Cardiff have almost perfected the art of missing out in recent seasons. They've lost play off games at both semi-final and final stage and in 2009, as we went up, they even missed out on a top six place as their season collapsed.
It would take one massive collapse now for them to miss out. They have four games left and need just one point to ensure Premier League football for the first time and to become the 46th club to play in that league since it took over from the old First Division in 1992.
Who goes with them? It's looking like Hull for the second automatic place. Their win, coupled with Watford's shock defeat at Peterborough, has seen them go six points clear in second place. Their goal difference is inferior to that of Watford, so that means they need seven points to be absolutely certain.
They are guaranteed a play off place even if they don't finish second, and Watford are all but there too. The other three places look now to be between Crystal Palace, Brighton, Bolton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester.
I won't be putting money on Leicester though given their recent run. Their Friday night draw against Birmingham has left them with just four points from their last nine games. An average run of results in those games would have seen them comfortably in the top six.
Now down at the bottom and I'd say virtually every club I haven't named as a promotion or play off candidate is probably looking very much over their shoulders, except probably Charlton who have moved into ninth place with 57 points.
Middlesbrough and Leeds are next with 55 and that's now only six points clear of Barnsley who occupy the highest of the three relegation positions.
They reckon the Championship is tight but I've never seen anything quite like this. A week ago I felt more than confident but we are looking closely again with only a five point gap.
Bristol City are all but doomed. If they won their last four games they might have a chance; lose one of them and the game is all but up for them after six years at this level.
I'm not even going to hazard a guess who will go with them only to suggest it will be two from Wolves, Barnsley, Peterborough, Blackburn, Huddersfield, Millwall, Ipswich, Sheff Wed, Birmingham, Burnley, Derby, Blackpool, Leeds or Middlesbrough.
We've a full fixture list tomorrow - some of those teams will be playing against each other and I'm sure some will be feeling that bit safer if they can get wins. It does look as though the record high for a relegated club, currently standing at 52 points, could be beaten this season.
The results and stats are below along with tomorrow's fixtures.
The Results Tuesday 9th April Cardiff City 1 Barnsley 1 Millwall 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2 Friday 12th April Leicester City 2 Birmingham City 2 Saturday 13th April Barnsley 0 Charlton Athletic 6 Ipswich Town 1 Hull City 2 Blackburn Rovers 2 Derby County 0 Leeds United 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1 Blackpool 1 Burnley 0 Middlesbrough 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Bristol City 1 Bolton Wanderers 2 Peterborough United 3 Watford 2 Cardiff City 3 Nottingham Forest 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Huddersfield Town 3The Stats Biggest Win Charlton Athletic 6-0 v Barnsley (away) Total Goals Scored 41 (18 home - 23 away)
Player Scoring Most Goals2
2 - Jermaine Beckford - Huddersfield Town v Wolverhampton WanderersRudy Gestede - Cardiff City v Nottingham ForestLuke Varney - Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday Highest Attendance 26,588 - Cardiff City v Nottingham Forest Lowest Attendance 9,084 - Barnsley v Charlton Athletic Total Yellow Cards 42 Total Red Cards 5 Most Cards in a Game Cardiff City v Nottingham Forest (7Y 1R) Ref: Andre MarrinerLeading Goalscorers (League Only) 29 Glenn Murray (Crystal Palace) - includes 7 penalties 25 Charlie Austin (Burnley) - includes 4 penaltiesJordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers) - includes 4 penalties, 2 with Huddersfield Town 