Phil Parkinson, the Bradford manager, believes his side have already won one psychological battle before Monday night’s FA Cup quarter-final replay against Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

Both sides made wholesale changes to their Saturday lineups in order to combat the frantic fixture scheduling and it was the second-string Bantams who came out best with a gutsy 1-1 draw at Notts County.

Bradford’s fortunes came in contrast to their Reading rivals, as Steve Clarke sent out a team entirely unrecognisable from the one that earned a draw at Valley Parade last week and saw the Royals slump to a heavy 4-1 defeat at Watford.

“I think Reading had an advantage because they are not going to go up or down whereas we’ve got to make sure we’re still fighting on two fronts,” said Parkinson.

“Reading were able to make more changes but they got thumped which won’t help them. When we’ve made changes we’ve got results and that will give everybody a lift because the lads who came in are walking around with a spring in their step.

“I think we got it right. I was pleased with the balance of the team [at Notts County] and I thought all the lads who came in actually added something in terms of freshness.”

But Parkinson hopes to be able to bring back all the first-team players who have starred in their improbable Cup run so far, with striker Jon Stead showing a welcome return to form with a swinging opener at Meadow Lane. The striker, who at the Madejski Stadium will look to maintain his record of scoring in every round of this season’s competition, had looked off the pace as he struggled with a minor injury issue in recent weeks, with his last goal coming in the 2-0 win over Sunderland last month.

“I thought Jon just needed a break,” said Parkinson. “He has run himself into the ground every weekend but he looked fresher.

“I gave him that opportunity of a rest and we played him for 60 minutes yesterday. He’s clinical with both feet and it was a great finish from him so hopefully the break will have done him good.”

Clarke, who made nine changes to his side for the defeat on Saturday, insists his side are not distracted by a possible semi-final at Wembley with Arsenal. “I didn’t watch the draw,” he said.

“A friend texted me telling me we had drawn Arsenal, but I never intended on watching it. I don’t think it [the draw] makes any difference whatsoever. I think the game against Bradford is big enough in its own right and the reward of getting through to an FA Cup semi-final is big enough in its own right. Before there is any talk of semi-finals you have to get through to the quarter-final and that’s what we intend to do.

“To get to Wembley doesn’t excite me, to get to the FA Cup semi-final does. That’s the key for me. One more step in the Cup would be nice. To get to Wembley is just another game, there are no prizes for it.

“The final goal of any competition is to pick up the silver trophy at the end of it. This is just another step on the way to the final. That’s how you have to look at every round and that’s how we have looked at every round.

“That is the mindset I have to give them. That’s the mindset you have to have. If you’re satisfied to reach a semi-final then that’s not correct.”