BRADFORD CITY AFC

Bantams boss Phil Parkinson is confident that City can transfer their recent impressive away form into their home fixtures as they welcome Port Vale to the Coral Windows Stadium this weekend.

Parkinson's men head into this Saturday's encounter with Port Vale off the back of three consecutive long distance away matches - two in the league and one in the Capital One Cup - over the space of just eight days.

City's two away league fixtures at Milton Keynes Dons and Colchester United saw the Bantams collect four further points to the total and maintained their unbeaten start to their fixtures on the road this season.

City's results at the Coral Windows Stadium haven't been as productive recently, however, and Parkinson wants to see his side begin to recreate their away efforts back at headquarters.

Parkinson said: "The lads are very much looking forward to returning to home soil this week after a fairly successful week on the road, certainly in the league.

"Port Vale are always a competitive side and we've had a number of keenly-contested occasions with them. We know their players and I'm sure they will know ours.

"Robert Page (Port Vale's Interim Manager) has come in last week and they responded with a good effort against Barnsley last weekend so they will be massively up for Saturday, but so will we.

"We are looking to keep ourselves up there (in the league). We know our home form hasn't been great of late but it is the points tally and where we are in the table at the moment that is important.

"Whether you got them at home or away, ultimately it is just getting the points on the board that matters.

"Ideally though, we want to put in a home performance for the fans on Saturday similar to the displays we have put in away from home over the last week or so."

Going into this Saturday's match, Parkinson says he is pleased to have at least one or two more options available to him in terms of team selection after fielding an unfamiliar line up at Milton Keynes Dons in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.

Parkinson added: "We do have some more options, which is good.

"(Andrew) Davies is close, (James) Hanson is at 70% running today (Friday) and he is getting closer every day - it (the injury) doesn't look at bad as first feared - (Matthew) Dolan is back, (Alan) Sheehan is back and Darbs (Stephen Darby) is looking better, so we are looking better from how it did on Tuesday.

"We had a lot of the young kids involved that night but tomorrow (Saturday) we should have mainly senior players involved."