20 Matej Vydra (Watford) - includes 2 penalties 18 Tom Ince (Blackpool) - includes 3 penaltiesChris Wood (Leicester City) - 11 with Millwall 16 Troy Deeney (Watford) - includes 2 penalties 15 Luciano Becchio (Leeds United) - includes 4 penalties 14 Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Wolverhampton Wanderers) - includes 3 penaltiesDavid Nugent (Leicester City) - includes 1 penalty 13 Steven Davies (Bristol City) - includes 2 penaltiesDwight Gayle (Peterborough United)Marlon King (Birmingham City) - includes 3 penalties 12 Jamie Ward (Derby County) - includes 4 penalties 11 Craig Davies (Bolton Wanderers) - includes 2 penalties, 8 with BarnsleyJohnnie Jackson (Charlton AthleticScott McDonald (Middlesbrough)Craig Mackail-Smith (Brighton & Hove Albion) - includes 2 penalties
Hat Tricks Date Player & Game 01/09/12 3: Pete Whittingham - CARDIFF CITY v Wolverhampton Wanderers 15/09/12 3: Charlie Austin - BURNLEY v Peterborough United 22/09/12 3: Glenn Murray - CRYSTAL PALACE v Cardiff City 22/09/12 4: Craig Davies - Birmingham City v BARNSLEY 23/09/12 3: David Nugent - LEICESTER CITY v Hull City 29/09/12 3: Emile Sinclair - Hull City v PETERBOROUGH UNITED 02/10/12 3: Charlie Austin - BURNLEY v Sheffield Wednesday 23/10/12 3: Marlon King - Millwall v BIRMINGHAM CITY 06/11/12 3: Glenn Murray - CRYSTAL PALACE v Ipswich Town 17/11/12 3: Jordan Rhodes - Peterborough United v BLACKBURN ROVERS 12/01/13 3: Chris Wood - Bristol City v LEICESTER CITY 19/02/13 3: Radoslaw Majewski - NOTTINGHAM FOREST v Huddersfield Town 02/03/13 3: Dwight Gayle - Blackburn Rovers v PETERBOROUGH UNITED 02/03/13 3: Leonardo Ulloa - BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION v Huddersfield Town 05/03/13 3: Kevin Phillips - CRYSTAL PALACE v Hull City
Disciplinary Record (League and Cup) Club Y R Y R Club Y R Y R League Total League Total Barnsley 60 3 69 4 Huddersfield Town 84 5 93 5 Birmingham City 62 3 66 3 Hull City 54 1 57 2 Blackburn Rovers 70 0 84 0 Ipswich Town 48 2 51 2 Blackpool 52 3 54 3 Leeds United 66 3 76 3 Bolton Wanderers 78 4 81 4 Leicester City 46 2 50 2 Brighton & Hove Albion 61 3 66 3 Middlesbrough 52 1 62 1 Bristol City 50 0 53 0 Millwall 77 3 92 3 Burnley 79 3 87 4 Nottingham Forest 76 5 76 6 Cardiff City 72 2 75 2 Peterborough United 52 1 55 1 Charlton Athletic 58 2 59 3 Sheffield Wednesday 89 2 95 2 Crystal Palace 54 2 65 2 Watford 71 5 74 5 Derby County 55 2 56 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 56 3 60 3
Highest and Lowest Attendances Highest Lowest Att Fixture Att Fixture 33,010 Derby County v Nottingham Forest (19/01) 5,435 Peterborough United v Bristol City (18/09) 29,697 Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley (30/03) 5,633 Peterborough United v Blackpool (01/12) 28,707 Nottingham Forest v Derby County (30/09) 5,997 Peterborough Utd v Blackburn Rovers (17/11) 28,595 Wolverhampton W v Ipswich Town (29/12) 6,050 Peterborough Utd v Charlton Athletic (05/03) 28,582 Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United (19/10) 6,188 Peterborough United v Millwall (21/08) 28,499 Brighton & HA v Crystal Palace (17/03) 6,214 Peterborough United v Hull City (19/01) 28,493 Brighton & HA v Leicester City (06/04) 6,348 Peterborough Utd v Huddersfield Town(23/10) 28,229 Middlesbrough v Sheffield Wednesday (09/11) 6,600 Peterborough Utd v Bolton Wand (23/12) 28,124 Nottingham Forest v Brighton & Hove A (30/03) 6,612 Peterborough Utd v Middlesbrough (08/12) 28,043 Brighton & HA v Charlton Athletic (02/04) 6,648 Peterborough Utd v Burnley (02/02)
The Next Fixtures Tuesday 9th April Barnsley v Derby County Leeds United v Burnley Blackburn Rovers v Huddersfield Town Leicester City v Bolton Wanderers Blackpool v Sheffield Wednesday (20:00) Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest Bristol City v Birmingham City Millwall v Watford Cardiff City v Charlton Athletic Peterborough United v Brighton & Hove Albion Ipswich Town v Crystal Palace Wolverhampton Wanderers v Hull City
Source: Clarets Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
