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Cardiff have one point more than us from one less game and are above Reading on goal difference. But as much as it would be nice to be above them our main concern right now is the gap between ourselves in sixth place and those behind us.
That gap increased to seven points on Saturday with Blackpool's win at Preston (and on Tom Finney Day too) meaning Swansea have gone above North End on goal difference. That's a good lead to have with only four games remaining and we want that gap to stay at least that.
One win from those remaining games would surely do it, and that would give us our highest finish since we left the old First Division 33 years ago.
We are due some sort of result at Cardiff. Since they were promoted in 2003 we have suffered five successive defeats. Our previous visit, in 1999/2000 had seen us win 2-1. I've seen us win four times at Ninian Park and three of them have been in promotion seasons.
Cardiff, like ourselves, are a side in form as they look to get the points needed to ensure a place in the top six at least. They go into the game on the back of successive wins against Derby and Crystal Palace with the latter on Saturday ending in controversy following the injury to Roger Johnson.
They are as good a side as we've seen on the Turf this season and they are even more formidable on their own ground. They've lost three times this season at Ninian Park and the defeats have come against the sides currently occupying the top three positions.
They are just about certain to end the season in the top six, they might just have left it a little bit late to push for an automatic place.
Cardiff will be without Roger Johnson who is currently still in hospital following his clash with Crystal Palace's Claude Davis. Michael Chopra was also substituted but he has a chance of playing in this game subject to a fitness test.
Should Chopra play the Cardiff starting eleven is likely to be: Stuart Taylor, Kevin McNaughton, Gabor Gyepes, Miguel Comminges, Mark Kennedy, Ross McCormack, Gavin Rae, Stephen McPhail, Joe Ledley, Michael Chopra, Jay Bothroyd. Subs: Tom Heaton, Paul Parry, Pete Whittingham, Eddie Johnson, Chris Burke.
Once more Steven Thompson is ruled out and this is one game that I'm sure he would have loved to have been playing in. Cardiff are his only other club in our league and it was from them we signed him in August. He scored the late equaliser against them on the Turf but will now sit out his fifth game because of the ankle injury sustained against Nottingham Forest last month.
Other than that, it looks as though we have a clean bill of health and that will enable Owen Coyle to stick with the same players that were on duty on Saturday against QPR.
Expect the Burnley team to be: Brian Jensen, Rhys Williams, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes, Graham Alexander, Chris Eagles, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake, Jay Rodriguez. Subs: Diego Penny, Michael Duff, Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald, Martin Paterson.
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Then, Gabor Kiraly punched the ball clear but we weren't quick enough to react and Cardiff got in a cross from out on the right hand side. Joe Ledley got above Graham Alexander to head them into the lead.
We'd looked comfortable but here we were behind so Steve Cotterill did something about it and made three substitutions at half time and it paid almost instant dividends. With just five second half minutes gone Stephen Jordan got in a good cross from the left. It was headed on by Wade Elliott (one of the subs) for Ade Akinbiyi (another sub) to head home.
Two minutes later Cardiff goalkeeper made a good save to deny Andy Gray as we remained very much on top. But then disaster struck as we gifted them the lead again. Jordan should have done better against Paul Parry but he let the Cardiff player get inside him and Parry then made no mistake with a shot from the edge of the box.
Inspired by good performances from Chris McCann (the third sub) and John Spicer we gave it a real go, although twice Gabor was forced into making top saves to prevent Cardiff going further in front.
We really did take the game to them but we couldn't get a second equaliser and so for the fifth season in succession came away from Cardiff with nothing.
The teams were;
Cardiff: Michael Oakes, Kevin McNaughton, Glenn Loovens (Darren Purse 23), Roger Johnson, Tony Capaldi, Paul Parry, Gavin Rae, Joe Ledley, Pete Whittingham, Robbie Fowler (Steven Thompson 66), Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink (Aaron Ramsey 86). Subs not used: David Forde, Chris Gunter.
Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, David Unsworth (Ade Akinbiyi 45), Kyle Lafferty (Wade Elliott 45), John Spicer, Alan Mahon (Chris McCann 45), Robbie Blake, Andy Gray. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Jon Harley.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1990/91 | 4 | h | 2-1 | 6,348 | Deary Francis |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 3,591 | . |
1991/92 | 4 | a | 2-0 | 16,030 | Randall Conroy |
| . | . | h | 3-1 | 12,408 | Painter Farrell Conroy |
1993/94 | 1 | h | 2-0 | 11,276 | Philliskirk Francis |
| . | . | a | 1-2 | 5,469 | Davis |
1999/2000 | 2 | h | 2-1 | 9,753 | Armstrong Johnrose |
. | . | a | 2-1 | 6,487 | Davis Payton |
2003/04 | 1 | h | 1-1 | 10,866 | Chaplow |
| . | . | a | 0-2 | 13,525 | . |
2004/05 | C | h | 1-0 | 11,200 | Chaplow |
. | . | a | 0-2 | 11,562 | . |
2005/06 | C | h | 3-3 | 10,431 | Elliott(2) J O'Connor |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 10,872 | . |
2006/07 | C | a | 0-1 | 15,744 | . |
. | . | h | 2-0 | 11,347 | Jones McVeigh |
2007/08 | C | a | 1-2 | 12,914 | Akinbiyi |
| . | . | h | 3-3 | 10,694 | Alexander Cole Carlisle |
2008/09 | C | h | 2-2 | 11,230 | Blake Thompson |