Cardiff manager Neil Warnock was unhappy with the refereeing decisions his side got in their 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool.
Substitute James Milner ensured Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table as they struck the latest blow in their titanic title race with Manchester City.
Milner’s nerveless 81st-minute penalty sealed a 2-0 victory at relegation-haunted Cardiff on Sunday to ease the Reds back above City, who had regained top spot with their revenge win over Tottenham a little more than 24 hours earlier.
Georginio Wijnaldum broke the deadlock 12 minutes after the restart, but it was Milner’s penalty after Bluebirds skipper Sean Morrison had been adjudged to have fouled Mohamed Salah which ended the home side’s hopes of a fightback.
“I just think Sean Morrison has had his shirt pulled 10 times worse than that [the penalty], I thought it was a silly, soft penalty to give – he gives the referee an opportunity to give it, but the theatrics Salah comes up with, it’s a 9.9 [dive],” Warnock told the BBC.
“I thought Morrison was tugged by Robertson in the first half. We are not getting that many things but I thought the lads were super today, nine out of the starting 11 were in the Championship last season – we should have a job swap, me and Jurgen Klopp, let him have my lot and I’ll have his lot.
“As a manager you cannot ask anything more than what my lads are giving, the fans are fantastic, to hang in as we did for that time I am really proud of them.
“Brighton will be looking at their Newcastle game thinking it’s a great opportunity so we might need two wins and a draw. It’s difficult to see where we’re going to get a break – I still can’t get over the Chelsea game, if you saw the dressing room after, I have never seen people destroyed like that.
“They (the fans) have been amazing all season and that helps the manager. They know I am doing my best and trying to contribute by their support – we’re all trying to punch above our weight.”