G.M's Match Preview: Rams Must Keep Building & Avoid Defeat In Cardiff
Saturday, 2nd Apr 2016 06:01 by George Martin

Derby head into the game away to Cardiff full of confidence after a superb effort to beat Notts Forest 1-0 in their last outing.

Forest had the better of the 1st half but we're not able to capitalise and Derby started to turn the screw. A well worked move from right to left ended with Olsson slotting the ball home with his right instep to send 30 thousand a Derby fans into delirium and secure an important 3 points and victory.

Shackell and Hendrick have shaken off knocks as Derby are likely to be unchanged, with Hanson to continue at right back while Thorne, Hendrick and Bryson should start in the middle with Johnson and Ince in the wide roles.

Cardiff will have their biggest home gate of the season as 7th play 5th with just a 5 point gap between the two teams.

There is supposedly a virus that spread around the Cardiff team during the week, which has left defenders Fabio and Connolly unwell and may be unlikely to play. Marshall could return in goal after himself struggling with illness and recovering from a bout of pneumonia.

Cardiff have been inconsistent in recent weeks but have only lost once at home in the last 15, winning 8 and drawing 6. They do not score mountains of goals but going forward Whittingham, Pilkington and Ameobi are a threat and will need to be watched closely.

Prediction :

After a cracking start to the season on the road, when they were the best in the league on their travels, since the turn of the year Derby have poor away from home and in turn do not have great record when visiting Cardiff.

Cardiff have been good but are not a great team, what they do have is a good home record which has assisted in their rise up the table and they have done well to get near the play-offs.

A win for the home side puts pressure on Derby but a win for The Rams would increase the gap between the teams to 8 points with only 7 games remaining.

If Derby can win on the road it would be a brilliant, a draw is good enough but a defeat, although bad, is not a total disaster.

A tough game that Derby will be hoping not to lose and instead continue to keep building positivity both on and off the pitch.

I’ll predict a score draw but a hit and run win on the road would a great result.