By Rogero
February 4 2006

Cardiff City lost the game everybody was saying they couldn't afford to lose on Saturday in South London. The result puts a severe dent in the Bluebirds play off hopes as the gap between Cardiff and the top six widens....

Over 17,000 saw the match at Selhurst Park and the visitors lined up as follows, with Stevie Thompson relegated to the bench, and still no place in the starting line up for Jeff Whitely.

Alexander, Cox, Scimeca, Purse, Barker ( Darlington 89 ), Koumas, Boland ( Ndumbu-Nsungu ), Ledley, Ardley, Jerome.

Not used - Margetson, Whitely, Thompson.

Cardiff were second best in all departments for most of the match but with only one goal seperating the two play off rivals the travelling City fans in the crowd never gave up hope, unlike their Rugby Union countrymen down the road in Twickenham!

A six point gap has now opened up between the Bluebirds on the play off places, and teams above have games in hand. Cardiff are stuck on 45 points in seventh place whilst Palace now have 51 points from 30 games whilst the Bluebirds have played 32 matches.

Stat Mails prediction table shows where they think we'll finish come April ( click on the link below! )

More to follow...