Matt Sherratt was left to rue key moments after narrow margins saw Scarlets claim a Welsh derby victory in the BKT United Rugby Championship.
Cardiff had made a bright start in Llanelli and led 14-7 thanks to tries from Ellis Bevan and Rhys Carré. With the Scarlets reduced to 14-men, they then kicked a penalty to the corner to twist the knife.
However, Adam Jones penalised Cardiff at the maul and moments later the Scarlets struck to make it 14-14 at the interval.
That was just one key moment in the entertaining derby and in the second-half the Scarlets’ experienced core grew in prominence, with Gareth Davies, who started throughout the World Cup, not included for Wales, creating a try and scoring another.
Sherratt said: “I think it was about 33 minutes. We spent a long time on their try line. We obviously come away with a score and it’s 14-7.
“They've just lost someone to the bin and it's a moment there where it could be 21-7. That doesn't mean it's a different game because Scarlets were always going to fight in their first home game. But it was definitely a moment that had an affect later in the game.
“I'm very realistic with it. I don't get too emotive after we beat the Dragons and I don't feel too disheartened today or after Benetton. We’ve had three games and we've been right in the game in the last two or three minutes three times.
“Today, there’s a penalty, another knock on five metres out and Gareth Davies has a moment of brilliance and passes to Fifita. That's just the game. Sometimes you finish on the right side of those, sometimes you finish on the other side.
“In these tight games, experience can get you over the line, and I thought their more experienced players in terms of Gareth Davies, McNicholl, Steff Evans, Fifita. They've been in these situations before, so that's what got them over the line.
“On the whole I’m pretty pleased. We are gaining experience and sometimes you do that the hard way. There’s no other way around it.
“It's just making sure that in two or three weeks' time, we're not still talking about moments that we've let go in the game.”
Cardiff return to URC action at the Arms Park next Friday, when they take on Vodacom Bulls. Tickets are available now by clicking here.