Manager Malky Mackay was left to rue Cardiff City's sluggish start following his side's Capital One Cup elimination at the hands of West Ham United.
The hosts netted twice in the opening eight minutes at Upton Park, before Craig Noone and Peter Odemwingie earned the Bluebirds parity in the second half, only for Ricardo Vaz Te to find a winner for the Hammers.
Mackay thought that Cardiff recovered from their poor beginning to the match and were the superior team after the interval, and highlighted Odemwingie, who scored his first goal since arriving from West Bromwich Albion on transfer deadline day, for special praise.
"We had a mountain to climb the way we started, but we kept ourselves in it and looked like the team to win it in the second half," he told the club's official website.
"I thought Odemwingie was excellent tonight. He always looked a danger and a threat."
Cardiff return to Premier League action on Saturday when they travel to Fulham.
