Cardiff City interim manager Mark Hudson praised the character of his players for putting a difficult week behind them to come out and dominate the game like they did against Rotherham United.
Hudson said the week in which the Bluebirds lost three matches on the trot was one of the toughest in his career, no doubt a sentiment which will have been shared by his players.
Losses to Coventry City, QPR and, of course, Swansea City, created an anxious atmosphere ahead of the game against the Millers on Saturday afternoon. But fans need not have worried, because City dominated from start to finish, with 63 percent possession and 19 shots to Rotherham's three.
Indeed, the only mystifying thing was how Cardiff didn't score more. But it's three points nonetheless and Hudson told the players in the changing room after the match just how proud he was of their character following the win.
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"I thought we dominated from start to finish. I said in the dressing room just now, to have the week they have had and we have had as a group, it shows unbelievable character from within that dressing room to stick to a game plan, to be brave enough to put it into action, when you've had a tough week before," Hudson said after the match.
"That's something I'm really proud of and is something they should be proud of. It was a difficult week, we know that, but it's about being as level as you can. We made some attacking changes at half time, it doesn't always pay off, but it paid off. The subs were willing and ready.
Asked if there had been a fire burning in the bellies of Bluebirds players leading up to this match after such a disappointing South Wales derby defeat, Hudson replied: "Absolutely. That's something our team, and this place, should have and will have. It shows character that they've had that week, it's sat with them for a while, which they should, and turning their mindset forward. They did that.
"I thought their application to everything throughout this week was second to none. There were a few lax passes, something we can get better at, but the amount of chances we created, we could have gone ahead a bit earlier."
It was left to Philogene to make the impact. The Aston Villa loanee came on at half-time and changed the complexion of the game with his trickery and skill at the top end of the pitch.
He was deserving of his goal, too, a well-taken one which saw him get the ball out of his feet, sell two defenders with a dummy before scooping it into the top corner.
It's not been an easy loan spell for him so far. After scoring the winner against Birmingham City, he has had to bide his time and wait for the odd appearance off the bench. But after that performance, he has given the manager food for thought ahead of Watford on Wednesday night.
"He made a huge impact. He is a player we like, with the qualities he has got. He has got something other players don't have and he has the ability to do that," the interim boss said of Philogene.
"It's about managing him and his time. He's not going to play every minute, that's just the way it is, as a squad, but he came on at half time and made an impact.
"Everyone who is not involved is disappointed when they are not on the pitch, but that's just part and parcel of a squad game.
"I thought he was brilliant when he came on. Everyone should want to be on that pitch. They are all chomping at the bit and that's what you want, everyone who isn't selected in the starting XI to come on and make an impact."
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