan, bitch and whinge about it, that's why we're here.

"You'll find yourself in a better place mentally and if you are, you'll do better.

"A month ago all I saw in front of me was a massive challenge, not doom and gloom.

"It would be so easy to give up and drift to the end of the season but these players have put together a run that has restored belief in them and their own belief. That's a really positive force to have."

Alexander admits the response to defeat at Harrogate – Bradford's fourth in a row – could have been "extreme" in the opposite direction.

"I've been pleased but I wouldn't say surprised because it was an unknown for me," he said. "I didn't have any preconceived expectations.

"I knew how tough it would be and (that) it could go either way. It was quite an extreme pathway one way or the other.

"I'm glad we won these games because it would have been a lot worse, I can guarantee that.

"The players deserve the credit for that, they're the ones who cross the white line.

"I'm pleased because as I've got to know them more over the season they're good lads, good people. I'm more pleased for them that they can hold their heads high and take the accolades from the supporters.

"I know how tough professional football can be, it's a really competitive sport.

"It's not tough in terms of certain aspects of general life but it's very pressurised, you can get stripped naked and pulled apart. It can be quite tough mentally.

"But I think the players will have proved something to themselves, more than anything, that they can face adversity, overcome massive challenges and feel good about themselves.

"I guarantee all the boys in the squad at Barrow on Tuesday were feeling good about themselves on Wednesday. Why wouldn't you want that feeling every single day?

"There's no positive coming from a bad or a defeatist attitude. Even if you're not successful you know you've committed to it and done your best every day. There's solace, contentment and growth in that."

Alexander has Jamie Walker back from suspension against the Exiles and will find out on Friday if Alex Pattison can play for the first time since hamstring surgery in January.

"Alex had a series of tests in London and we haven't had the results of that yet," said Alexander, who has ruled out Jake Young. "We get them back on Friday and we have to be guided by that.

"If there's an element of risk we won't do that but if everything's a green light, why would we (hold him back)?"