CARDIFF City manager Dave Jones is looking for three points from their home game against Ipswich Town today (kick-off 5.20pm) as he continues to pursue top spot in the Championship.

“We are six points off leaders Queens Park Rangers and are still chasing them down,” said Jones.

“If we had said in August that we would be in with a shout of automatic promotion at this stage of the season everybody would have laughed.

“We are playing good football and playing to our strengths.

“I have heard people say we are not playing well and grinding out results. These are probably the best three or four years of Welsh football for many, many years with both us and Swansea doing well.

“We have young players coming through and nothing would give me greater pleasure than seeing both teams in Premier League - it would be fantastic for the nation, and hopefully one day it will happen.”

Jones was beaten in all four games he was in charge when Roy Keane was Town manager and he says that current Blues boss Paul Jewell has a hard act to follow.

“Paul’s a good friend of mine,.and I have a lot of time for him having competed against him as player, coach and manager.

“I’m chuffed to bits he’s back in work as he was out too long, and he’s doing a good job.

“He’s a daft scouser like myself and it might take time to impose what he expects and what he wants at Ipswich.

“Paul likes his teams to play good football and he’s a good tactician having all the attributes to be a good manager.

“We know it will another tough battle for us with both teams playing well and going strong.”

After signing Jason Brown from Blackburn Rovers, Cardiff also took on loan ex-Town loanee Stephen Bywater from Derby County yesterday.

This has resolved a potential goalkeeping nightmare for Jones with Tom Heaton expected to be out for a month with a groin strain, David Marshall needing elbow surgery and out for the season and third choice Jordan Santiago having a broken finger.

“We needed to bring in two keepers,” added Jones. “It’s unusual to lose all three goalkeepers and I’ve brought in two with plenty of experience.

“Their job is to keep the ball out of the net - I don’t care how they do it”