Warnock rues ‘Sunday League’ errors
Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock blamed “Sunday League” errors for the 3-1 defeat at Derby County which stalled his team’s advance towards automatic promotion.
Warnock saw his side concede three times in the second half last night as the Rams won for only the third time in 14 games to return to the play-off places.
It had all been going to plan for Cardiff when Callum Paterson sent a swerving volley inside Scott Carson’s near post in the 28th minute.
But the game changed after Gary Madine missed a great 64th-minute chance, with Cameron Jerome (2) and Matej Vydra sealing a dramatic turnaround, capitalising on three defensive mistakes.
Warnock admitted: “It’s just unlike us.
“It was a game we should have won. I’m disappointed in crucial decisions, but that doesn’t compensate for the disappointment of letting three Sunday League goals in. “When you make elementary errors like we did for all three goals – Neil (Etheridge) could have let it go out for a goal kick, (Aron) Gunnarsson slices it, there’s that many mistakes in one goal and the second one was a forward doing the wrong thing.”
The Bluebirds remain a point ahead of third-placed Fulham, with two matches left. Cardiff face Hull and Reading in their final games.
Derby climbed two points ahead of Millwall in the battle for the top six and manager Gary Rowett said: “It’s a massive boost for us because, having been on the run we’ve been on, it’s incredibly deflating.
“It was probably as well as we’ve played. We showed a lot of courage to get back.”