Neil Warnock will have to dip into his pocket to pay the price for another point towards Cardiff City’s survival in the Championship.
The Bluebirds manager must cough up to defenders Sol Bamba and Sean Morrison after his goading before their goalless draw at home to Brighton.
It may have been a match that few will remember, but Warnock seemed content with a draw that leaves Cardiff a point from the safety of 21st place in the table.
He was also more than happy to pay his debts after revealing: “I might owe the two centre-halves a few quid. I was on at them before the game that it was a long time since we had kept a clean sheet and they both came up to me after the match and asked, ‘What were you saying, gaffer?’
“I thought we had to work really hard and we knew we would have to because they are a very good team and they have ripped people apart.
“I was pleased with one or two things. Frederic Gounongbe did well, as did Kadeem Harris. We were solid in the midfield and Aron Gunnarsson was fabulous.
“December is a big month, which is why we did not want to risk Rickie Lambert who has been injured.”
Harris is yet to score for Cardiff this season after 13 appearances, but Warnock insists the 23-year-old will hold on to his place in the starting line-up for their next match away at Ipswich on Saturday, regardless of Lambert’s fitness,
“I told Kadeem on Tuesday, he would be playing – and I said even if he plays poorly he would be playing at Ipswich.
“I thought he did really well and it would have been a comic book story if his shot at the end of the game had gone in.”
That was arguably Cardiff’s best chance of low key match. Harris cut in from the right with an illustration of his pace and ability to go past defenders, but then blazed his shot over the bar to underline his continuing lack of composure.
Brighton’s mean streak continued but Chris Hughton admitted they left Cardiff feeling they should have grabbed more.
The Seagulls have the best defensive record in the Championship – with the fewest goals conceded (11) and the most clean sheets (12) – but they failed to score for the first time since September.
Manager Hughton was reluctant to be too harsh on a team that remain on Newcastle’s coat-tails at the top of the Championship, though – especially as they could even have lost in the dying seconds after having defender Gaeten Bong sent off.
But he conceded: “The onus was on us to break down Cardiff, but I have to admit there are other places where I have come away feeling more disappointed.
“Cardiff are a fairly resilient side, but it was up to us to create the opportunities and we didn’t really do that. I thought we were the better team over the 90 minutes, and the more likely to score, but you have to give credit to Cardiff.”
Whether two dropped points will prove decisive in Brighton’s quest to ascend to the Premier League remains to be seen.
For Hughton, it is case of only looking upwards rather than at those clubs chasing to close a five-point gap. Clinging to the leaders will provide all the momentum they need.
“The team that stays closest to Newcastle will be the team that goes up, because I think they have the most strength in depth in this division,” he added.
Brighton thought they had won it when Glenn Murray bundled the ball home in the 79th minute, only to be denied for a foul given against Shane Duffy as he provided the knock-down.
Hughton said: “There is no doubt some referees would have given it if they had not had a clear view. But he did have a clean view and Shane was climbing over him.”