Cardiff City coach Brian Barry-Murphy has expressed his dismay after his team's shock defeat to bottom-of-the-league Burton Albion. The Bluebirds missed a golden opportunity to climb to the top of League One, succumbing to a late goal despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances.
Dominance Doesn't Equal Victory
Speaking after the match, Barry-Murphy described the result as "sickening." Cardiff City registered 20 shots on goal and controlled 77% of possession, but ultimately failed to convert their dominance into goals. Burton Albion, defending deep with numbers, capitalised on a late opportunity to snatch all three points.
"We created enough chances to win any game," Barry-Murphy lamented. "But when you play against a team like Burton who defended so deep with so many numbers, and you don’t score the goals you feel you should, there’s always an opportunity for them to score at the end of the game and they did."
Controversial Decision
Adding to Cardiff City's frustration was a disallowed first-half goal by Yousef Salech. Replays suggested the striker did little wrong when attacking Chris Willock's cross. Barry-Murphy described the finish as "brilliant" and questioned the referee's decision. However, he also emphasized that Cardiff City had ample opportunities to secure the victory regardless of the disallowed goal.
- Cardiff City dominated possession with 77%.
- They had 20 shots on goal but failed to convert.
- A first-half goal was controversially disallowed.
Barry-Murphy is urging his team to learn from this defeat and find a way to convert their dominance into wins as the season progresses. He acknowledged the frustration within the team but remains optimistic about their ability to achieve their objectives.