GREG Cunningham makes no attempt to play down the importance of victory for Bristol City in tomorrow's npower Championship clash against Ipswich Town.
Like all worried City fans, the Irishman has studied the league table and assessed the unpalatable consequences of defeat in East Anglia.
Already five points clear of the Robins and charting an upward curve under the management of Mick McCarthy, the Tractor Boys clearly have an opportunity to put meaningful distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
Should Ipswich extend that gap to eight points, City will henceforth be charged with the unenviable task of finishing above fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Peterborough if they are to avoid dropping into League One.
Given that sixth-from-bottom side Birmingham have a seven-point advantage over the Robins and are unlikely to be drawn into a relegation fight, it is imperative Cunningham and his team-mates keep Ipswich within sight.
"There is no getting away from the fact this is a massive game for us," said Cunningham, pictured, who is expected to make his first start since damaging ankle ligaments at Peterborough in mid-September.
"None of us want to be in or around the relegation zone and we need to go to Ipswich and get the three points.
"What has gone has gone and we are where we are. The only way out of it is to get back to winning games and there are a lot of those coming up over the Christmas and New Year period.
"Ipswich is the first of those and we will go to Portman Road looking to take all three points."
The Republic of Ireland left-back is simply looking forward to playing regularly after 12 frustrating weeks spent on the sidelines recovering from serious injury.
He made his long-awaited comeback as a substitute in last Saturday's 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Derby County and it will be a major surprise if his name is not on manager Derek McInnes' team-sheet come kick-off tomorrow.
A self-deprecating individual, Cunningham insists a disappointing return of two wins from 16 games since he was injured is purely coincidental.
But regular City watchers will disagree. Finding a reliable replacement for the former Manchester City starlet has proved a major headache for McInnes, who has deployed five different players at left-back in the intervening weeks.
There is no doubt, Cunningham's tenacity in defence and ability to attack down the flank and deliver telling crosses into the opposition penalty box have been sorely missed and Robins fans will no doubt be relishing the prospect of the Irishman forging a productive partnership with academy product Joe Bryan on City's left.
"I'm delighted to be back and I'm really looking forward to the Ipswich game," confided Cunningham. "Twelve weeks is a long time to be out and it has been a frustrating time for me. I'm still a bit ring-rusty, but I'm looking forward to getting some games under my belt and getting back to the way I was before. Me getting the injury and the team's form dipping has been coincidental. Obviously we started well and then dipped, but I believe there are bright times ahead if we can beat Ipswich, get a run going and have a good Christmas period. We cannot keep looking at other teams and hoping they lose. We have concentrate on our game if we are going to get away from the relegation zone."
Source: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/PREVIEW-Ipswich-Town-vs-Bristol-City/story-17646141-detail/story.html
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