Omer Riza felt Cardiff were due a break this season and deserved their last-gasp 2-2 draw at Millwall.
Substitute Yousef Salech equalised with three seconds of stoppage time remaining as the Bluebirds snatched a point.
They were trailing to early goals from Calum Scanlon and Casper De Norre before Chris Willock pulled one back before half-time.
Millwall looked set to cling on for only their second win in 13 matches, but Salech – signed from Swedish side Sirius last week – denied them at the death.
“It’s a really tough place to come,” said Riza.
“So to go 2-0 down, you don’t expect to get anything out of the game, but the goal before half-time was a lifeline.
“Millwall’s intensity levels didn’t allow us any time on the ball, but we showed good character, good belief and got back in the game. I’m really proud of the boys.
“There’s been many times this season we’ve been winning 2-1 and ended up drawing so the boot’s on the other foot tonight.”
Liverpool teenager Scanlon had earlier scored his first senior goal to put Millwall in the lead after only 61 seconds.
The 19-year-old, who joined the Lions on loan in August but suffered a stress fracture in his back on his debut which sidelined him for five months, was clearly desperate to make up for lost time.
Scanlon, a left-back by trade at Liverpool but pushed further forward by Lions boss Alex Neil, controlled Duncan Watmore’s pass out to the left flank.
He held off City defender Andy Rinomhota, strode into the penalty area and lashed his finish into the roof of the net.
Millwall doubled their lead in the 19th minute thanks to a superb piece of skill from another youngster, academy graduate Ra’ees Bangura-Williams.
The 20-year-old, making his full Championship debut, bamboozled Manolis Siopis with his footwork on the byline before cutting the ball back for De Norre to slot inside the near post.
But Willock curled Cardiff back into the game on the stroke of half-time before Salech, who moments earlier had sent a header over the crossbar, hooked in the equaliser with the last kick.
Neil said: “It’s a huge disappointment to concede in the manner in which we did and with a few seconds left on the clock.
“It’s got nothing to do with tactics or how the team is set up. It’s just actions in the game. We were so desperate to get to half-time and full-time and they get tense.
“If someone does you with a bit of quality it’s fair enough. But I feel tonight we contributed to that with our lack of composure.”
