MATCH THREAD : CARDIFF CITY v PRESTON ' MATCH THREAD

CARDIFF CITY v PRESTON NORTH END
Championship
Tuesday 31 January, 19:45
Cardiff City Stadium





Cardiff City team confirmed

Starting XI: McGregor, Bamba, Morrison, Peltier, Richards, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Whittingham, Harris, Hoilett, Zohore

Subs: Murphy, Connolly, John, Halford, Noone, Kennedy, Healey


' PAY ON THE NIGHT '


" UPDATED DAILY "


Anthony Pilkington could return for Preston clash

Cardiff hope to have top scorer Anthony Pilkington back for the Sky Bet Championship visit of Preston.

Anthony Pilkington could return for Preston clash
Eight-goal Pilkington missed the defeats at Brighton and Reading after picking up an injury against Burton on January 21.

Peter Whittingham and Kadeem Harris will come into contention should Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock decide to freshen things up for Cardiff's fourth game in 10 days.

But veteran striker Rickie Lambert could miss out with a back injury again, amid speculation over his future at the club.


30/01/17

Rhys Healey is expected to start again.
Kenneth Zohore will be assesed today.
Rickie Lambert wiill also be assessed today.


Latest News



Possible Lineups

Cardiff City

1 McGregor
15 Halford
4 Morrison
14 Bamba
2 Peltier
8 Ralls
17 Gunnarsson
6 Richards
33 Hoilett
37 Healey
26 Zohore


Preston

22 Maxwell
2 Vermijl
5 Clarke
23 Huntington
17 Spurr
12 Gallagher
4 Pearson
11 Johnson
14 McGeady
25 Hugill
37 Robinson


The Opposition



Preston

Full name Preston North End Football Club
Nickname(s) The Lilywhites, The Invincibles
Founded 1880; 137 years ago
Ground Deepdale
Capacity 23,404
Chairman Peter Ridsdale
Manager Simon Grayson
League Championship

Preston North End Football Club (often shortened to PNE) is a professional association football club located in the Deepdale area of Preston, Lancashire. They play in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.

The club was a founding member of the Football League and completed the inaugural season unbeaten to become the first league champions, in the same season winning the FA Cup without conceding a goal to become the first club to achieve the English football "Double". Preston's unbeaten League and Cup season earned them the nickname "The Invincibles".

Preston's most recent major trophy success was their FA Cup victory over Huddersfield Town in 1938. Many notable players have played for the club, including Tom Finney, Bill Shankly, Tommy Docherty, Alan Kelly, Sr. and Graham Alexander.

Based on results achieved in the Football League from 1888–89 to 2015–16, Preston were ranked as the fourth most-successful English football club of all time domestically, while only Notts County had played more Football League games than Preston.


2016/17 Results

Cardiff

TUE 24 JAN 2017 - CHAMPIONSHIP Brighton 1 - 0 Cardiff City
SAT 21 JAN 2017 - CHAMPIONSHIP Cardiff City 1 - 0 Burton Albion
SAT 14 JAN 2017 - CHAMPIONSHIP Bristol City 2 - 3 Cardiff City
SUN 8 JAN 2017 - FA CUP Cardiff City 1 - 2 Fulham


Preston

SAT 21 JAN 2017 - CHAMPIONSHIP Aston Villa 2 - 2 Preston North End
SAT 14 JAN 2017 - CHAMPIONSHIP Preston North End 2 - 0 Brighton & Hove Albion
SAT 7 JAN 2017 - FA CUP Preston North End 1 - 2 Arsenal
MON 2 JAN 2017 - CHAMPIONSHIP Burton Albion 0 - 1 Preston North End


Recent meetings

04 Dec 2010 Cardiff City v Preston North End D 1-1 League Championship
25 Apr 2011 Preston North End v Cardiff City W 0-1 League Championship
17 Oct 2015 Preston North End v Cardiff City D 0-0 League Championship
27 Feb 2016 Cardiff City v Preston North End W 2-1 League Championship
13 Sep 2016 Preston North End v Cardiff City L 3-0 League Championship


Previous Highlights




Match Odds

Cardiff 13/10
Draw 11/5
Preston 13/8


Tickets


Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCS Ticket Office situated in the Grandstand, next to Corporate Entrance 2.

Alternatively, you can call the Stadium Ticket Office on 0845 345 1400. The Ticket Office is open from 9am to 5:30pm on Monday to Friday, and 9am to 3pm on non match-day Saturdays.

The easiest way is to book online - http://www.eticketing.co.uk/cardiffcity


Guess the Score / Attendance

Post your predicted score/attendance below

2-1 City hopefully we get someone in.

2-1 City hopefully we get someone in.

Said a week or so ago in a post, don't need anyone in to stay up and that's all that matters this season. Sort the squad out in the summer

2-0 City

Back to winning ways

City 2 Preston 1

Have a feeling this one will end up in a draw.

0-1

2-1 City.

Going to come across like Mr Negative by here now but....

Either Cardiff 1 - 1 Preston or Cardiff 1 - 2 Preston.

Possibly the lowest crowd of the season, 13,867, with hardly any from Preston.

2-0

Hopefuly he starts with two up top again but this time with someone who can hit a pass to a runner... We've got one in the squad called sir Pete.

Prestons Style of Play

Preston like to take the game to their opponents and will look to expose Cardiff’s flanks. It will be a testing night for the City fullbacks, especially for Jazz Richards, should he play, who is still on the path to gaining full match fitness.

Alongside this, the LillyWhites rely upon the individual technique of Football League veteran Paul Gallagher to carve out opportunities.

