PHIL Parkinson admits Wanderers were “over-powered” in defeat at Cardiff City last night.

Riding high after good results against promotion-chasing Fulham and Bristol City, the Whites came back down to earth with a bump in South Wales.

Goals from Armand Traore and Sean Morrison capped off a strong first-half performance from Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds. And though Bolton managed to keep the scoreline to two, Parkinson knew the damage had been done.

“We were better in the second half but I was disappointed with us in the first half,” he said. “All the basic things you have got to do when you come to a place like this, we didn’t do them well enough. We got punished. I don’t think we were as strong as we could be as a team.

“The first goal is soft and the second one we got done on the back stick and they reacted quicker to put it in the back of the net.

“Second half we stood stronger, better. They are a good side and they are going to over-power a lot of teams. They are good at that. But we are disappointed with the first half because we knew we’d have to stand strong as a side to stay in the game and I don’t think we did.”

Wanderers failed to put a shot on target and though Parkinson picked out Adam Le Fondre and Sammy Ameobi for their work-rate, Cardiff’s margin of victory was a comfortable one.

The Whites boss made three changes to his side – resting David Wheater, Mark Little and Zach Clough from the team which drew with Fulham.

Reece Burke, who had replaced Wheater in the back three, was substituted at half time, Parkinson conceding that the team needed some extra experience to cope with Cardiff’s powerful attack.

“I wanted to put a bit of freshness in the team and knew Cardiff had pace at the top of the pitch. I felt young Reece would be the one to deal with that,” he said.

“In fairness to Reece he actually did alright. I just felt at half time, 2-0 down at a place like this, I wanted to get the experience of David Wheater on.

“Out of the three centre halves I think Reece did okay – it was just purely a decision on experience.”