OF all the kicks in the teeth Wanderers have received on the pitch this season, this one drove home the hardest.

Perhaps the Whites should be desensitised to the agony by now but having held on so resolutely with 10 men, a point was the least they deserved at Cardiff City.

Instead, Jimmy Phillips’ young team got a king-sized dose of realism as debut defender Tyler Garratt conceded a 94th-minute penalty, converted by Peter Whittingham, to hand the Bluebirds three points in their late play-off chase.

Harsh hardly begins to describe it.

Garratt, in the squad for the first time, was rushed into the action when Niall Maher received a straight red card for an elbow on Craig Noone after half an hour.

Wanderers were leading 1-0 at that point via a brilliant free kick from Zach Clough but Maher’s moment of petulance – on the edge of the Cardiff penalty box of all places – turned the game on its head.

Darren Pratley was brought off in a daze with concussion and with inexperience dotted all around the team, it was difficult to fear anything except for the worst.

Travelling fans have been given precisely nothing this season during the club’s sharp decline. That they still turn up in such number is a testament to their devout loyalty to the badge. On this rare occasion Wanderers’ under-performing players matched it.

Drawing positives at this stage of the season may be an exercise in futility but having endured some truly dire performances since last August it was a splendid feeling indeed to take some pride out of the sheer stubbornness on show.

Rob Holding continues to learn the art of ugly defending from his more experienced partner David Wheater, the two now looking an effective partnership. Oh if it were possible to keep them together next season.

Oscar Threlkeld picked up where he left off against Charlton. This was a much more thorough examination, against a clever player in Whittingham, but he passed it with flying colours.

The real surprise was Garratt, previously unknown to anyone who hadn’t braved a cold Tuesday night at Leyland or a Saturday morning at Lostock.

While his neon pink boots won’t have curried favour with old-school types like Phillips and Peter Reid, his positioning was good and until the final minute of the game, so was his decision-making.

Little has been expected of this team since their relegation was confirmed at Derby a few weeks ago. To see them take the lead seven minutes in was a real shock to the system.

Clough has worked hard on his set pieces and simply could not have hit his seventh-minute freekick any better if he tried. David Marshall – later to keep Wanderers belligerently at bay – could only watch and applaud.

Wanderers had already conceded the lion’s share of possession to their hosts before going a man down but once Maher was punished for a silly aerial challenge by referee Lee Collins, Emile Heskey cut an even more isolated figure up front.

Cardiff manufactured several half-chances, Stuart O’Keefe volleyed wide, Kenneth Zohore fired over the bar and Ben Amos made one smart save from the dangerous Noone.

By half time Phillips’ team had seen just 23 per cent of the ball. But the defensive organisation which has been drilled on the training ground since the interim staff were put in place was holding out.

Threlkeld made a vital goal-line clearance after Amos made a mess of a cross from Noone but Wanderers suddenly found an attacking gear of their own and Clough brought a great save out of Marshall with an angled shot after some excellent work in midfield from Josh Vela had sent him in on goal.

When Zohore equalised for the Bluebirds, experience with Wanderers suggests the floodgates were about to open.

Neil Danns boxed himself into a corner on the right with some needless trickery and conceded possession, leaving Zohore to out-muscle Holding and then beat Amos at his near post.

The lack of an ‘out ball’ promoted Phillips to call for Kaiyne Woolery to replace Heskey and Wanderers were to prove much more effective on the break from there on in.

Tension among the home fans grew as Cardiff continued to waste chances to take the lead – ex-Whites target Sami Ameobi particularly guilty of over-playing after getting in behind Threlkeld on the hour.

Sean Morrison should have been given a second yellow after pulling Woolery back a few minutes later as he bore down on goal – the youngster’s off-balance shot ending up off target.

Woolery would claim another foul later on when he pounced from close range only to scuff his shot at the keeper.

Clough also used to his pace to burst clear late on, also denied well by Marshall.

Those missed chances came back to haunt Wanderers as Garratt tripped Noone on the edge of the area in the 94th minute. The young defender was inconsolable as Whittingham’s successful penalty proved the last touch of the game.

Wanderers dropped to their haunches. This had really hurt. But is that a good thing?

This, a team relegated out of sight and on the end of a record-equalling 25th defeat of the season, are still hurting. Had such passion been shown earlier in the piece, perhaps things could have been different?

Nine home-grown players were named in this squad, not including another up and coming talent in Woolery. And they know what it means to be Wanderers.

They do say the darkest hour is before dawn.