Johnnie Jackson believes AFC Wimbledon made Cardiff suffer despite falling to a 1-0 defeat in their Sky Bet League One clash at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
Isaak Davies scored in second-half stoppage time to snatch all three points for the Bluebirds after a goalless opening 90 minutes in south west London.
The Dons impressed during the second period, pushing the visitors to the limit and creating several clear-cut chances.
Jackson was proud of his side’s performance despite the late heartbreak.
“They would have enjoyed the first half and the result, but they would not have enjoyed the bit in between,” he said.
“We made them suffer, and that is what we are going to have to be this season.
“I would much rather be here talking about a 1-0 win that perhaps we didn’t deserve than a 1-0 defeat that was maybe harsh on us.
“But look, I am really really proud of the group tonight, so we will go again.
“The physical side is the only thing I want them to focus on because I know mentally they won’t need picking up, they’re fine.
“They are a good group, and they will understand that we are playing well and we are a good team.
“It is just about physical recovery and getting them to the start line.
“On Saturday, we need to make sure we pick a team that we think can be fresh enough to go and get another result.”
The visitors controlled possession during the first half but failed to carve out many clear-cut chances.
The Dons grew into the game and looked destined to take something from it until Davies deflected David Turnbull’s shot past Nathan Bishop to secure all three points for his side.
Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy was delighted to see the two substitutes have an impact on the match.
“Don’t underestimate how difficult it is to come to this venue,” he added.
“Johnnie Jackson has had sustained success over a long period of time so they are very confident and very difficult to play against.
“I think we handled the occasion very well and in the end, got what I thought we deserved.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win the game by keeping a clean sheet and I think for our team it gives us a lot of belief that we have to be resilient and skilled with how we defend the ball at all times.
“We have a really small squad but what we wanted is to have absolute quality who can come off the bench.
“The subs felt pretty natural to me, they felt like the right fit for the time in the game.
“They helped us in a period where we just started to lose a bit of control, they gave us real calmness in the middle of the pitch.”
