Paul Heckinbotham has a warning for fellow Yorkshireman Neil Warnock, saying: “My players are ready for your Bluebirds.”
The Barnsley-born Tykes’ manager has inspired his team to an unbeaten run of four matches, two wins and two draws including 1-1 at Norwich City in their latest fixture.
“The players have come a long way in such a short space of time,” he said. “I asked the players their view and the two phrases used by them were ‘we’re more than a match for anyone in this league’ and ‘we’ll keep getting better’.
“They are absolutely spot on with what they’re saying.”
Heckinbotham was linked with the Sunderland job last week, but he is staying with home town club Barnsley, who are in mid-table after earning eight points from their last four matches.
The Bluebirds go to Yorkshire lying third in the Championship following their 2-0 win against Brentford at Cardiff City Stadium.
They are unbeaten at home after nine fixtures and goalkeeper Neil Etheridge kept a sixth clean sheet of the season against the Bees.
Warnock’s warriors fiercely competitive and play with an intensity which left Brentford fans complaining their players were bullied by Cardiff, who frustrate opponents with their all-action style.
City were far from their best against Brentford, but they competed for 90 minutes. That was underlined when captain Sean Morrison and goalkeeper Etheridge got themselves into a tangle.
Morrison made the first error with an awful back pass and Etheridge should have smashed the ball out of play, but he hesitated and Neal Maupay was left with the empty net gaping in front of him.
Sol Bamba chased back, but the position looked hopeless. Bamba feinted to go one way and then went the other and threw a doubt into Maupay’s mind which led to him shooting wide.
It was an awful miss which changed the game and two minutes later Danny Ward netted Cardiff’s second goal.
Joe Ralls had netted City’s first goal against the in-form visitors and Warnock was delighted with the victory.
“Barnsley are the only club in the league to have had more crosses and shots than us,” said Warnock. “That’s testament to Dean Smith’s side and ours, as we have created chances for supporters to watch.
“I didn’t want them to score late on and we managed to get a clean sheet which gives us a good platform to go to Barnsley.”
Brentford had been on the longest unbeaten run in the Championship and their manager, Dean Smith, said: “We were unlucky. We had 25 attempts and 14 inside the penalty area.
“Neal knows he should have scored and 999 times out of a thousand he does. He’s had one of those moments you don’t want to see on a football pitch.”
Cardiff City: Etheridge, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett, Damour (Gunnarsson 69), Bryson, Ralls, Feeney (Paterson 73), Ward (Gounongbe 80), Hoilett. Subs: Tomlin, Pilkington, Connolly.
Attendance:16,335