Since Lennie Lawrence took charge, Cardiff City are unbeaten, won 17 points out of 21 (and got a cup final). The pressure is now truly on Bristol City, top of the table at Christmas, but now out of the play-offs (ahead of a Saturday visit to Bournemouth) having lost three of their last four. They are feeling the pressure, long may it continue!

With 6 games each remaining, the marathon has become a sprint finish. A tail of 2 cities - Cardiff and Bristol - entwined in what seems to be a straight race for the final play-off position. At the moment, it's advantage to Cardiff but it could hardly be tighter. City lead Bristol 2 points, have more away games but a seemingly "easier" run-in. Crucially, Cardiff also have better goal difference (not by much though) and goals scored, it may yet come down to that.

All City fans should check their blood pressure and hearts now because they're going to be thoroughly tested in the next few weeks, particularly if City perform as they did tonight.

This was the "typical City" we know so well. Should have murdered Wrexham, should have had wrapped up the game by half-time, instead we're hanging on for dear life at the end. Glorious goals scored, horrendous ones conceded, moments to savour, others to have nightmares about, it could only Cardiff effing City.

Cardiff went into the game still injury ravaged missing the quality of Bowen and Earnshaw, the craft and guile of Maxwell and Bonner and options such as Des Hamilton, Josh Low and Gavin Gordon amongst many others. However they were able to name an unchanged team from the side that massacred Oldham last week. It may lack balance and have players out of position, Leggy in midfield, Gabbidon at left back and Thorne playing behind the front pair but it works.

In front of a huge crowd of 15,702 (despite spaces in some areas, it was hard to see where they could have put the 6,300 extra from the Leeds crowd) and a cracking atmosphere, City started in rampant form and blew Wrexham away ... it seemed like it at the time anyway.

There was a nervous start and it needed Scott Young to produce an outstanding tackle with Faulconbridge clear on goal before City woke up and showed their venom. When they attacked, Wrexham couldn't handle it, they have a very poor defence, it was very easy to see why they have the second worst defensive record in all four divisions.

The first chance came on 5 minutes, superb Andy Legg play followed by a cross gave Leo sight of goal but his effort was easily held. Oldham were undone by City set pieces and ability in the air and it accounted for Wrexham in the opening stages too.

On 13 minutes, Andy Legg was hacked down after a scintillating run, a Wrexham defender was booked for his troubles. Wrexham had most of their defence and Trundle booked by half-time, their main ploy to stop City playing was to bring them down.

Captain Kav swung it to the far post, Thorne raced in and nodded back over then SCOTT YOUNG looked like a striker supreme as he met it and thundered the ball into the net off the underside of the bar making him a hero at both ends within minutes.

Three minutes later, it was 2-0 with a fantastic move that showed how far apart these two sides are these days. Weston, Gabbidon and Thorne were all involved before Kav produced a cross, Leo shot and was blocked. The ball ran for Andy Campbell who ran the ball away then turned and crossed perfectly for PETER THORNE to net with a glorious header. Thorne is brilliant at placing the ball back from the direction it came, it was deft and gave Wrexham's keeper, Rovde, no chance. It must have had the Norwegian keeper pining for the fjords!

City fans were demented, everyone roaring and hugging, Wrexham's 150 looked as if they already wanted to go home, Peter Thorne celebrated wildly too. Seeing that he's allegedly on £10,000 a goal bonus, no wonder he was! That's £20k bonus alone he earned in 8 days, nice work if you can get it!

The whole ground were celebratory, Men of Harlech blaring out from all sections (it used to be Wrexham's song, how they must have hated it!). A big salute to a guy in Block F of The Grandstand who acted as chief cheerleader and seemed to get the whole ground singing several times, I want whatever he's on!

It could have been three shortly afterwards, another piercing move, Legg crossed, leo fluffed his header, Campbell fluffed his shot but was so unlucky to see it come back off the post. Not long afterwards, Kav had a free-kick on the edge of the area, Wrexham were 7 yards away instead of 10, Kav made no effort to point it out to the ref and it was therefore no surprise to see his effort hit the wall.

