NIGEL Clough said conceding just before half-time was the key moment as the Brewers put up a fighting performance before going down 3-1 to Cardiff.
The Albion boss said: "Their second goal came at a crucial time and it was poor defending again. That gave them a huge lift. They would think they would be going in at half-time 1-1 at home to a team in the bottom three. Instead they are 10 feet tall and grew in confidence."
The killer third goal for Cardiff in the second half had a suspicion of offside and handball about it.
Clough said: "They scored a third in controversial circumstances and are cruising from there.
"In the first half we should have got our noses ahead and at least gone in level at half-time
"We created good situations especially in the first 15 minutes and then the first time they go in our penalty area they score. We created chances throughout the game and didn't make the most of them. We had two one-on-ones in the first half. And in stoppage time at the end of the first half Jamie Allen goes clear and scuffed his shot when he should have gone on and scored. That was the difference, there wasn't much in general play but there was in both penalty areas.
"We played Liam Boyce today in a slightly withdrawn rule and he was very good but tired as the game went on. He was pulling the strings and created the goal. He showed he can play a different sort of role as well.
"Darren Bent has missed a few chances for us so it was nice for him to get a goal. It was a great team goal as well. Strikers like scoring so hopefully he will go on and get a few more now as well."