Neil Warnock says Cardiff did Emiliano Sala proud with late win
Cardiff won 2-1 at Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday
Saturday 9 February 2019 18:49, UK
Neil Warnock says Cardiff did Emiliano Sala proud with their dramatic late win against Southampton and praised the character of his side.
Cardiff were 1-0 ahead going into five minutes of added time at St Mary's but Jack Stephens then scored an equaliser for Saints before Kenneth Zohore slotted home two minutes later to hand the visitors a vital three points.
It came on another emotional day for the Welsh club as they played their first game since Emiliano Sala's body was found last week, but Warnock praised his side for doing justice to the striker's memory.
"You don't concede in the 93rd and score in the 94th very often, it's all the highs and lows," the Cardiff boss told Sky Sports.
"Their [Southampton's] staff were celebrating when they scored, and quite rightly so. I can't describe it really, it all went quiet for me, I was oblivious to all the noise when the winner went in.
"It was one of those times to have a think and I think we did Emiliano proud today for remembering him and that's a pleasing thing for me as well.
"We've not turned a corner, but we've played with a lot more confidence and been a little bit more decisive at the back. In the first half I was disappointed with us on the ball, I thought we could have done more. But in the second half, I thought we played some really good stuff at times.
"People had written us off... and to concede like that but then come back again in injury-time shows tremendous character."
The victory lifted Cardiff out of the relegation places and Warnock believes he has a good enough squad to secure their spot in the Premier League next season.
"It's a squad team, it's not just the 11 and I think we've got a decent squad now. We can fight on, we know what we've got to do, we need to keep our feet on the floor and the fans will be with us. You never know," he said.
"The fans are amazing and they had made up their minds that they were going to chant all day today. It was so full in that corner and all the lads were talking about it after the game. They've been amazing, the best.
"I've been at some good clubs but probably the circumstances, we shouldn't really have got promoted last year and all of a sudden, we're here and we shouldn't have got more than 11 points according to some pundits, so it's great to keep surprising people."
