Gary Johnson had to reflect on a disappointing afternoon in the Welsh capital as his City side lost 2-1 to Cardiff City.

The manager was sent to the stands in the match, which controversially slipped from the visitors' grasp late in the day.

Steve Brooker had a goal chalked out for offside, which would have put City 2-1 in front with ten minutes left, and moments later Peter Whittingham tucked home the winning goal to hand the hosts all three points.

Gary told Bristol City World: "You have to be in the game for 90 minutes but there was certainly a two-minute period, in which we thought we had won the game only to have it taken away from us and then they went on to win it.

"It was very disappointing the way it came about. I haven't seen the action replay but from what I hear it was very close. If it's that close then I'm even more disappointed.

"We've lost the game and we've got to move on. We've got to get some confidence back and create more goalscoring opportunities. I felt we'd just done enough in the second half to put them under pressure.

"It was a great cross [by Jamie McAllister] and a great goal by Dele [Adebola]. The second (Brooker's offside attempt) was another great goal and we'll have to see if it was rightly ruled out on the video.

"I don't want to moan at the officials but I felt they had a poor day today, along with us.

"I thought we had three or four players who weren't up to the level today. I mentioned that to them and the next team that we pick has to be a team that we think can win a football match."

The manager added that he had withdrawn Tamas Vasko at half-time after he lost his marker Roger Johnson for Cardiff's opening goal on the stroke of half-time.

Dele Adebola equalised then Whittingham stroked home the winner at the second attempt from the penalty spot. The ex-Aston Villa winger's initial effort was palmed out by Adriano Basso before he converted the rebound.

Marvin Elliott was adjudged to have tripped Stephen McPhail for the spot-kick and Gary had no complaints about the decision to award a penalty.

He said: "I don't think there can be any complaints. I'll look at it again but at the time I had my heart in my mouth thinking he would give it.

"Basso's made the save but the man (Whittingham) who is taking the kick is always going to get to any rebound first, which is exactly how it panned out."

The manager wasn't so lenient with the officials about the decision to send him from the touchline.

Gary was ordered into the stands after wrestling to the ball off fourth official Paul Armstrong with time ticking away.

And the City boss explained his side of the story: "The fourth official wasn't too lively with the ball and we needed to get it back quickly. Dave Jones, bless him, grabbed the fourth official as he was preparing to throw it back and held him there for a couple of minutes for whatever reason.

"I decided to get it from it and get it back into play. I was more disappointed with the referee for just coming over and thinking I was in the wrong, without even talking to the fourth official.

"I just wanted to get the ball back when they were messing around a little bit and having a little joke. Dave's a wily old fox and I have nothing against him, but the fourth official, I feel, should have explained to the referee why I was getting the ball.

"That could have repercussions but I think people will see on the television that i was just trying to get the ball. What should I do? Stand there and let them have a laugh and a joke.

"I was really disappointed because the referee has decided by himself to send me off and he wouldn't have really known what happened."

City now await news from the FA after the Bank Holiday period with regards to any further punishment for the manager.