Wrexham were on the floor, their defence looked unable to cope, the keeper would only punch. Then 'typical City', just as it looked so good, they messed it up.

Campbell showed his lass and pace not long afterwards when he skinned Wrexham's Bambi-like Trindadian defender, Lawrence, as he flicked the ball past him and got 5 yards ahead. His pace was mesmerise as he got to the touchline, crossed and Peter Thorne volleyed high into the net. Unfortunately it was ruled out as Campbell has just, only just, run the ball out of play but it brought everyone to their feet.

Lee Trundle, Wrexham's most dangerous player by far, won a free-kick after Leggy won the ball but caught him, high challenge declared the ref. Leggy and Trundle being the characters they are, were having words with each other in the "my dad's harder than your dad" style, City's defence seemed to get sucked in by it instead of getting themselves ready.

The rest was sheer horror as the whole defence and goalkeeper were asleep as Wrexham's free-kick curled to the far post, cleared everyone, two Dragons players were on hand but FAULCONBRIDGE was there first for the easy task of steering past Alexander from 6 yards. 33 minutes, 2-1 when it should have been 3 or 4 nil.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of City and the reality that we wouldn't win 7-1, some were starting to suggest it could happen again, the game was totally one sided until this point.

Half-time: CITY 2 Wrexham 1

The second-half started in sensational style with a glorious Danny Gabbdion goal, as good as you will see anywhere this weekend. When he had the ball on the left touchline, there nothing on but he's a special player with special talents. Gabbidon dropped his shoulder and ghosted past a defender as if he wasn't on the pitch then he looked up and hit a stunning shot from 25 yards that rose all the way as it blistered past Rovde who dived but was never going to get near it.

It capped a man of the match performance by Gabbi who, even by his high standards, was outstanding. Fans are not always the most appreciative of good defensive play but there were several times they clapped and drooled as Gabbi showed he a class above just about anyone at this level. He has the knack of making it look easy and creates an extra yard of space when it doesn't even seem to exist.

The sponsors wrongly gave man of the match to Leggy. He was brilliant again, all action and for his age, he still looks like one of the fittest players on the pitch.

At 3-1 it was game over, you never felt Wrexham would score twice more. Not long after that goal, Leggy, with a 30 yarder, and Kav, from a free-kick, both sent shots over the bar and into the Grange End.

The fire then seemed to go out of the game as City seemed to settle for what they had and not do anything silly, there was no point chasing more goals at the risk of giving anything away.

Wrexham, to their credit, never gave up. They had nothing to lose and tried to take the game to City, bringing as many players forward as they could afford but really seeing goal.

In midfield and attack, they had quality players like Darren Ferguson, Lee Trundle and Faulconbridge. Trundle, in particular, stands out. He has excellent ability, fantastic upper body strength and seems to make chances out of nothing and in the tightest of spaces. He turns brilliantly, he scored in each of Wrexham's last two games (against Cardiff in the FAW Premier and Northampton) by doing that and nearly did again as he slaughtered Prior on the turn (just as he did last week) but his effort went straight to Alexander.

Fortunately for City and many other Div 2 teams, Trundle is also the greediest player around. He has no awareness of players around him and doesn't often pass, he makes it easier to play against him. There is also an argument that he could have been red carded. After a bad challenge on Young in the first half, he dived for a penalty in the second half. Ref Walton turned down his appeal, City players and crowd alike were furious that he wasn't cautioned.

City were defending well although Prior looked suspect several times, he just hasn't proved to be the player he all hoped he would be so far. Midfield were excellent, Boland and Legg outstanding, Kav looked like a player he knew he can't afford any more bookings which took a little out of his game. Attack were excellent too even if chances were rare. Thorne looks a natural in his withdrawn role, Andy Campbell was excellent again, always available and finding space, the chances just didn't some his way tonight.

A special mention for Leo who produced his best 90 minutes of the season with a personal performance that typifies the raised intensity, passion and belief that the have had since Lawrence took charge. He was excellent, some brilliant touches and flicks, he chased everywhere for the cause and even got in a couple of great tackles chasing back. Leo even found time to "do the Leo" and show a couple of "comedy touches" for his adoring, ever growing fan club.

