Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has cranked up the pressure on the sides above his team by insisting their rivals could yet choke in the play-off race.

Last night’s 3-0 victory over Cardiff moved his team into seventh in the Coca-Cola Championship – just two points behind Crystal Palace and three adrift of Watford with two games to play.

Ipswich’s last-gasp equaliser at Molineux on Saturday may have taken Wanderers’ fate out of their own hands, but in a division which has thrown up shocks week after week, McCarthy believes there could be a few twists and turns yet.

He said: “They can only give it away, they can only lose it now. They will be nervous.

“We could win both our games and still not get in there. But it’s there for someone to throw it away, it’s happened before and it could happen again.

“We cannot throw it away. We can only win our games and get in there but whether that makes it any easier for us to bear, I don’t know.”

He added: “The league is so topsy-turvy that I don’t know what will happen come the last game of the season. Who’s just above them?

“They might just be looking over their shoulders as well. I don’t know.

“What if we (Wolves and Palace) both go and lose on Saturday? Let’s try to win the game and then we will see. We will know a bit better after Saturday. I hope we still don’t know anything and it’s still on.”

Despite the convincing scoreline, McCarthy felt his side performed better in their 1-1 draw with the Tractor Boys.

“We didn’t play as well but we won. I don’t know how you arrange that every week but if I could find the formula it would be great,” he added.

A chest infection prevented Bluebirds boss Dave Jones taking his place on the bench, however there were few signs of a tonic in his side’s display.

* West Brom manager Tony Mowbray has denied the club have made an enquiry about Crystal Palace defender Mark Hudson.

Palace boss Neil Warnock has claimed Albion and fellow automatic promotion contenders Stoke were interested in signing the centre-half, who recently turned down a new deal.

Mowbray said: “Nobody at our football club has had any contact with anyone at Crystal Palace.”