CHAMPIONSHIP ..............

CARDIFF CITY - BLACKPOOL

City have bent over backwards in an effort to get this game played, including using a couple of small mountains worth of salt/grit in the area around the stadium . Which explains why we have a shortage of the stuff in the south-east and half of us are housebound !

The visitors who have had to make a hazardous and extremely long journey by coach, would have been perfectly happy for this game to have fallen foul of the weather, like most of the other matches scheduled for this afternoon in the UK. Visiting boss Ian Holloway, who is normally of a "just get on with it" viewpoint, has made it clear he could have done without the trip south, but I feel that has more to do with his injury list than the weather.

The Seasiders remain without a couple of strikers, both starting central defenders (always a major concern in my book) and Hameur Bouazza who is in sunnier climes, but after the incident yesterday, probably has other and more serious matters on his mind.

Both arrive here on the back of disappointing results, two in City's case, who after losing at home to Plymouth, raced into and then blew (!) a 4-0 half time lead at Peterborough. Having stewed on that debacle for 12 days, they will not lack any motivation to put things right this afternoon.

The hosts, as that result implies, are far happier going forward and given the problems at the heart of the visitors defence, will surely push forward today, this is not a game to try and solve their defensive woes from the Posh match. They have plenty of attacking options and competition for starting places upfront, top marksman Michael Chopra who did not even start at Boro is desperate to return. I am sure that we will see goals today and "over" is an option, but suspect that Cardiff will be really up for this one and on a going day, they are as good as almost anyone at this level.

6 points Cardiff City -3/4 ball 2.08 asian line.

Good Luck.