Cardiff City manager Omer Riza has admitted his players have “a mountain to climb” following a dismal 1-0 home defeat by fellow relegation battlers Stoke City.
Following Plymouth’s victory before kick-off on Saturday, Cardiff’s game only grew in importance after another rival to avoid the relegation zone had won.
But the Bluebirds were miles short of meeting that challenge and what came next was a chore for the eyes of everyone in attendance.
“I’m disappointed for the fans and the club,” Riza said.
“We tried to go for it as much as we could, but we didn’t really create any big chances.
“We’ve got four massive games left, but the last 10 have been important. We’ve now got a mountain to climb.
“There is still an opportunity, still a chance and still belief.
"I have to be confident. If you have no belief you have nothing. But we have to match it with performance and points.
“We haven't managed to do that, but we still have four games and it is not over yet."
The visitors were the more threatening in the first half. Lewis Baker squandered a great chance inside the opening five minutes, firing over from the edge of the box.
The closest either side came was after a corner was cleared by Cardiff, Stoke midfielder Jordan Thompson fired a volley which deflected onto the top of the bar, giving the hosts another clear warning sign.
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Play was halted in the 35th minute of the game due to a medical emergency in the Ninian Stand. Both teams were taken back into their dressing rooms and the game resumed not long after the fan had been safely escorted out.
“He’s been taken to hospital, but it’s looking positive,” a Cardiff City spokesperson confirmed.
Despite the lengthy stoppage and the half time break, Cardiff didn’t really get the message that this was a must-win game.
Million Manhoef’s cross was flicked narrowly wide by Will Fish just three minutes after the restart.
Due to the delay in the first half, Cardiff were in a position where they were still playing after the teams around them had already finished.
Reports coming in that Derby and Oxford had both taken the lead heaped even more importance on this game, which was undoubtedly huge even before a ball was kicked.
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Following full times elsewhere across the UK, with the only results in Cardiff’s favour being a Luton defeat and a Derby draw, expectation grew that something, anything will do for the Bluebirds.
That moment should have come eight minutes before time when substitute Rubin Colwill’s deflected cross made its way to an unmarked Isaak Davies at the back post. However, Davies somehow managed to fire over from three yards out.
The real dagger came after a long throw into the Cardiff penalty area, the ball bounced around and following a Ben Wilmot shot, the ball deflected off the helpless Fish into his own goal.
There were questions about a handball in the build-up to the goal, but the only real protest was from Riza.
“It’s a clear handball by Ashley Phillips,” Riza protested.
Despite these points raised by the manager, it counts for nothing in the grand scheme of things as should Hull win on Monday night, that will put Cardiff two points from safety with games against Sheffield United and West Brom to come.
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While we run the risk of repeating the same saying Cardiff have to win these games, it is becoming very much the case with teams around them picking up points.
The sense from the outside is that the atmosphere is becoming toxic, evidenced by the fans booing the players who went round to applaud those supporters at full time.
There is very little room for error in these last four games, and Cardiff have shown no signs of doing anything but making errors.
Something needs to change quickly for Riza and his players, or else the biggest error of all will be falling into League One.
