Yousef Salech’s stoppage-time header secured a 1-1 result that keeps the Bluebirds firmly on course for an immediate return to the Championship, with promotion now within touching distance ahead of the weekend trip to Reading.
While the late goal grabbed the headlines, head coach Barry-Murphy was clear that his goalkeeper had been just as crucial in keeping Cardiff in the contest.
“I think it’s a great point in the circumstances,” said Barry-Murphy.
“We have to accept we weren’t at our best this evening – we put a lot into Saturday (beating Bolton 2-0), and I think that probably took its toll.
“So it’s really pleasing, for the amount of supporters we had behind that goal, to get to celebrate in such dramatic fashion.
“We needed our keeper tonight – Nathan (Trott) made some good saves, which he has done at different stages this season when we’ve needed him.
“But I was pretty confident, irrespective of how patchy our performance was, that we’d get chances, and if we got chances with Callum and Yousef in the box, there was a good chance they would take them.
“Luckily, we were still in the game where that would count.”
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Trott’s interventions proved vital on a night when Cardiff were not at their fluent best.
Huddersfield had taken a deserved lead through Ryan Ledson’s first-half strike and posed a consistent threat, forcing the visiting goalkeeper into key stops to preserve hope.
Despite controlling possession for long periods, Cardiff struggled to break down a stubborn defence until deep into added time, when Salech nodded home from close range to rescue a point.
The result means promotion is now within reach. Victory at Reading could all but seal their place back in the Championship, particularly if results elsewhere go in their favour.
Even without that, Barry-Murphy’s side still have games in hand to finish the job.
For the Cardiff boss, the late equaliser was another example of a quality he believes has defined their campaign.
“There’s been so many games this season where I felt as if we’ve dominated games completely and haven’t scored the goals that would reflect that.
“The mentality of the team has been there all season, and it was good to see us maintain that.“
That mentality was tested at Huddersfield, where the hosts created chances of their own and will feel frustrated not to have held on.
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Interim head coach Martin Drury pointed to his side’s attacking output but lamented their lack of cutting edge in key moments.
He said: “I think Cardiff have outdone us on one stat, and that’s possession, which for someone who wants the ball and wants us to have the ball, is frustrating in itself.
“But I accept that Cardiff are a team that’s been built with Championship players who can play that way, so we accept that it’s not a game we feel we’re going to dominate the ball in.
“So then you have to be good at all the other things. I felt we set up to defend the sides of our box really, really well. I thought our centre-halves and midfielders defended crosses into the box outstandingly well all night, and I felt within all that we posed a real threat on the counter.
“We’ve had 16 shots, 14 in the opposition box, which Cardiff have not had all season from inside their box – it’s very, very rare.
“So I’m frustrated we haven’t got a ruthlessness about us and a cutting edge when we get there, and I’m frustrated by some game-management decisions later on in the game.”
Cardiff, however, found a way — as they have done repeatedly during a promotion push built on persistence as much as quality.
Now, with the finishing line in sight, Barry-Murphy’s focus will be on ensuring his side maintain their standards for one final push.
With Trott providing security at the back and Salech delivering when it matters most, Cardiff’s promotion charge looks increasingly inevitable.
