The finish line is on the horizon and Cardiff are starting to believe

As Cardiff enter the final third of the season, the finish line is fast approaching and you can see they’re starting to believe. In recent weeks, they’ve taken everything up an octave, started to swagger and confidence is coursing through their veins. Brian Barry-Murphy said Cardiff would improve as the season went on and everything is going exactly according to plan.

He worked on the fitness and stamina of the group in pre-season and that has been evidenced in the closing stages of recent games, where Cardiff are still pressing and chasing lost causes. This was an attribute that has too often been lacking in recent years, but Cardiff are leaner, meaner and younger these days. Joel Colwill is probably the best example, like a dog chasing a squirrel in the heart of midfield. To beat Cardiff these days, you have to work hard to get the ball off them and when finally in possession, you won’t get a moments peace. Cardiff rest on the ball and are getting lots of it.

Rotation has been another huge factor in Cardiff’s ascent. They have a tight group, but however you shuffle your pack, you can’t fail but deal a winning hand. It has kept players hungry and healthy, allowing high standards to be maintained. Players that you would expect to be dominant at this level have also now found their feet at this level and are taking charge. Chris Willock has looked timid and unsure in the past, but he is now gliding past opponents and creating far more opportunities. Gabriel Osho has overcome his shaky start and has been imperious when called upon since the turn of the year.

Omari Kellyman is saddled with a £20m price tag that was more a case of creative accounting than a true reflection of his standing in the game, but his talent has never been in doubt. Coming off a long-term injury, it took a while to build Kellyman back up, but he now looks a cut above his surroundings. Like Jaden Philogene before him, it should not be forgotten that he is playing for Cardiff as a 20-year-old and very early in his professional career. Akin to Philogene, he is also flourishing in front of our eyes and has impressed in an array of different attacking roles. Kellyman has become so effective that Rubin Colwill’s absence has not been felt.

The first 30 minutes at Bradford gave a distilled version of what Cardiff can be under Barry-Murphy, but their performance at Rotherham, albeit an inferior side, was their most complete performance to date. Reduced to 10 men after 20 minutes, it felt like it might be one of those days, but only very briefly. Cardiff continued to dominate the ball, the chances created and ultimately the result. The front three of Willock, Kellyman and the resurgent Ollie Tanner have formed a great understanding and as legs began to tire, Cian Ashford and Isaak Davies were introduced to up the tempo against leggy full backs. Ryan Wintle may well be Cardiff’s Player of the Year, but he was not required on this occasion and nor was a replacement.

With a 4-0 win over Barnsley and three unanswered goals at Rotherham in their rearview mirror, it feels like Cardiff may be pressing the accelerator. As they relax into their position and continue to overcome all obstacles, it feels like they’re tightening their grip on promotion and more high scoring victories may prove to be the result.

Despite their best efforts, they can’t quite shake Lincoln, the other dominant force in the division, but an eight point gap over third placed Bolton with a game in hand is a very comfortable position to be in. They still have to host both, but their run in is otherwise relatively pain free. Playing this way though, very few can match what Cardiff have become and with Colwill and Yousef Salech set to return, they’re peaking at the right time and making the perceived punishment of relegation feel instead like a gap year they’ll never forget.