Preston edge dour affair

A goal from Youl Mawene was enough to give Preston a win over Cardiff.

Prior to Friday's success in Wales, Billy Davies' outfit had yet to pick up maximum spoils away from Deepdale this term but this worrying statistic was halted by Youl Mawene's first half strike.

Both sides have been shorn of their chief goalscorers this season courtesy of mid term raids on Robert Earnshaw and David Healy respectively, with the opening exchanges demonstrating precisely what was missing.

Preston were always neat in possession but lacked an edge, while Cardiff were more direct in style but lacking in support for isolated targetman Alan Lee.

However, the former Rotherham favourite was never short of endeavour and on five minutes was left ruing a disallowed opener, rightly chalked off by referee Phil Crossley for handball.

Within the quarter hour mark and Lee had netted again, only this time inadvertently deflecting the ball past his own keeper Tony Warner, following sloppy defending of a Preston corner.

Mawene peeled off his marker cheaply at the near post and his snapshot was diverted past Warner for the game's opener.

Preston always looked lively on the counter but it was former West Ham midfielder Jobi McAnuff who went closest to finding a leveller, when he bent a lively effort wide of Jonathan Gould but also the post.

Cardiff's Paul Parry attempted a difficult chip that probably looked better in his head than in practise and as the half drew to its close, early promise had been replaced with a lethargy one would expect from two sides at the wrong end of the table.

The second half showed little improvement and save for the occasional forward forays of Danny Gabbidon, was a wholly sterile affair.

It was the sought after Welshman that attempted to galvanise his team-mates with two runs from back to front that ended with one effort straight at Gould and the other deflected off Chris Lucketti's head for a corner.

From the corner, Lee rose and planted a strong header towards the Preston goal but Gould was equal to it and tipped over for another setpiece.

With ten minutes remaining, the former Celtic custodian was again needed to be at his sharpest to thwart a well placed Joe Ledley at his near post.

Setpieces always looked Cardiff's likeliest outlet for a leveller and from the resulting corner, James Collins beat Gould with a header but not Preston substitute Omar Daley, who was well positioned on the line.

With Mawene and Marlon Broomes in commanding form at the back for Preston, Cardiff were reduced to a solitary effort of note from Collins' header in injury time, which Gould tipped over.