Stuart O’Keefe reckons Cardiff City can make edgy Sheffield Wednesday suffer in the battle for the last remaining play-off spot.
The Bluebirds midfielder believes Saturday’s shoot-out for sixth spot in the Championship can tilt towards the visitors if they can stay in the game.
Cardiff must win at Hillsborough, otherwise their promotion hopes are over with a game to spare. But a victory would narrow the gap between themselves and the sixth-placed Yorkshire club to just one point, setting up a dramatic final weekend.
O’Keefe – who has become a regular pick in manager Russell Slade’s midfield since the turn of the year – said: “We’ll be playing in front of a sell-out crowd and if we can stay in the game and be efficient, there’s no reason that we can’t get the three points we need from the match. The longer the game goes on, the better it’s going to work out for us.
“The boys are confident. We’ve had a good week’s training and we’re looking forward to the match now. It’s a great game to be involved in so hopefully we can come away with a win, too.
“There’s a really good feeling around the place at the moment. The lads are buzzing for it, so we want to make sure that we take that into the match. Sheffield Wednesday will bring intensity to the game as well as quality. They’ve got some very good players and it’s on their pitch.
“All we can do is try to take it back here in front of the home fans in the last game of the season and see what happens there.”
If Cardiff can come away with a victory then they will fancy their chances of gaining maximum points on the last day with a home match against Birmingham City.
The Owls finish with a visit to Wolves, but before all that the Bluebirds must win at Hillsborough, where the home side have lost just twice this season.
Only Middlesbrough and Rotherham have come away with three points and Wednesday’s former Cardiff defender Glenn Loovens is confident his current team can deny his old club.
“It’s very good to have something to play for,” said the 32-year-old Dutch defender.
“My first year here we were fighting relegation and my second we were playing for nothing over the last few games.
“It feels good to try to achieve something in the last few games. It keeps you sharp, it keeps you on your toes and, hopefully, we’ll take it into the Cardiff game.
“I had some great years over there but I’m a Sheffield Wednesday player now.
“The past is in the past and I’m looking in the future with this club. If that means scoring a last- minute winner, I will do it for sure.
“My focus is on Wednesday but I do follow all my old teams. I left there on a good note. I do follow them, but not on Saturday.”