'It's the hope that kills you' but Brian Barry-Murphy proud as Cardiff push Chelsea to the end
PROUD: Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy applauds the fans. Pic: Nick Potts/PA Wire.
Brian Barry-Murphy was disappointed but defiant after seeing his Cardiff side push Chelsea all the way in their Carabao Cup final quarter-final on Tuesday night.
Alejandro Garnacho scored twice, and fellow substitute Pedro Neto also found the net as the world champions’ substitutes proved the difference in the second half and the closing stages in particular.
David Turnbull had levelled the score in the 75th minute with a superb diving header but the League One side couldn’t hang on to force the game to a penalty shoot-out in front of their own fans.
"I'm very proud of all the players and the effort they put in, the performance,” said Barry-Murphy post-match.
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"It's probably just the hope that kills you when you score a goal.
"I felt we were in the ascendancy and had a great chance to maybe grab a winner, but it wasn't to be.
"I think it gives us an insight into what it takes to play at the level the opposition are playing at. We believe some of our players can definitely get to that level.
"You get a taste of this type of evening at the stadium. It was incredible and the atmosphere was incredible. The support was right behind us, even at 3-1, right to the last minute.
"It just leaves you wanting more and fuelling the fire of wanting to repeat it and do more and more."
Meanwhile Enzo Maresca declared himself "happy" after being serenaded by Chelsea fans following their victory in Wales.
The Chelsea boss made headlines by saying after Saturday's win over Everton that the previous 48 hours had been his worst at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca shut down multiple questions at his pre-match press conference on Monday about whom he was targeting and said after Chelsea's 3-1 win that he had not spoken to the club's hierarchy following his weekend comments.
"I'm just happy, we're going to play another semi-final, and I think it's what the fans deserve," Maresca said after celebrating with Chelsea fans at the final whistle and having his name sung by them.
"It was a great moment, I appreciate, always thankful. In some moments when you don't win games, they have been not happy, but it's normal. But overall, the fans have always been there.
"These are the kind of games that I fall in love even more with the players because you cannot imagine how easy it is to slip, to slide, because they are tricky games.
"Every season there are teams that they lost against, you know, League Two or League One. You need to pay attention, you need to do the right things."
Asked if he had spoken to his bosses since the weekend, Maresca said: "No, as I said yesterday (Monday), the day after Everton, I started to prepare Cardiff. Focus on Cardiff.
"Now I just said on the bus I will watch (Saturday's opponents) Newcastle and I didn't speak with anyone. I didn't speak, no it's OK.
"I always said that I've been happy since day one. So, it's not that tonight I'm not happy. I'm happy.
"Now we have three hours to arrive to Cobham (Chelsea's training ground), and I will watch two Newcastle games.
"There is no time. Time is for the players. For us as a staff, we're going to be focused on the next one, that is Newcastle, so we're going to prepare."
Maresca added Brazil winger Estevao will sit out the Newcastle game with a "small muscle problem" that forced him to miss the Cardiff tie.
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