Warnock describes Wolves defeat as ´story of our season´

Neil Warnock felt the mistakes Cardiff City made in their 2-0 defeat at Wolves summed up their Premier League season.

Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez scored twice in the space of 134 first-half seconds to put the home side in control on Saturday, and Cardiff could not find a way back into the game.

Manager Warnock felt switching off for that brief spell meant his side had ended their chances of getting something from the game.

“It has been the story of our season,” Warnock told BBC Sport after a third straight defeat which saw them remain 18th in the table.

“We never gave ourselves a chance. The lads made mistakes they shouldn’t have done and they know that.

“We are all down, we are bound to be flat when we just got beat. If you do not care then there is something wrong with you. They have not done on it on purpose, but you cannot afford to give a team of this quality chances like that. 

“We dominated for the first 20 minutes and then I stood there and two minutes later we are 2-0 down. I cannot understand it.

“I do not know what more I can get out of the lads. But I have to get more out of them. They are such an honest group, I cannot fault any of them.”

FULL-TIME Wolves 2-0 Cardiff

Goals from Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez seal victory for Nuno’s men#WOLCAR pic.twitter.com/W89bf2m5qd

— Premier League (@premierleague) March 2, 2019

The second goal came after a mistake from Sol Bamba, who later left the pitch on a stretcher just before half-time.

“It is disappointing and sums our season up,” Warnock said of the injury. “We will regroup, probably without Sol and go again next week.”

Warnock was critical of referee Andre Marriner, who opted not to give Wolves’ Ryan Bennett a second yellow card for a foul on Joe Bennett in first-half stoppage time.

Warnock said: “He should have been sent off, that is a booking anywhere else. Just look at his body language.

“It takes some guts to send people off, Andre Marriner is a top referee but he missed two or three free-kicks in the first half and the sending-off was simple for a man of his calibre.”

Today’s result takes Wolves to 43 points and sets a club @premierleague record!

pic.twitter.com/0SF0cYMHS7

— Wolves (@Wolves) March 2, 2019

With nine games still to play, seventh-placed Wolves – who won for the first time in four top-flight games – have a club-record Premier League record points total of 43.

“It was a good performance,” said head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. “The first half was very good, but not so good in the second half.

“They were difficult to play against, we defended well against their set pieces and were able to counter-attack. I wish we could do more as a 2-0 scoreline is not a comfortable result ever.

“We are a short squad, just 16 players, we have to manage well. Other players that have come in have pleased me a lot.”