4 points from automatic, 4 games to go, 1 game in hand

Cardiff are 4th behind Wolves (83 pts), Birmingham (77 pts) and Sheffield Utd (76 pts).

The Bluebirds have 73 points but have a game in hand on the top three.

Forget Wolves, while mathematically they can be caught they need just one win from their remaining three games to guarantee promotion and all but secure the title (and that's if Birmingham win all their games - which of course they won't - not if we are to pinch 2nd spot).

On Monday Wolves beat Derby 3 - 2 with a late goal but the events that interested City took place at St Andrews and Bramall Lane.

Plymouth held 10 man Birmingham to a 1 - 1 draw with Birmingham having 1st choice keepr Maik Taylor sent off so he will have to serve a suspension.

Meanwhile at Bramall Lane Sheffield Utd were held 0 - 0 by a Nottingham Forest side that played 76 minutes with 10 men. The visitors included Chris Gunter in their side.

Cardiff can't afford to slip up, they need to keep winning to heap more pressure on Birmingham and Utd in the hope they drop more points.

City have an 8 point lead above 7th place so a play off place is all but certain. With that in mind we have nothing to lose in going for 2nd place and promotion to the Premier League.

Next up on Saturday a trip to Preston, who are still fighting to make the play off places. Following that on Tuesday next week we play the game in hand away at Charlton. The Addicks are hanging onto hopes that a miracle will keep them up. They are 12 points adrift with 4 games to play. The fat lady at the Valley has cleared her throat for the last time and is about to perform.

Latest match Monday, 13th April 2009		Pld		Home						Away						Overall						Pts	EP
				W	D	L	F	A		W	D	L	F	A		W	D	L	F	A
1	Wolverhampton Wanderers	43		13	5	3	42	21		12	3	7	35	30		25	8	10	77	51		83	+26
2	Birmingham City	43		14	5	3	29	15		7	9	5	21	19		21	14	8	50	34		77	+16
3	Sheffield United	43		11	6	5	34	22		10	7	4	29	16		21	13	9	63	38		76	+25
4	Cardiff City	42		14	5	3	40	20		5	11	4	23	21		19	16	7	63	41		73	+22
5	Reading	42		12	4	5	39	15		7	9	5	28	23		19	13	10	67	38		70	+29
6	Burnley	43		12	5	4	37	23		7	7	8	28	35		19	12	12	65	58		69	+7
7	Swansea City	43		10	9	2	39	21		5	11	6	23	27		15	20	8	62	48		65	+14
8	Preston North End	43		14	3	4	31	19		4	8	10	25	33		18	11	14	56	52		65	+4
9	Bristol City	43		7	12	3	29	22		8	3	10	24	26		15	15	13	53	48		60	+5
10	Queens Park Rangers	43		12	6	4	28	19		3	9	9	13	22		15	15	13	41	41		60	0
11	Ipswich Town	43		6	9	6	25	23		8	6	8	29	27		14	15	14	54	50		57	+4
12	Sheffield Wednesday	43		9	6	6	23	14		5	6	11	24	43		14	12	17	47	57		54	-10
13	Crystal Palace	43		8	7	6	25	19		6	4	12	26	34		14	11	18	51	53		53	-2
14	Coventry City	42		8	7	6	23	22		5	7	9	20	29		13	14	15	43	51		53	-8
15	Watford	43		10	6	5	39	30		4	4	14	23	38		14	10	19	62	68		52	-6
16	Doncaster Rovers	43		8	5	9	14	18		7	2	12	23	34		15	7	21	37	52		52	-15
17	Derby County	42		8	7	6	30	24		5	5	11	23	37		13	12	17	53	61		51	-8
18	Blackpool	43		5	7	10	24	32		7	8	6	19	23		12	15	16	43	55		51	-12
19	Plymouth Argyle	43		7	5	9	30	30		6	6	10	13	22		13	11	19	43	52		50	-9
20	Norwich City	43		9	5	8	35	26		3	5	13	18	35		12	10	21	53	61		46	-8
21	Barnsley	42		8	6	8	27	23		4	4	12	14	32		12	10	20	41	55		46	-14
22	Nottingham Forest	43		6	7	8	23	27		5	6	11	22	36		11	13	19	45	63		46	-18
23	Southampton	43		4	9	9	21	27		6	5	10	22	35		10	14	19	43	62		44	-19
24	Charlton Athletic	42		5	6	9	25	32		2	7	13	19	35		7	13	22	44	67		34	-23