STUART McCall insists City are playing for their futures - whatever happens in the rest of the campaign.

The last-gasp loss at Cambridge was the first since McCall returned to the helm as their away-day blues continue.

The Bantams have now gone 10 games without a win on the road but are still only a point outside of the League Two play-offs in ninth.

McCall is adamant there can be no moping with the season very much alive going into the final 12 games.

And with so many of his squad out of contract in the summer, they need to push their claims to be kept on.

He said: “We go to Newport next week, another away game and we’ve got to look ahead.

“There’s so much still to play for, not just this season but going forward after.

“If the lads want to be here, then they’ve got to put in performances.

“I’m naturally really disappointed in the manner we lost the game. But it can’t be all doom or gloom.

“We’ll be back in today and ready to go.

“We’re not adrift. Losing how we’ve done makes the feeling worse but there was enough character out there and desire.

“It wasn’t through lack of effort or energy.”

City looked on course for a first away win since October when Jake Reeves broke his duck after 43 appearances.

But they were undone by two late Cambridge goals after a second-half battering in horrendous conditions caused by the effects of Storm Dennis.

McCall raged against referee Nick Kinseley for not awarding a foul on Harry Pritchard in the build-up to the stoppage-time winner from Harvey Knibbs.

“I don’t think it was a weak performance in any way,” he added. “Conditions played a part in making it a game of two halves.

“We’d have like to done a bit more when we had the wind behind us. But I can’t look at that and think that it was a huge negative.

“Obviously, it’s a big disappointment when you’re 1-0 up and get pegged back and lose as late as we did.

“But I don’t think it was fatigue or tiredness. On another day we get a decision and it doesn’t count.”

McCall has been unable to sort out a closed-doors training game for tomorrow.

But he is grateful for an uninterrupted week to work with the squad before they hit the road again to take on Michael Flynn’s Newport.

“It gives us a chance to put a few things in place. Although having said that, I’m not sure where we’ll be training.

“We were trying to get a game for tomorrow but unfortunately we can’t arrange one.

“There are lads that need some 90 minutes in them. But we’ll get on the field and put some more work in them.

“You can see there are little things they are taking on board, like the throw-ins which we did well, so you can move on to something else.”

On-loan Rangers winger Glenn Middleton made his first City appearance and played 69 minutes. McCall said: "It wasn’t the easiest day to make his debut but we needed to have a look at him.

“I think he’s shown he can be positive and get at people.”