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Brentford logo
Championship
Mar 14, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
Cardiff City logo

1-2

Gray (28')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Macheda (53'), Revell (68')

Preview: Brentford vs. Cardiff City

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between Brentford and Cardiff at Griffin Park as the hosts look to keep hold of their spot in the playoffs.

With 10 games to go until the end of the season, Brentford currently occupy the final playoff place and are not out of the running to win the Championship title this season.

The Bees are slightly behind the congested pack at the top, with four points separating them from leaders Bournemouth, but those above them have been dropping points with increasing regularity in recent weeks, so Mark Warburton may be daring to dream.

Of course, the Brentford manager is in the peculiar position of knowing that he won't be in charge of the club next season, even if they reach the promised land of the Premier League, but neither he nor his players have shown any signs of taking their foot off the pedal.

While the title, and with it automatic promotion, remains an outside goal, Brentford's main priority will surely be to secure a playoff place, which would be something of a surprise in itself having only been playing League One football last season.

The Bees are one point clear of Ipswich Town in the race for that final playoff place, while Wolverhampton Wanderers are also in the mix a further three points behind the Tractor Boys.

Their position could have been even better had they beaten Mick McCarthy's side at Portman Road last weekend, but the playoff six-pointer ended 1-1 to leave things as they were.

That made it just one defeat in five matches for Brentford, while they have now won three on the bounce at home, scoring 11 goals in the process. Only three teams have picked up more points at home than Brentford this season.

Chris Long scored a brace in the most recent home win and is pushing for another rare start ahead of Andre Gray this weekend. Scott Hogan remains Warburton's only long-term absentee.

Cardiff City are the visitors to Griffin Park this weekend, and they go into the game with less to fight for in the closing stages of the campaign. Their Championship status is all but secured and they have no chance of troubling those in the upper echelons of the table.

A top-half finish is their most realistic goal with four points between them and 12th-placed Charlton Athletic, who came from behind to pick up a late victory over the Bluebirds last Saturday.

That continued Cardiff's recent inconsistent streak, although two wins, two defeats and a draw from their last five games is a welcome relief from the seven-match winless streak that preceded it.

They have improved on the road of late, trebling their win tally for the season with back-to-back victories in their last two matches - the same number of wins as they had managed in their previous 32 league away games.

Russell Slade's side almost pulled off a memorable comeback in the reverse fixture just before Christmas, with Brentford racing into a three-goal lead inside 35 minutes and Cardiff falling just short in the second half as it finished 3-2 in South Wales.

Craig Noone and Kenwyne Jones, the Cardiff goalscorers on that day, are both likely to start again, and the latter could have a new strike partner in the form of Conor McAleny, who may push forward.

Anthony Pilkington and Scott Malone remain injury worries for Slade, however, while Simon Moore may once again deputise in goal due to David Marshall's recent absence.

Brentford:

Recent form: LWWLWD

Possible starting lineup: Button; Odubajo, Tarkowski, Moore, Bidwell; Diagouraga, Douglas, Jota, Pritchard, Dallas; Long

Cardiff:

Recent form: DDWLWL

Possible starting lineup: Moore; Peltier, Manga, Morrison, Connolly; Noone, Gunnarsson, Whittingham, Kennedy; McAleny, Jones

Sports Mole says: 2-0


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David Marshall of Cardiff celebrates after Peter Whittingham scores his team's opening goal of the game during the Premier League match between Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion at Cardiff City Stadium on December 14, 2013
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