War horse Neil’s on the rise
CARDIFF BOSS: ‘WE SET THIS POINTS TARGET FOR THE PLAY-OFFS’
A PUMPED-UP Neil Warnock is heading towards a record eighth promotion of a full-blooded career.
The old touchline warrior battled furiously with all four officials, and some in his own team, as Cardiff made it six victories on the trot and 22 points from a possible 24.
But they had to survive a spirited Birmingham comeback, which new manager Garry Monk must have wished had begun 45 minutes sooner.
“It could have cost us promotion if it had been 3-3 at the end,” said Warnock.
Then, the 69-year-old turned his fire on the decision by referee Peter Bankes to give the penalty against Callum Paterson, for supposed shirt-pulling, that enabled Craig Gardner to pull the first goal back. “The penalty was for nothing,” said Warnock.
“You wouldn’t have anything happen to you if you did that in a shopping centre.
“It was nowhere near as bad as the foul on Junior Hoilett when his leg was taken from behind him.”
When Maxime Colin’s deflected shot made it 3-2 in injury time, Monk’s side were in reach of an improbable comeback.
They trailed 3-0 at the break as Nathanial Mendez-laing, Craig Bryson and Paterson exposed holes in the centre of Birmingham’s defence.
Striker Kenneth Zohore then missed a golden chance to extend the lead just before the interval, before Paterson thought he had made the game safe by heading home at the far post. It would have been a perfect half for Cardiff had Bryson not limped off injured.
Warnock added: “We set this points target for the play-offs and we are there as of today.
“From now on, we have just got to enjoy it.”
Monk somehow re-energised his team at the break and the result was a two-goal fightback suggesting better days may lay ahead.
“I’ve been working with the players for six games and I knew these first two fixtures were always going to be difficult,” said Monk.
“I was very interested to see how we reacted in the second half and that was exactly what we should be doing.”