Mark Hughes says Bradford City's connection with supporters is providing them with League Two play-off momentum

The Bantams host Carlisle United on Sunday evening, before the return leg at Brunton Park six days later. The winners will go to Wembley on May 28 for the right to play in League One next season.

Bradford went into it on the back of a 1-1 draw with Leyton Orient witnessed by Valley Parade's biggest league crowd since 1953 and as Hughes noted, it was not just their numbers but the way they stuck with their team when Jordan Brown opened the scoring for the visitors which was important.

This season was supposed to be all about automatic promotion, so by that measure, finishing sixth in the regular campaign was a disappointment. A big reason was a home record which was only the 10th-best in the division.

So to average crowds of 17,767 – the most they have every averaged at this level unless you count the Division Three North-winning season of 1929 – says something about what the public think of this team.

“They are a great group (of players) and are working exceptionally hard to get this club where everybody wants it, which is out of this league," said Hughes.

“There’s a good connection with the crowd at the moment. They see a group of players that really want to do well and are doing their utmost to get out of this league and a step higher.

"In the past it (the scale of Bradford's support) has sometimes been a hindrance but we’ve got huge momentum behind us.

“They were really important for us and we’re going to need them Sunday. They’ll be there in big numbers again. We’re looking forward to it."

No team with that support should be slumming it in League Two, where the next best average is Stockport County's 9,068.

“We know that the potential is there, it’s there for everybody to see," commented Hughes.

“We just need to take the next step and that’s to get out of this league.

“If we can make it, it would obviously be a huge moment for the club.

“The higher we go, the more we will enjoy ourselves. It’s just getting out of this league that’s the problem at the moment but we’ll do our best.

"Now we’re into the play-offs which we haven’t been in for a number of years. Let’s enjoy it.”

Whereas Carlisle are currently negotiating to extend right-back Ben Barclay’s loan from Stockport County – who play Salford City in the other play-off – Bradford’s loans for Scott Banks, Romoney Crichlow and Dion Pereira run until after the May 28 final.

Crystal Palace winger Banks and Huddersfield Town centre-back Crichlow have been key figures this season.

Tickets for the home leg against Carlisle have now gone on general sale but all club offices will be closed on Thursday as a mark of respect to the 38th anniversary of the Valley Parade Fire Disaster, which resulted in the death of 56 supporters.