Bristol City are hanging onto Scunthorpe's coat tails at the top of League One and last Saturday's 1-0 victory against Brentford made if five wins on the bounce for Gary Johnson's side. Another three points against struggling Bradford tonight would take the Robins to within three points of Scunny but, more significantly, would open up a seven point gap between themselves and third-placed Yeovil. Givemefootball's Mark Shail caught up with influential skipper Louis Carey, who is hoping for a recall this evening after missing last weekend's victory over the Bees after picking up a slight thigh strain.
Q:YOU MUST HAVE BEEN PLEASED WITH LAST SATURDAY'S RESULT?
A:I didn't play in that one but it was one of those games where we weren't at our very best but managed to grind out a result against a side that are battling for their lives. Generally, it was a pretty scrappy match but the most important thing is that we managed to get the three points.
Q:WHAT'S THE NEWS ON YOUR INJURY?
A:I picked up a thigh strain at the end of last week but it feels fine now and I've been back in full training this week. Whether or not the manager picks me for the game tonight – I don't know – perhaps he will want to stick with the same line-up that won on Saturday.
Q:AND YOU MUST BE HOPEFUL OF ANOTHER THREE POINTS TONIGHT?
A:In the last five games we've played against sides in the bottom six and won them all fairly comfortable, apart from the Brentford game. Bradford are another side that are struggling at the moment and we'll go into the match looking to win it. A victory would take us to within three points of Scunthorpe with nine games to go, and also open up some daylight between us and both Yeovil and Nottingham Forest.
Q:WHICH SIDES HAVE YOU BEEN MOST IMPRESSED WITH IN LEAGUE ONE THIS SEASON?
A:I actually thought Crewe were a good footballing side, but you would expect that from a team coached by Dario Gradi, while Oldham were playing some great stuff when they went on that long run of wins. Blackpool were another sided that played well at our place and I wouldn't be surprised if they were in the promotion shake up.
Q:YOU HAVEN'T MENTIONED LEADERS SCUNTHORPE?
A:Don't get me wrong, they are an excellent side and deserve to be where they are in the table. They beat us 1-0 at their place recently but it was a tight game and Billy Sharp's goal made all the difference – he's having a fantastic season. They are very well organised, work exceptionally hard for each other and are hard to beat – all those ingredients add up to a successful side and it's no fluke where they are.
Q:SURELY A TOP TWO FINISH IS THE MAIN TARGET THIS SEASON?
A:Very much so. It's been a bit of rollercoaster season but now we're in a position where it's in our own hands. We went on an 18-game unbeaten run and that got us back into the top three but then I think we got a bit distracted by two cup games against Middlesbrough and Bristol Rovers. But those are out of the way now and it's just the league left for us to concentrate on.
Q:ARE YOU ENJOYING PLAYING UNDER GARY JOHNSON?
A:I've said right from the start that his coaching, ideas and enthusiasm has been second to none. I think it took the players a little bit of time to adjust to exactly what he wanted but now we all know our specific roles and what's expected of us. Hopefully, we can continue our recent good form and get another three points against Bradford tonight.