The game was going through the motions but there was a final, and nearly fatal twist. For some minutes, Rhys Weston was signalling he was carrying a knock. He failed to run it off and had to leave with 16 minutes remaining, limping badly.

Lennie Lawrence made his first major tactical blunder. The obvious tactic was switch Danny Gabbidon to the right, drop Legg back and put Brayson in midfield. Another was to put Gethin Jones on as a straight swap. Lennie chose James Collins instead, he had an absolute nightmare, he was totally lost in that role.

With just 2 minutes remaining, he was punished. Wrexham swept forward, HECTOR SAM was left alone by Collins who beat his offside trap attempt with ease and, now 10 yards ahead of Collins, had no trouble steering the ball around Alexander.

Just after that, from the restart, Wrexham piled forward identifying Collins as a weakness. It nearly paid as a ball floated into the area saw him head upwards, Sam got the ball again but was just snuffed out by City's defence in total disarray.

From nothing, Ninian was in panic, Collins was unwittingly the cause. On 90 minutes, Michael Simpkins came on, we thought the sub would be subbed but it was City putting on another defending to shore things up. The four minutes of added time extended to 6 minutes of extreme nail-biting. City held out, it was tense, Wrexham won corners but City won everything in the area.

A win for Cardiff was thoroughly deserved but they came so close to messing it up. We can make the play-offs, the Millennium Stadium play-off final is a fantastic dream that may be a reality in a few weeks. At this moment, I will make only two predictions that I think are absolutely certain.

1.- James Collins will not play right back again.

Wrexham's Hector Sam gave Cardiff a desperately uncomfortable final few minutes when he netted their second goal soon after coming on as an 85th minute substitute for Dan Bennett and the four minutes of time added on did Cardiff's nerves no favours.

But they held on, much to the relief of the huge majority of the 15,702 spectators, although Wrexham will surely have gained plenty of confidence to help their fight against relegation.

An explosive opening to a match often played at a hectic pace produced three bookings for Wrexham and two goals for Cardiff in the first 16 minutes.

Midfielder Wayne Phillips was the first to go into referee Peter Walton's book for a clumsy tenth minute tackle on Graham Kavanagh and defender Jim Whitley followed suit two minutes later after he had brought down Andy Legg close to the touchline.

That foul led to the free-kick that set up Cardiff's first goal. Kavanagh swung the ball into the penalty area, Peter Thorne nodded it on and Scott Young got up well to head home from close range.

Just a minute after that, Wrexham striker Lee Trundle was booked for dissent before Cardiff increased their lead in the 16th minute.

A lovely move that started in midfield through Kavanagh and Willie Boland led to Leo Fortune-West gaining possession inside the box.

The big striker took the ball almost to the byline before pulling it back to Andy Campbell, who crossed to the far post where Thorne was waiting to send a pinpoint header wide of despairing Wrexham goalkeeper Marius Rovde.

It was looking bleak for Wrexham but they showed what they could do in the 25th minute when Trundle cleverly turned Young and got in a left-foot shot that Neil Alexander did well to hold.

Cardiff bounced back for Campbell to hit a post with a delicate lob from a Fortune-West pass but Craig Falconbridge stunned the Ninian Park crowd with a wonderful goal in the 33rd minute.

Legg conceded an indirect free-kick on the angle of the penalty area and Faulconbridge flung himself at Darren Ferguson's perfectly flighted delivery to meet it with a diving header that flashed into the corner of the net.

But if Faulconbridge's goal was well worth watching, Cardiff's response through Danny Gabbidon in the 47th minute was even more spectacular.

The former Wales Under-21 defender, who seems certain to figure in the senior squad in the near future, ran onto a pass from Kavanagh just inside the Wrexham half.

His pace helped him to brush aside a couple of half-hearted challenges during a 35-yard run that took him to the edge of the area before he unleashed a fierce drive that Rovde probably did not even see.

The game then turned into a midfield battle until Sam struck in the 88th minute to set up a nailbiting finish.