MIDDLESBROUGH are going up in the world, but Neil Warnock has revealed he is relishing the prospect of a bit of downtime – especially for Sol Bamba.

Boro's promotion hopes have been invigorated by three victories in the space of a week, capped by a convincing win over Cardiff, which cost Mick McCarthy his job.

A sustained push for promotion back to the Premier League is now very much on the cards under Warnock and his in-form players following the upturn in fortunes.

You would be forgiven for thinking Warnock would be keen to maintain the momentum with a midweek game but he is in fact looking forward to a few days’ inactivity – with talismanic Bamba set for almost a full week off.

“It’ll be good to go away now and just have a week with no game off the back of a good seven days,” Warnock said. “We’ll see Sol on Friday and he can enjoy some training at Rockliffe before our next game against Birmingham.”

Like Warnock, former Cardiff hero Bamba received a warm welcome in South Wales and enjoyed a standing ovation after doing his best to thwart his old club.

The 36-year-old is proving to be a key asset for Boro and his importance to the cause has risen due to a lengthy injury list that clearly concerns Warnock.

“I can’t see any of our injured players being back for the Birmingham game,” Warnock added. “I think (Anfernee) Dijksteel is probably the nearest to being back, but I can’t really see it for next weekend. I don’t think even this side of the international break, if I’m honest. They are all bad injuries.

“But at the moment, the lads who are available are really trying their best in difficult circumstances and enjoying it like I want them too. Looking ahead, I’d like to have that problem where the injured players struggle to get in the team, though, if I’m honest.”

Boro will certainly go into Saturday’s Riverside game against Lee Bowyer’s Birmingham in good spirits following three games that have yielded nine points, six goals and three clean sheets.

It is unlikely they will secure a more comfortable win away from Teesside this season than Saturday's success, with Warnock’s players dominating from start to finish, The margin of victory could easily have been greater.

They say there is no room for sentiment in football and former Cardiff manager Warnock showed that to be the case, ensuring that his players piled on the misery for the Bluebirds’ ex-Sunderland boss McCarthy

But in starting with the Wales international striker Kieffer Moore on the bench, McCarthy gave Warnock a helping hand as the Cardiff attack lacked punch against a Boro defence dominated by Bamba.

With Jonny Howson and Matt Crooks working well together in midfield, Boro spent most of the game on the front foot and only former Boro defender Aden Flint seemed capable of keeping the visiting attack at bay.

Flint, though, had his hands full with Uche Ikpeazu, who saw a shot blocked early on as Boro took control before Paddy McNair volleyed wide and Martin Payero went close while Bamba was denied by goalkeeper Alex Smithies.

It was turning into a lop-sided affair and the pressure finally paid dividends and wore down centre-back Mark McGuinness who carelessly handled Andraz Sporar’s bouncing shot. The Slovenian converted the subsequent penalty, driving down the middle of Smithies’ goal in the 35th minute.

That prompted Cardiff fans to taunt McCarthy with a barrage of loud ‘sacked in the morning’ chants and Boro also did their best to compound his misery but Crooks shot wide after being sent clear by Payero.

Cardiff raised their game when Moore was sent on at the beginning of the second half to galvanise the hosts, but Samba rose to every challenge to quell the pressure and soon Boro were back on top.

The excellent Payero curled just wide and McNair saw a shot brush the underside of the crossbar before the contest was effectively settled and McCarthy’s fate sealed in the 75th minute.

Payero opened his goalscoring account with Boro in style, waltzing past a defender following Sporar’s pass before driving a low left-footed shot past Smithies, then wheeling away to celebrate with the travelling supporters.

There should be been more celebrations, but Ikpeazu and Josh Coburn were both denied by former Huddersfield goalkeeper Smithies before Duncan Watmore narrowly missed the target.

McCarthy and assistant Terry Connor were fired shortly after overseeing an eighth defeat on the trot for Cardiff who had started the season in promising fashion, a fact not lost on Warnock.

“You start a run and you start feeling like you can’t lose, likewise, for Cardiff at the moment and Mick, you don’t think you can win,” Warnock said. “It’s such an up and down game, but we mustn’t get too carried away.”

Having been in 18th position after they lost at Reading last month, Boro find themselves in the play-off spots for the first time this season.