However, Gordon is struggling to get much first-team recognition with four strikers currently ahead of him in the pecking order, and youngster Stuart Fleetwood's continual improvements and impressive displays for the reserves will not help matters for Gordon either.

Peter Thorne's injury has seen the out-of-favour forward be included amongst the substitutes recently, and Lawrence has given him a number of appearances as a substitute, but with slim play-off hopes still on the cards, whether or not Gordon will get a decent chance to prove his worth to the club is in question.

"I'd like to stay, but we'll have to see what happens between now and the summer," said the £275,000 man.

"All I can do is work hard and train to my best. It's perhaps a case of being a bit more patient and waiting for another opportunity to come along - what else can I do?

"The forwards in front me are playing extremely well and scoring goals, so I've got no problem with that."

City's number twenty enjoyed a successful run in the first-team earlier in the season due to injuries to other attacking players, scoring one goal that changed the game against Coventry City at Highfield Road, and he also put in a number of impressive performances. However, this is unlikely to be enough for the club to offer him a new deal, particularly with the recent revelations regarding our mammoth debt. Personally I'd like to see him offered an extra year, but with on-form regulars Martyn Margetson and Gary Croft yet to be offered new deals, Gordon will do very well to spend another season as a Bluebird.

Gordon enjoyed a brief but successful loan spell with Oxford United last season, and U's boss Ian Atkins has made no secret of the fact that he would like to bring the striker back to the Kassam Stadium on a permanent basis. Should Gordon fail to get an extension to his contract at Cardiff, a move to the Oxfordshire outfit looks on the cards.

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