Neil Warnock has admitted to being "disappointed" at the manner of Cardiff City's loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but insists that his side 'more than held their own' against the league leaders.
If not for missed penalties from Gary Madine and Junior Hoilett in the 93rd and 95th minute respectively, the Bluebirds would have taken a point from the match.
As it was, Ruben Neves's impressive free kick three quarters of the way through proved enough for Wanderers to leave South Wales with a slender 1-0 win.
"All the players are disappointed, but that just shows how far we have come," Warnock told Sports Mole after the game. "We were playing against the so-called best team in the Championship and we've more than held our own.
"I thought it was a cracking game. I'm disappointed that we failed to win, never mind take a point, but that's football. It was just one of those days where it just wouldn't go in for us. We showed that we were a decent team in front of a cracking atmosphere."
Cardiff are now nine points adrift of their opponents and could see the gap on the side directly below them reduced further at the weekend, as Fulham - five points worse off - head to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon.
"They are all big games now. The teams we are playing won't look forward to playing us," Warnock added. "The win has more or less done it for Wolves now. It was only really us who could catch them but now they are safe.
"I don't remember experiencing a conclusion like that, but I'm 69 - I barely remember last year!"
Cardiff had won 10 and drawn three of their last 13 matches, with their most recent defeat prior to Friday night coming against Queens Park Rangers on New Year's Day.
No Data Analysis info
Germany
Switzerland
Hungary
Scotland
Spain
Italy
Croatia
Albania
England
Denmark
Slovenia
Serbia
Austria
France
Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Belgium
Slovakia
Ukraine
Portugal
Turkey
Georgia
Czech Republic