LONDON (AFP) - Alex McLeish insists Birmingham will pip Sheffield United in the race to the Premier League if they show enough self-belief. McLeishs men are just one point ahead of third-placed United, who beat Reading 1-0 on Friday, following their 0-0 stalemate at rock-bottom Charlton on Saturday. With four matches still to play, the promotion battle looks like going down to the wire but McLeish is confident Birmingham can go up with leaders Wolverhampton.Its in our hands. Im challenging the players to win all our games, McLeish said. Weve got to believe we can and have a strong mentality. Sheffield United have hard games left, the same as us. Nobody has an easy game but it comes down to temperament and how much the players want it because there is nothing between the teams.Birmingham host Plymouth on Monday, while United are at home to Nottingham Forest.Cardiff will believe they can still go up automatically as well after Dave Jones side cruised to a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace.The Bluebirds, who are six points behind Birmingham with a game in hand, took the lead in the 22nd minute when Nathanial Clyne bundled Joe Ledley over in the area and referee Russell Booth pointed to the spot. Ross McCormack converted the penalty before the game turned nasty just before half-time when Cardiff defender Roger Johnson was forced off following a nasty challenge by Claude Davis. Jones was incensed by the challenge and approached Davis as the players came off for half-time in an incident which saw both Jones and Palace counterpart Neil Warnock sent to the stands.McCormack made the game safe in injury-time when he turned Davis and smashed home his 21st goal of the season. Jones said: Roger was left spitting blood and he was sent to hospital. He was distressed at half-time and for him to go off, there must have been something wrong.He tried to go back on but he did not know what was happening. If he went back onto the pitch, he would have looked around and got hold of the person who did it and throttled them. Clarke Carlisles bullet header gave sixth-placed Burnley a 1-0 win over QPR as Owen Coyles side closed in on a play-off place. Carlisle headed home a Robbie Blake corner at the beginning of the second half and the Clarets, who face Cardiff on Monday, are now seven points clear of the pack hunting their final place in the top six. Nothing is decided yet, Coyle said. There have been twists and turns all season so we are well aware of the threats we are still to face. We will have to be at our best to get a result at Cardiff on Monday but we are capable of doing that. Swansea still harbour ambitions of grabbing a play-off berth after beating struggling Norwich 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium, while fellow top six hopefuls Preston were beaten 1-0 at home by local rivals Blackpool. Elsewhere, Doncaster won 3-1 at Ipswich, Nottingham Forest beat Bristol City 3-2 and Plymouth routed Coventry 4-0. Derby earned a 1-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday and Watford were held to a 1-1 draw by Barnsley.