Cardiff City team v Portsmouth

Cardiff City boss Malky Mackey will be making changes for the team that played in the mid-week Carling Cup game. The team will look more like the team that face Burnley more than Huddersfield.

Mackay made one change from the Burnley starting line up dropping Mason to the bench with Blake starting. On the bench, there is no place for Keinan who is replaced on the beach by Kiss.

Marshall

McNaughton Taylor Hudson Gerrard

Whittingham Cowie Blake Conway

Miller Earnshaw

Bench Heaton, Quinn, Kiss, Gestede, Mason

City away to Portsmouth

Cardiff are back on the road Saturday for the trip to Portsmouth with the Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay looking to return to winning ways in the league.

Last season under Dave Jones, the Bluebirds did the double over the South Coast club winning both at home (3-0) and away (2-0) present boss Malky Mackay would be happy with a 2-0 score line tomorrow.Portsmouth's start to the season have has not set the Championship alight nor as Cardiff it must be said with only four games into the season.

They have won once drawn twice and lost one game that also beat Cardiff, Brighton.The Portsmouth game will be the last game for a while has international football will take centre stage with Cardiff have a two-week breakFans will again see clear out could be has many as nine who started against Huddersfield in the Carling Cup with only two players likely to start from that starting line up Craig Conway and Don Cowie.

Someone who is hoping to be involved in the game is Slovakian international Filip Kiss. If he does, it will be his début having picked up an injury in pre-season. It was also rumoured the Aron Gunnarson could make the squad, but will need a late fitness test before a decision to see if he is fit enough. It is very likely Mackay will stick with Kenny Millar and Rob Earnshaw in attack in a normally highly intimidating Fratton Park with round 2000 Cardiff fans in attendance.

Cardiff still in the driving seat

Cardiff City got what they needed most yesterday against Portsmouth all three points putting the Bluebirds back in the drivers seat for automatic promotion. It was a game everyone knew must end in win and the players set out to do just that.

Cardiff fans did have to wait long only until the sixth minute when midfielder Seyi Olofinjana rose and met the Craig Bellamy cross and headed the ball into the back of the net. A great start to the game that took some of the pressure out of the game for the fans. Portsmouth midfielder Ricardo Rocha helped himself to a red card following an off the ball incident with Jay Bothroyd. It didn't help is teammates much has Cardiff put on the pressure to find a second goal.

It came just before half time via the much maligned Bothroyd who scored his 19 goals of the season. It was not long ago he was getting a shed load of abuse from Cardiff fans, but he has now turned all that around to cheers. There was a bit of a melee in the visitors goalmouth and the ball found its way to Bothroyd, who than had the simplest of tap ins to score. It was not his best goal, but they all count.

Cardiff when in 2-0 up at half-time 2-0 against a poor Pompey who were a down to ten men and showed little in the first half? Cardiff City fans could feel a bit more relaxed with the scoreline and enjoy the sunshine while those listening worldwide had a smug smile on their faces.

In the second half Cardiff were cruising and you could feel from the commentary there was still a goal or two in the home side and in the 75 minute Cardiff increase the score line further. It was Craig Bellamy cross that led to the goal, he was having another blinding game he also created the first with a sublime cross again. This time it was Peter Whittingham who met the ball and thundered the ball home for an excellent goal. Has fans celebrated the goal news broke that Swansea were 2-1 down at Burnley, more happy times.

With goal different all important it was imperative a clean sheet was kept, no sneaky later goal, but the only team looking like scoring were the home team. Cardiff players walked off to cheers when on so long ago it was boo's, but things change so quickly in football. Cardiff moved back to second one point ahead of third place Norwich. Reading are in fourth just three points behind Cardiff while Swansea drop to fifth, five points adrift of the Bluebirds. The fixtures for next week are crazy, see below

Thursday, 21 April Ipswich Town v Norwich City, 19:45

Friday, 22 April - Nottingham Forest v Leicester City, 17:15 (live on Sky Sports 1)

Friday, 22 April - Leeds United v Reading, 19:45 (live on Sky Sports 1)

Saturday, 23 April - Cardiff v Queens Park Rangers, 12:45 (live on BBC)

Saturday, 23 April - Portsmouth v Swansea City, 15:00

With a full fixture list in the Championship on Bank Holiday Monday the game involving Cardiff rivals in the promotion race are spread over three days. Norwich travel to Ipswich on Thursday night for the East Anglian derby giving them three days to rest up before Monday. Leeds face Reading on Friday night while Cardiff and Swansea kick off on Saturday.

Cardiff City team v Portsmouth

Bywater

Quinn McNaughton Keinan Samuel

Burke McPhail Olofinjana Whittingham

Bothroyd Bellamy

Heaton (gk), Rae, Gyepes, Parkin, Koumas, Blake, Matthews

Heaton on the bench so Bywater starts in goal Samuel’s also starts meaning Emmanuel Thomas misses out.

Seize the moment - Seize the points - Seize the day

Tick-tock, tick-tock ....... time is running out as the season comes to an end and like every Cardiff City fan I want the season to end on the 7th of May. After last season and the play-off final's who in their right mind would want to go through all that again, not me.

Last night Norwich leaped above Cardiff into second place after beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 at Carrow Road. We could have heard a pin drop when Forest took the lead after three minutes, but not in Cardiff were preys seemed to be answered. There was still a long way to go before the final whistle and how I wished the goal was scored three minutes from full-time. The jubilation of Forest fans and Cardiff fans was soon ended when Norwich pull the goal back to square the game within seven minutes.

That sinking feeling descended on me for the rest of the game which was brought home further when Norwich took the lead before the end of the first half. Forest gave it a go in the second half, but Norwich looked more likely to score.

Today the pressure is totally on Cardiff boss Dave Jones, the 11 on the pitch with nothing less than a victory will do to keep the Cardiff in the diving seat for am automatic promotion spot. I don't think there is a Cardiff fan who doesn't know if we win the last five games Cardiff are promoted. Looks like there is no injury worries ahead of the game, but for the issues about which loan players will miss out on team selection this afternoon. We will find out soon