At the heart of their midfield is Manchester United academy product Ben Pearson who breaks up play and initiates Preston’s attacks. The midfielder provides a balance for the flair and invention provided by the likes of Gallagher, Aiden McGeady and Daniel Johnson.

The battle between Preston’s Pearson and Cardiff’s Aron Gunnarsson will be an intriguing one and may determine the fate of the match.

Simon Grayson enforces a high press and his team will pounce upon loose balls and poor touches. City will have to be weary of the organised intensity prevalent within Preston’s tenacity.

Preston Manager

Simon Grayson has led his Preston team from the depths of League One to Championship play-off contenders in just three years. It is clear Grayson has instilled a strong camaraderie and has produced a team spirit that rivals any team within the Championship.

In Grayson, the Preston players have a manager they are willing to fight for – the kind of philosophy that Neil Warnock is attempting to embed in his side. This is evident in the determination and character they showed when the fought back against a 2-0 deficit at a daunting Villa Park to walk away with a well-earned point. It was once more in show with Hugil’s 89th minute strike to snatch a point against Ipswich Town on the weekend.

' Preston fans view of Cardiff City '


Preston Fan Tom Hardman: “When you played us at Deepdale under Paul Trollope you looked like a side ready to go down, but under Neil Warnock you look like a team hard to beat on your own patch. I was impressed with your side’s win against Bristol City at home and you could finish mid-table this year.”

Prediction


This will be a tightly contested match, with both sets of players ready to scrap. However, Preston’s ambitious attacking play could see them snared in a Cardiff counter-attack. City may only have a few opportunities on Tuesday night and will need to take their chances if they are to bounce back from two consecutive defeats.

It would be a surprise if Warnock's team were to fall to a third consecutive defeat.

1-0 to Cardiff.

Tyias Browning has joined Preston on loan until the end of the season, after signing a new two-and-a-half year contract with Everton.

Anthony Pilkington could return for Preston clash

Cardiff hope to have top scorer Anthony Pilkington back for the Sky Bet Championship visit of Preston.

Anthony Pilkington could return for Preston clash
Eight-goal Pilkington missed the defeats at Brighton and Reading after picking up an injury against Burton on January 21.

Peter Whittingham and Kadeem Harris will come into contention should Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock decide to freshen things up for Cardiff's fourth game in 10 days.

But veteran striker Rickie Lambert could miss out with a back injury again, amid speculation over his future at the club.

" PRESTON INJURY & TEAM NEWS "



Preston boss Simon Grayson could hand on-loan Tyias Browning his debut as his new team-mates make the trip to the Cardiff City Stadium.

The Everton defender joined the Lilywhites on Monday on a temporary switch until the end of the season and is in line to play some part in south Wales.

Full-back Greg Cunningham has served a two-match suspension after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season in the 2-0 victory over Brighton earlier this month and is set to come straight back into the starting line-up.

John Welsh is back in training but is not match-fit as he steps up his recovery from a long-term calf injury while Calum Woods and Alex Baptiste (both knee) remain on the sidelines.

Can see it being a 1-1 draw

Preston confirmed the loan signing of Everton youngster Tyias Browning yesterday. He signed a new deal at Everton before completing a loan move.

Browning is in the squad and cleared to play against Cardiff this evening.

Cardiff have won four and drawn three of their last seven home league meetings with Preston.


Preston’s last away win at Cardiff came in November 2004 at Ninian Park, with Youl Mawene scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win.\


All of Cardiff’s nine Championship wins this season have come by a one-goal margin; their last league win by more than one goal was against Bristol City in March 2016 (2-0).

The Lilywhites have only lost one of their last nine away league games (W4 D4).

Cardiff City host Preston North End as they look recover from back-to-back defeats to promotion-chasing Brighton and Reading.

The Bluebirds started 2017 in perfect fashion by winning three games on the bounce before being beaten by the Seagulls and the Royals on the road.

And Neil Warnock will be aiming to get back to winning ways against the Lilywhites tonight.

Simon Grayson's side are currently 10th, only four points off the top six and are unbeaten in their last five league outings while the Bluebirds are 16th in the Championship - eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Anthony Pilkington could be fit to return to the side while striker Rickie Lambert is expected to miss out after suffering a back spasm in training ahead of the trip to the Madejski Stadium at the weekend.

Stay with us for all the latest team news, score updates and reaction.

'Under Warnock you look like a team hard to beat on your own patch.' One Preston fan's verdict.

Cardiff City team confirmed

Starting XI: McGregor, Bamba, Morrison, Peltier, Richards, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Whittingham, Harris, Hoilett, Zohore

McGregor, Peltier, Richards, Morrison, Bamba, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Whittingham, Harris, Hoilett, Zohore

Subs: Murphy, Connolly, John, Halford, Noone, Kennedy, Healey

Subs

Subs: Murphy, Connolly, John, Halford, Noone, Kennedy, Healey

Blocked

Whittingham shows a good early touch with a neat first time ball to Hoilett but his cross is then blocked.

The surface is incredibly wet as Aron Gunnarsson fails to control the ball to allow Preston to go on the attack. It comes to nothing but the players will have to be very wary of the conditions.

Superb ball in from Horgan from the left but Hugill is deemed to have fouled Bamba in the Cardiff box.

Good stuff from Richards as he plays Gunnarsson in. He pushes forward and offloads to Ralls but the move breaks down and now it’s McGeady steaming forward for Preston.

Bamba with the tackle

Both Neil Warnock and Simon Grayson are on the touchline already barking orders at their players. Which Yorkshireman will come out on top?