Daryl Murphy believes the Championship is so competitive this season that one or more promotion issues may even be settled on goal difference.

While just two points separate the top four clubs, Town owe their top-six status to a slender one-goal advantage over close rivals Brentford, while Wolves are also on the 71-point mark and trail three goals behind Mick McCarthy’s men.

Murphy said: “It would be heartbreaking if we missed out on goal difference. We’ve got four games — all tough as there are no easy games in this league — and if we win the majority of them I think we’ll be okay.

“It would be nice to win games by several goals to improve our goal difference but the main thing is the three points. We just need to win games and it would be nice if we could keep a few clean sheets at the same time.

“We were in the race for automatic promotion but that’s gone now but there are four games to go and we’ve still got a great chance via the play-offs. We’re in the top six now and it’s in our own hands as to whether we stay there or not.

“I hope we have seven games left with the three in the play-offs. That’s what we want and we’re in a good position now to do it. With four games to go it’s in our own hands and if you had given us this at the start of the season we would have taken it.

“We just need to kick on now and win as many of the four as we can — in fact maybe all of them the way the league is shaping up this season.”

Asked if he expected the picture to be a lot clearer after tonight’s home clash with Cardiff and Saturday’s trip to Wolves, the Town striker responded: “Maybe, but it’s so tight and it might still be the same after the weekend.

“It’s madness, the league, and there are a lot more points required to get in the play-offs than last year and previous seasons. The next few weeks will tell us a lot.

“Now we’re in the top six we more or less need to win all the games we have left. It’s as simple as that.

“If we do that we’ll be there but there are going to be a lot of twists and turns in the last few games. If you look at some of the results they’re just crazy and throw up things you never thought would happen. But that’s the league for you and that’s what makes it exciting.

“We look at how other teams have done when we get back to the dressing room after our own games but we know that when we go out on the pitch it’s about what we do that matters most.

“If we’ve won and other results go our way then brilliant and if not you just have to think about the next game.”

But after a scare that Town might drop points on Saturday, when it needed an 83rd minute winner by Christophe Berra secure a 3-2 victory already-relegated Blackpool, there is no danger that Cardiff will be under-estimated this evening.

The 12th-placed Bluebirds have only lost seven away league games this season — only the top three of Bournemouth, Norwich and Watford have better records on their travels — and Murphy added: “Sometimes the teams who have nothing to play for can be the most dangerous opponents.

“Cardiff still have some very good players in their squad but for whatever reason this season they’ve just not done it.

“But we know it’s going to be another really hard game and even if it’s not the greatest game to watch all that matters is that we get the three points. We’re at home and we will take the game to them like we always do.”

Murphy hit a glorious opening goal in the corresponding fixture in Wales back in October that many fans rate as the best of the 23 goals he has scored this season, although he has a different view: “It is definitely up there but I still think my favourite was the one at Nottingham Forest because I had a lot to do once I took possession of the ball.

“For the Cardiff one the ball just sat up nicely for me. It’s never exactly straightforward but when it sits up like that and you catch it right it looks good. But as far as I’m concerned there was more effort involved in the other one at Forest so that’s my number one — so far!”

Photo: Action Images

carsey added 07:42 - Apr 14 Sadly because no one else has managed to get close to double figures our goal difference is rubbish so I hope it doesn't come down to it
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gazzmac4 added 10:00 - Apr 14 Sears has 7 in 14 games Carsey. I consider that to be "close to double figures."
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:01 - Apr 14 best you and Freddie bang plenty in then buddy . COYB. Hope we defend better tonight, Blackpool had two shots and scored twice ! .
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COYB11 added 10:12 - Apr 14 Carsey, our GD is better than both Brentford and Wolves'?
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SouperJim added 11:20 - Apr 14 dirtydingusmagee - two goals from two shots was disappointing against Blackpool, but worth remembering that only Middlesborough have a better home defensive record than us. Will be a tough game tonight but we need to keep the faith even if we don't get the result we want, as both Brentford and Wolves will drop points from their remaining games... the game on Saturday is the big one for me, we need 4 points from these two.

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goat_man added 12:20 - Apr 14 Which is why we really needed to hammer Blackpool like most other teams have...
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Hegansheroes added 13:20 - Apr 14 Our goal difference may be 1 better than Brentford & 3 better than Wolves but it is still poor. Due IMO to the fact we do not have anyone in mid field who can score. Tabb 2 goals in about 10,000 appearances & I wouldn't play him or Anderson at all. Skuse no goals at all, the rest of them are equally poor but how much of this is down to MM's hoofball tactics.
2

SouperJim added 14:00 - Apr 14 Hegan, Anderson is our only midfield player who can cross or take a corner...
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topguy added 14:50 - Apr 14 IM FED UP, come on hegan we are 6th and the top goal scorer in the league you get commentators and the press saying this and that end of it, its a game of footy, don't matter who scores whether it be the striker or goalkeeper or in next few games don't matter how we win with a long ball scruffy game or with silky skills everyone get real we are doing better this season for 10 years and if we don't make it a couple of quid spent wisely next year for more improvement we are not utd or Madrid get off the lovely passing game they are doing their best, and as for the mid table teams not giving us a game ask them up the road as Bolton gave them a good game and wolves what happened against birmingham those teams who play good footy in the last 4 games id rather play bad a get points than look like Madrid and lose.

1

carsey added 18:47 - Apr 14 All those who think our goal difference is acceptable need to look at the league table and remember we are more than capable of losing by a. couple of goals then it will be less than those around us. We have failed to smash even Blackpool this season. Without Murphy we would be minus
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Paulblue62 added 18:53 - Apr 14 If we do lose out on GD, nobody could blame you murph, you have been excellent. We needed more from midfield to help you out.
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topguy added 19:02 - Apr 14 like what was said on sky at Liverpool joe allen scores his first anfield goal but we would not pick him you lot are so picky you carnt have a team of ball players or goal scorers you need people to put the foot in and do the dirty work it boils down to gk and def to stop them scoring mid to setup att to score simple.
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Paulblue62 added 19:13 - Apr 14 topguy..... That doesn't make any sense.
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topguy added 19:34 - Apr 14 yeah it does look some midfield arnt there to score always it finding issues if we don't score midfield or def don't score enough winds me up I always say not everyone scores as long as we do that's all that matters and as fans we get behind the boys is the most important at this stage
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