Cardiff’s 2-1 victory over Stevenage kept the Bluebirds three points clear at the top and proved again how strong the collective character is within a youthful squad.
The Bluebirds’ success on Monday night made it seven straight home league wins and underlined their growing resilience, but Barry-Murphy was quick to stress that leading the division brings its own pressures as the promotion race intensifies.
“It's a good place to be. I'd rather be there than anywhere else. Trying to stay there is the challenge,” said Barry-Murphy.
Cardiff were made to work hard for their latest win, dominating possession for long spells but falling behind against the run of play midway through the second half.
Phoenix Patterson stunned the home crowd when he cut inside from the left and curled a superb strike into the top corner from the edge of the box, giving Stevenage the lead despite offering little threat beforehand.
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That goal followed an early warning for Cardiff, with Harvey White clipping a dangerous free-kick onto the crossbar in the third minute – the visitors’ only first-half effort.
Cardiff responded by controlling the game, firing in 11 attempts before the break, although none troubled the target as Yousef Salech and David Turnbull both went close.
Barry-Murphy was impressed by how his side reacted once they went behind, quickly regaining their composure and belief.
“I'm really pleased with the players and the way they played, especially when we went behind in the game,” he said.
“It was evident how good they [Stevenage] are defensively. We have the highest regard for Stevenage and what they do, so we knew it was going to be difficult, but the players were even more strong-willed in how they played.”
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Cardiff’s response was swift and decisive. Salech twice threatened with headers before Callum Robinson struck from close range just five minutes after Patterson’s opener, converting at the second attempt after Filip Marschall failed to deal with a cross.
That equaliser lifted both the tempo and the atmosphere inside Cardiff City Stadium.
With the game finely balanced heading into the final stages, Cardiff continued to press and were rewarded eight minutes from time.
Chris Willock delivered an inviting cross and Salech, the club’s leading scorer, guided the ball into the net from five yards out with his thigh to claim his 11th league goal of the season.
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Barry-Murphy believes moments like that are built on a mindset his players have been working towards since the start of the campaign.
“We train all the time to never give up and to always just look at the next action, the next moment in the game and keep going no matter what the score is,” he said.
“And once that starts to happen in games, it can become a really powerful trait that the players believe it can happen.”
The victory marked Cardiff’s seventh successive home league win for the first time since their promotion to the Premier League under Neil Warnock in 2018, a statistic that reflects their growing authority at home.
A crowd of close to 20,000 once again played its part, roaring the team on after they fell behind.
Barry-Murphy was keen to acknowledge that backing, particularly given the timing of the fixture.
“We're really grateful for the support,” he said. “Almost 20,000 again on a Monday and the expense for families in December is extraordinary, I know that myself.
“To see so many people come out again after such a short run from the last game, it felt really positive.
“I know we went behind and it was very disappointing, but I felt as if we were in a pretty good place and we'll create chances.
“And once you attack that Canton Stand, then you can feel the energy increase and increase and it drives the players forward. It's an amazing stadium and amazing support that we're very grateful for.”
With a three-point cushion at the top and a game in hand over second-placed Lincoln City, Cardiff remain firmly in control of their own destiny.
