Jay Bothroyd has revealed that last season's dramatic last-day failure to get into the play-offs is driving Cardiff City's players on to promotion this time round.

The Bluebirds striker was speaking ahead of the visit to Hillsborough, where Sheffield Wednesday won 1-0 to bury City's hopes last May.

Jay said: "We have unfinished business there. We want to put it right this time. I was gutted that day, although it didn't really hit me until I got home. Our last four games let us down when we had been expecting to get into the play-offs and go even further.

"It's on your mind a lot of the time. I'm not just talking about what happened at Wednesday and the 6-0 defeat at Preston. You look back and think what if we hadn't let in late equalisers at places like Blackpool and Birmingham? It''s driving us on."

Jay netted in time added on in the Carling Cup tie at Aston Villa in midweek, only to be thwarted by an incorrect offside decision.

He said: "The tape clearly showed the goal was onside. As much as Villa dominated us at times, we dominated them. We put in a lacklustre performance against QPR, but gave a good account of ourselves against Villa. I felt comfortable on my own up front in a 4-5-1, although I really prefer playing 4-4-2."