Neil Warnock gave three full-hearted fist pumps in front of Cardiff City’s travelling fans after his club’s stunning 3-2 victory at Bristol City, then said: “That’s reminded me why I’m still in football.”
The wild-eyed Bluebirds manager was celebrating after an unlikely victory was plundered in the Severnside derby with two late goals within three minutes.
Trailing 2-1, substitute Kadeem Harris stooped to head the scores level, before Anthony Pilkington snatched victory with a ferocious shot from 25 yards.
It was enough to get the blood coursing through Warnock’s old bones and the perfect backdrop for his meeting with club owner Vincent Tan in London on Saturday night.
“Vince” as Warnock called him, is going to get tapped for cash and if the price of extraction is measured in enthusiasm then the Bluebirds boss will go fully loaded.
After Pilkingson’s second goal – his first was an equaliser from the penalty spot – had helped turn this match around, Cardiff suddenly find themselves a little freer of relegation worries and Warnock has a better hand with which to negotiate.
““Hopefully, we can talk him into helping us a bit more. A lot needs sorting out, but we’re doing it, slowly. And the fans are right behind me.”
“It’s a great club and the fans can see what I’m trying to achieve. I don’t think we need an awful lot but we’ve got to be aiming for the top six or eight given the size of the club.”
Warnock was full of praise for Pilkington, but blamed himself for a five-man back four defensive system that made for a drab opening and goalless 51 minutes.
It was then that Bristol City’s Joe Bryan struck from long range and after the ball struck the bar, it rebounded off the back of Cardiff keeper Brian Murphy for an own goal.
The goal forced Warnock into abandoning Plan A and introducing the pace of Junior Hoilett and Harris, although it still took him 17 more minutes before he made the switch.
He added: “Pilkington . . . that’s what he’s capable of. I gave him a rollicking for coming to get the ball in his own half.
“But what a goal it was. I thought he did well today. I haven’t sprinted like that for a while (at the final whistle).
“We showed a lot of character and I blame myself in the first half. It was dour.
“I said to Junior (Hoilett), we need you on. I was glad they scored because it made me change it. I like people running at them and having a go.
“I thought we could’ve scored a few more and the quality of the finishing was good but overall I think we just about shaded it.
“At 2-1, I thought what am I doing this for at 68? Then at 3-2, I remembered why.
The equaliser came in the 73rd minute, after Joe Ralls had been tripped in the penalty, area, but the Bluebirds were soon undone again.
Bristol’s best move of the match ended with 19-year-old striker Tammy Abraham swiveling to score his 18th goal of the season with only 12 minutes left.
Character was required by Cardiff and it was summoned, although there was plenty of panic on view in the home defence when Harris and then Pilkington turned the game on its head in a three-minute spell.
It left Warnock to savour another afternoon of what he regards as old-school give and take.
“That’s what the Championship is all about. I just fit like a glove with the Championship.
“I love the banter here. I was disappointed they only sung I’m a banker for about 30 seconds and I thought they would have been much louder.”
