CARDIFF CITY captain Graham Kavanagh believes play-off final opponents QPR have more respect for them after their Bristol City shut-out.
Kavanagh turned up the heat ahead of Sunday's Second Division play-off showdown by insisting the Bluebirds had beaten the opposition the other teams had wanted to avoid.
"I don't think anyone expected us to beat Bristol City, especially after they had beaten us twice in the league," said Kavanagh.
"I'm sure the other teams in the play-offs didn't want to play Bristol City because of the form they were in and the amount of goals they'd scored this season.
"To keep two clean sheets was brilliant and has given everyone a massive confidence lift.
"I'm sure QPR are aware how well we've played in those two games. Maybe beforehand they didn't fear us as much, but certainly they have a lot of respect for us now."
Kavanagh said the Bluebirds had benefited from being the underdogs against Bristol City, and believes the final will be another tight affair.
"All season teams have played us thinking we've spent a lot of money - the pressure was on us," said the Republic of Ireland international.
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Thorne is happy in shadows
PETER THORNE has spent most of the season in Robert Earnshaw's shadow - but he is happy for that role to continue at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.
While Wales striker Earnshaw has fired his way to a club record 35 goals this season Thorne has chipped in with 16, although probably the most important of the 51 was the Manchester-born targetman's play-off semi-final winner against Bristol City.
"I'm not bothered about being in Earnie's shadow," shrugged the former Stoke City striker yesterday, a Second Division play-off loser for the last three seasons but never a finalist before.
"He's a great lad and I wish he'd score in every City game - 10 on Sunday would do me!
"We're great friends and I wish him all the best because he deserves it. I'm a goal-scorer, so naturally I want to score goals and it's been nice to get a few at the end of the season and help him out.
"But he has got the vast majority of the goals and it's worked out OK. I don't worry about it."
Thorne has often been dogged by injuries since his club record £1.8m move to Cardiff at the start of last season.
But if it took him time to win over a large section of the City faithful, then it's something that hasn't appeared to have got him down.
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Barker chasing a first class return
CHRIS Barker is intent on a quick return to Division One.
Yorkshireman Barker, 23, turned down Sheffield Wednesday, Wolves and Preston North End to sign for the Bluebirds and this Sunday is at left-back in the Second Division play-off final against Queens Park Rangers at the Millennium Stadium (3pm).
"Cardiff City are, without doubt, the biggest club in Division Two," said Barker. "I would not have signed for any other club in the division.
"I'm sure we could hold our own in Division One."
Barker spent four seasons with Barnsley at the higher level and was under contract at Oakwell until the end of next season.
"I hadn't thought about leaving Yorkshire, but Barnsley were in financial difficulties and told me several clubs were interested," he said.
"I decided to find out more and spoke to Sheffield Wednesday, Wolves and Preston. Then I received a telephone call from Sam.
"I was so impressed by what he told me I was at Ninian Park the next day."
Barker watched City's pre-season friendly against Wolves at Ninian Park when almost 9,000 spectators turned out on a wet and windy night, agreed a £600,000 transfer from Barnsley to Cardiff, a four-year contract and joined his new club-mates on their pre-season tour to Scotland.
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Young craves high life with City
CARDIFF City's longest serving player, is willing the Bluebirds into Division One.
Scott Young, 27, has been granted a testimonial for 2003-2004 - and that would take off if City were playing at Division One level for the first time in 20 years.
Young won't be in the starting line-up and may not be among the substitutes at the end of a season disrupted by injuries, but he's in the 22-man squad and desperately keen for City to beat Queens Park Rangers in the Division Two play-off final on two fronts.
First, of course, he wants to play for Cardiff City at a higher level than they have achieved since he first joined them as a schoolboy - and it would have a major impact on his testimonial season.
Young's testimonial committee is already working hard on a series of events during his year, which starts with Young's match against Premiership Charlton at Ninian Park on Friday, July 31.
"It would mean such a lot to everybody in Cardiff, the valleys and the surrounding area for us to go up - and it would certainly give my testimonial season a kick-start," admitted Young.
Cardiff City has been Young's club since he was a young boy --and he signed schoolboy forms at the age of 14.
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