The last two fixtures against Cardiff have no doubt left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Wolverhampton faithful that has lingered particularly. A 4-0 drubbing at Ninian Park, a game in which the (then) man-mountain of Gary Breen had seen a dubious red card, and an arguably undeserved 2-1 defeat at home in front of an eerily hushed Molineux crowd without an opposing contingent saw the Bluebirds seal a duet of victories over a new look Wolves side. At this point last season, Cardiff were tightening their stranglehold on an automatic promotion berth, and an inexpierienced and somewhat disjointed looking Wolverhampton Wanderers side were taking their first erratic steps towards progress. An indifferent, though promising start to the season seeing them flirting with the almost inconceivable notion of a play-off position. 

How things change over the course of a season! A (granted) sweet double over the Wolves came to nothing as Cardiff were soon to catapult themselves from grace and crash into the depths of upper mid-table, and a much improved Wolves side were to upset the odds and steal a superb 5th placed finish in the league, and a much sought play-off spot, only to crash out heartbreakingly in the semis to West Bromwich Albion. Though, at present, after all that's been said and done and after all the personnel changes, one look at the table tells the same story about the Bluebirds and Wolves of May 2007 as it does now- a mid-table side with a somewhat sturdy home record, and a bright young side still flirting with play-off glory. However, I'm reticent to paint a black and white picture here, as let's face it, the story of football is painted with a vivid spectrum, and is damned near impossible to predict.

So, with Wolves having won 3 of their last 5 games and now finally starting to up the tempo, and Cardiff City languishing in the bottom half of the table and dropping points left, right and centre, where the smart money is, is anyone's guess!  One thing's for sure, there's been no love lost between the two sides in the last few years, and with possibly a more hostile Cardiff crowd courtesy of last year's banning debacle, it'll be anything but easy for the boys in Old Gold.

A win for either side could send (tonight's results permitting) Wolves as high as 2nd in the table, a feat almost ruled out by some entirely after a stale start to the season, or Cardiff back into the top half of the table respectively. Certainly a draw would be of little benefit to anyone if momentum is to be maintained (or, in Cardiff's case, if a starting point for improving form is to be set). 

Cardiff City: Head-to-Head record since 04/05

Played: 6

Wolves Won: 1 Drawn 2 Lost 3

Cardiff Won: 3 Drawn 2 Lost 1

Its fair to say that Ninian Park hasn't exactly been a happy hunting ground for Wolves over the last few years. Indeed, Wolves' only win in recent times against the Bluebirds was at Molineux when a rare dominant display under Glenn Hoddle saw Kenny Miller run rampant, and crowd trouble saw Cardiff City later banned for the 06/07 clash at Molineux. Furthermore, the Wolves haven't returned back home triumphant and bird-in-mouth since 1986, in the old fourth division!

However, most Wolves fans will be keen to point out that there are lies, damned lies and statistics, and that no matter how many digits or stats you pull out of the woodwork, the minute that 22 men assemble on the pitch for a game of football, its all down to heart and passion. And lets remember- this team has it in abundance. Could tomorrow finally be the turning point for Wolves' disappointing returns so far from outings at Ninian Park? Let's hope so. 

Form

Cardiff: W 1 L 1 D 3 (D-D-D-W-L) Position: 16th Highest position upon victory: 9th

Wolves: W 3 L 0 D 2 (W-D-D-W-W) Position: 4th Highest position upon victory: 2nd

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