Cardiff City 2-1 Preston North End

Lex Immers of Cardiff City gets above Tom Clarke of Preston North End as he looks to head at goal

Cardiff City turned up the pressure on their play-off rivals with a hard-fought victory over Preston North End.

The visitors saw their own promotion aspirations take a hit as Cardiff scored twice from the spot.

Anthony Pilkington gave the Bluebirds the lead with a cool penalty on the stroke of half time and he repeated the trick with ten minutes remaining.

Callum Robinson scored a consolation goal for Preston who slip to 10th, while Cardiff move up to seventh.

Cardiff were also able to reduce the gap on rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County and leapfrogged Birmingham City.

Anthony Pilkington slots home the penalty in the first period

The hosts were worthy of their win and enjoyed the better chances in a first half that failed to produce fireworks.

Pilkington came closest for Cardiff, firing over from a free-kick shortly after he saw a point-blank range header sensationally saved by former Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard,

Preston failed to test reported Everton target David Marshall in the Cardiff goal in the first period and paid the price when Pilkington slotted home the penalty in first half stoppage time after Paul Huntington's infringement on him.

Pilkington was again denied by Lindegaard as he looked to double Cardiff's advantage shortly after the break, though Preston looked more of a threat when they switched their formation and began playing four at the back.

Cardiff striker Anthony Pilkington celebrates after opening the scoring

The visitors had come to south Wales in fabulous form, four successive victories their best streak of the campaign, but they never fully fired against Russell Slade's men.

There was more than an hour on the clock before they finally stretched the Cardiff defence, Adam Reach beating Marshall after a fine cross, but he was adjudged to be offside.

But when Greg Cunningham sent Wales forward Tom Lawrence sprawling, Pilkington was again Cardiff's man of the moment, smashing the ball past Lindegaard to put the result beyond doubt.

Lee Peltier of Cardiff City and Greg Cunningham of Preston North End compete for the ball

Robinson's consolation set-up a potential grandstand finish, firing home a right-footed shot from the centre of the box after Cunningham's superb cross.

However, Cardiff held firm for an important victory on a weekend where several of their rivals slipped up.

Cardiff are unbeaten in seven home games against Preston, winning four and drawing three.

The Bluebirds have lost only once at home in the Championship all season and are now only three points outside of the play-off positions.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Cardiff

• 1Marshall
• 2PeltierBooked at 69mins
• 5Ecuele Manga
• 16Connolly
• 28Malone
• 37LawrenceSubstituted forAmeobiat 90+3'minutes
• 22O'Keefe
• 17Gunnarsson
• 8RallsBooked at 75mins
• 13PilkingtonSubstituted forDikgacoiat 82'minutes
• 27ImmersSubstituted forZohoreat 90+4'minutes

Substitutes

• 14Macheda
• 15Dikgacoi
• 21Moore
• 26Zohore
• 36Oshilaja
• 38Ameobi
• 39Saadi

Preston

• 1Lindegaard
• 15Woods
• 5Clarke
• 23HuntingtonSubstituted forRobinsonat 45'minutes
• 6Wright
• 3CunninghamBooked at 81mins
• 16BrowneBooked at 85mins
• 12GallagherSubstituted forPearsonat 84'minutes
• 11JohnsonSubstituted forHugillat 63'minutes
• 32Reach
• 14Garner

Substitutes

• 2Vermijl
• 4Pearson
• 8Kilkenny
• 19Welsh
• 25Hugill
• 37Robinson
• 40Hudson

Referee:

Brendan Malone

Attendance:

15,566

Match Stats

Home TeamCardiffAway TeamPreston

Possession

Home47%

Away53%

Shots

Home16

Away7

Shots on Target

Home7

Away2

Corners

Home2

Away2

Fouls

Home12

Away8

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Cardiff City 2, Preston North End 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+6'

Second Half ends, Cardiff City 2, Preston North End 1.

Substitution

Posted at 90'+4'

Substitution, Cardiff City. Kenneth Zohore replaces Lex Immers.

Substitution

Posted at 90'+3'

Substitution, Cardiff City. Sammy Ameobi replaces Tom Lawrence.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt missed. Callum Robinson (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left from a direct free kick.

Posted at 90'+1'

Greg Cunningham (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Lee Peltier (Cardiff City).

Goal!

Posted at 87'

Goal! Cardiff City 2, Preston North End 1. Callum Robinson (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Greg Cunningham with a cross.

Posted at 86'

Offside, Cardiff City. Scott Malone tries a through ball, but Lex Immers is caught offside.

Booking

Posted at 85'

Alan Browne (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 85'

Foul by Alan Browne (Preston North End).

Posted at 85'

Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 84'

Substitution, Preston North End. Ben Pearson replaces Paul Gallagher.

Posted at 83'

Tom Clarke (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 83'

Foul by Lex Immers (Cardiff City).

Substitution

Posted at 82'

Substitution, Cardiff City. Kagisho Dikgacoi replaces Anthony Pilkington.

Booking

Posted at 81'

Greg Cunningham (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 81'

Foul by Greg Cunningham (Preston North End).

Posted at 81'

Tom Lawrence (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Goal!

Posted at 80'

Goal! Cardiff City 2, Preston North End 0. Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.

Posted at 78'

Penalty conceded by Paul Gallagher (Preston North End) after a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at 78'

Penalty Cardiff City. Tom Lawrence draws a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at 76'

Offside, Cardiff City. Joe Ralls tries a through ball, but Anthony Pilkington is caught offside.

Booking

Posted at 75'

Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 75'

Alan Browne (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City).

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.

Posted at 73'

Attempt blocked. Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Joe Ralls with a cross.

Posted at 73'

Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Calum Woods.

Posted at 73'

Attempt blocked. Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked. Assisted by Tom Lawrence with a cross.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Bailey Wright (Preston North End).

Posted at 71'

Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 70'

Attempt missed. Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Joe Ralls.

Booking

Posted at 69'

Lee Peltier (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 69'

Callum Robinson (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 69'

Foul by Lee Peltier (Cardiff City).

Posted at 68'

Attempt saved. Callum Robinson (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Joe Garner.

Posted at 65'

Offside, Preston North End. Callum Robinson tries a through ball, but Joe Garner is caught offside.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Preston North End. Jordan Hugill replaces Daniel Johnson.

Posted at 60'

Attempt saved. Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Scott Malone with a cross.

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