By Gareth James
Mick McCarthy was left ‘raging’ after seeing Cardiff City throw away victory at Reading.
Kieffer Moore looked to have given the Bluebirds victory with his penalty three minutes from time.
But – just as against Blackburn last weekend – McCarthy saw City concede in injury-time as Yakou Meite’s snatched a late equaliser for the Royals.
It left McCarthy ruing more dropped points and having won just one game since he signed an extended deal.
“I’m raging,” said McCarthy. “That’s how I’m feeling. I’m sick of conceding goals at half-time, full time, full time today.
Mick McCarthy’s Cardiff record before/after signing 2-year contract on March 4 is night and day.
Pre-deal
P 10 W 7 D 3 L 0Post-deal
P 8 W 1 D 4 L 3Never going to maintain initial run but some drop-off.
— Phil Blanche 🏴 (@philblanche) April 16, 2021
“I said on Saturday that Blackburn, with their performance, they deserved it, but I’m not bothered about people deserving it, we shouldn’t let them off the hook and we did.
“We have done it today. We’ve been terrific, we’ve blocked stuff, defended, caught them on the break, we could have scored a couple more in the second half.
“We just let our guard down – again. And I’m raging.”
McCarthy’s men looked to have got their top six hopes back on track with the 1-0 derby win at Swansea City.
But since then they have picked up just two points from a possible 12 with the dropped points against Blackburn and Reading effectively ending their chances of a top six finish.
“I can’t criticise the lads for 94 minutes, they’ve been terrific,” he added. “Then they take a throw-in, we let the cross come in, we are not marking when it comes in, you’ve just got to keep going.
“They’ve made great blocks, defended superbly well, they’ve handled what they could throw at us.
“I’m disappointed for the players, they are all raging, they are all sick. We have got to get that out of us.
“Prior to the international break, we saw games out. At Swansea, they were putting us under pressure and we saw it out and won that game 1-0. We’ve got to get back to that.”
“I can’t criticise the lads for 94 minutes, they’ve been terrific,” he added. “Then they take a throw-in, we let the cross come in, we are not marking when it comes in, you’ve just got to keep going.
“They’ve made great blocks, defended superbly well, they’ve handled what they could throw at us.
“I’m disappointed for the players, they are all raging, they are all sick. We have got to get that out of us.
“Prior to the international break, we saw games out. At Swansea, they were putting us under pressure and we saw it out and won that game 1-0. We’ve got to get back to that.”
Moore fired home from 12 yards after the Wales strikes had been fouled by Omar Richards.
But Meite’s late leveller left City ruling more dropped points.