Top-of-table clash won't decide promotion - Skubala
· Yahoo Sports
Lincoln City's top-of-the-table clash at Cardiff will not define their bid for promotion, insists boss Michael Skubala.
A 17-game unbeaten league run has Lincoln within a point of the Bluebirds after 35 games and given them a shot at deposing the Welsh club at the League One summit.
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Crucially, it has also put the Imps 10 points clear of third-placed Bolton Wanderers and in a commanding position to secure a top-two finish and automatic promotion.
Lincoln boss Skubala and captain Tendayi Darikwa have both downplayed the significance of the trip to the Welsh capital, saying that three points in one of the most anticipated games of the season carries the same value as any other fixture.
"I know it feels like a big game because it is first versus second, but the result of this game is not going to dictate the outcome of where we are, successful or not, over the course of the season," Skubala told BBC Radio Lincolnshire.
"It's not about unbeaten runs, it's not about the big game at Cardiff, it's about three points. I keep saying it and it might bore people, but it's the truth – this game is worth the same amount and we have approach it the same and think about it the same."
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Darikwa echoed what the head coach had to say, adding that there will still be 11 games of the campaign left after the trip to Cardiff to ensure they get over the promotion line and back to the second tier for the first time for 65 years.
"No-one is going to get promoted on the weekend, no matter who wins the game," the 34-year-old defender said.
"It's not the end of the road if someone loses.
"It's another game we are excited for. It's two top teams in the division and it will be built up as a special occasion, but at the end of the day it's another game on a long journey."
Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has been more forthright about the magnitude of the game and expects Lincoln to provide the Bluebirds with their toughest test of the season.
The Imps' unbeaten run, which stretches back to 29 November, includes a 2-1 home win against Cardiff in December.
And Skubala said a travelling contingent of more than 3,000 Lincoln fans expected to be at Cardiff City Stadium should be excited for it.
"It's a game for the fans to enjoy," he said.
"But we have to get the job done on the pitch, as always. We just have to make sure we are absolutely on the gas to try get the three points."