By Chris O'Brien
April 12 2005

Cardiff City supporters will be keeping a close eye on the result of Nottingham Forest's clash with Sheffield United at the City Ground on Tuesday. Defeat for the hosts would leave relegation to Football League One an almost certainty. Nottingham Forest host Sheffield United at the City Ground on Tuesday evening in a game that fans of the two time European Cup winners know they simply must win to keep realistic hopes of avoiding relegation alive.

Defeat would leave Forest six points away from safety with only four Football League outings yet. Even a draw would look like leaving the prospect of Football League One football all but a mathematical certainty for Gary Megson’s struggling side. They would become England’s first European Cup winners to play outside of the top two divisions.

Rotherham United have already been confined to life in the third flight meaning there are eight Championship sides battling against the dreaded two remaining relegation spots. Leicester City, Coventry City, Gillingham, Crewe Alexandra, Watford and Brighton join Forest and the Bluebirds in the battle to beat the drop. Fears for these clubs in trouble would drop significantly if the Blades can blunt Forest on Tuesday.

City currently sit a solitary point above the bottom three, though a superior goal difference works in favour of Lennie Lawrence’s men. A trip to Preston North End awaits Cardiff on the weekend, with the Deepdale club in the hunt for promotion to the Premiership.

It’s certainly hotting up at the wrong end of the Championship.