Ugly scrap shows promotion mettle
Sunday 28th February 2021
In this league, probably more than any other, being able to scrap tooth and nail for even a point sometimes can make the world of difference.
You have to ask yourself, at the beginning of the season, would Cardiff have gotten a point from that game? I don't they they would have.
Yes, there was a six-game winning streak before the trip up to the Riverside, a remarkable run which, albeit for only a few days, catapulted City into the play-off spots.
There was always going to be a blip, though, they were never going to win their last 20 games of the season.
What is important is how you manage the games going against you, especially at this stage of the season.
And being able to stand toe to toe with a quality, wily Warnock side away from home and to come away with a point is a very encouraging sign.
MICK McCARTHY:
"I was asked what it takes to get promotion, being able to scrap it out sometimes is certainly one of the things that is needed and desired," McCarthy said.
Leggy Bluebirds due a change up
There is always an age-old dilemma about whether to change a winning team in favour of fresh legs or stick with a side that has won you so many games on the spin.
McCarthy opted for an unchanged XI for the fifth game in a row and it just began to show a little, especially in that second half.
Cardiff have been excellent over the last month and McCarthy rewarded those players by selecting them again for the trip to Boro.
But McCarthy dismissed any notion that tiredness played a part in Cardiff being unable to seal a win.
"I knew if we didn't win then someone would ask me the question!" McCarthy said.
"If I'd had changed it and got beat then you would have said to me, 'Oh well you changed a winning team and got beat'. So pick the bones out of that."
It has been a strenuous week for this City side, having travelled down to the south coast for a game against Bournemouth on Wednesday before heading north for Saturday's clash with Boro.
There are a lot of miles under the belt there, but McCarthy also refused to blame the, at times tired, performance on arduous motorway journeys.
"I'm not going to sit here and blame that," McCarthy said. "Is it harder to play Wednesday-Saturday than Tuesday-Saturday? Probably.
"But Neil has just played the same team for three games and he changed his team today to match us up. He put a big team in there to match us.
"They were beaten in the week so they probably had to do something to shake it up. I didn't.
"I didn't see any signs of fatigue or tiredness, no, the lads have been brilliant."
Cardiff's bench on Saturday certainly looked strong, with Junior Hoilett and Joe Ralls having been restored to the squad.
With Lee Tomlin and Jordi Osei-Tutu due back in the coming weeks, this squad is getting back to full strength at just the right time.
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