MEDIA WALES / BBC CARDIFF CITY REPORTS:

Two second-half goals from Preston North End saw them defeat Cardiff City 2-0 in a game which saw the Bluebirds goalkeeper sent off for a second game in a row.


By Glen Williams ( Junior Reporter)



Despite a number of attacks from the visitors, Sabri Lamouchi's side just could not find the back of the net. The hosts, meanwhile, did just that thanks to Tom Cannon's effort.

And just as the game was petering out to its conclusion, a moment of madness from Jak Alnwick saw him clean out Cannon as he looked to go through on goal.

Debutant Rohan Luthra did well to stop the subsequent free-kick, but Ched Evans followed up well to tap home.

The big team news before the game was that neither captain Joe Ralls nor Connor Wickham were named in the match-day 18. Instead, Welsh trio Mark Harris, Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies all got spots on the bench.

Jak Alnwick came in for the suspended Ryan Allsop in one of four changes for the Bluebirds, who opted for two big men in Sory Kaba and Kion Etete up front.

And Alnwick looked shaky early on, with a clear ploy from the hosts evident when it came to the set piece. The 'keeper flapped at two early corners, which were placed right on top of him by Daniel Johnson, but City managed to escaped unscathed on both occasions.

There was a flashpoint just after the half-hour mark which appeared to spark the game into life a little. Sory Kaba went into a crunching, but fair, challenge on Ben Woodburn, which saw the young Welshman hit the deck clutching his leg. Kaba took umbrage and screamed in Woodburn's face, telling him to get up. The crowd were naturally displeased and former Bluebirds Greg Cunningham came in for some afters with the City striker.

Cardiff then enjoyed a decent little spell before the break, with Kion Etete fizzing one shot wide of the mark from 20 yards out.

However, the Lilywhites had two decent opportunities from nowhere before the half was up, both, unsurprisingly, from set pieces.

Troy Parrott took a short corner before whipping one just past City's far post before the chance of the half, when a free-kick was half-cleared to defender Bambo Diaby, but his low shot was also narrowly wide of the post.

The second half started as the first half finished, with chances at both ends. Firstly, a golden opportunity for Tom Cannon, who cut inside Mark McGuinness and had only Alnwick to beat. The forward's low shot, though, was saved fantastically by City's goalkeeper.

At the other end, almost immediately after, Ryan Wintle found Jaden Philogene with a short corner before Aston Villa loane unleashed a venomous effort, which whistled narrowly over the crossbar.

It was frenetic at both ends, but the chances kept coming. Callum O'Dowda won a free-kick 20 yards out for Cardiff and Ng stepped up. He bent a lovely effort over the wall and, in truth, thought he had scored, but a sprawling Freddie Woodman denied him.

Woodman was called into action again not long after and made a spectacular save. Kaba was found by Wintle before lashing a stunning volley across goal. It looked destined for the back of the net, but the former Swansea stopper, out of nowhere, pawed it around the post.

There was certain to be a goal, it was just a matter of at which end it came. Unfortunately for City, it was at their end.

A hopeful ball down the line from Cunningham preceded battle between Cedric Kipre and Cannon, which the Bluebirds man lost. Cannon controlled it beautifully before lifted it over Alnwick and into the net.

Then came another flash point, of course, the Alnwick sending off. He had a shaky afternoon and that capped it off, coming out to volley the ball but only succeeding in volleying Cannon.

Kudos to Luthra, who parried well from the free-kick, but he was helpless as Evans secured the victory.

Fortunately for Cardiff, none of the three teams below them - Wigan, Huddersfield Town and Blackpool - gained any points on them this weekend.

Preston North End XI: Woodman; Storey, Diaby, Cunningham, Potts, Whiteman, Johnson (Ledson 82), Fernandez (Onomah 82), Woodburn (Brady 59), Cannon, Parrott (Evans 59).

Subs: Cornell, Bauer, Delap.

Cardiff City XI: Alnwick; Ng, McGuinness, Kipre; Philogene, Wintle, Rinomhota (Harris 72, Luthra 90), Sawyers, O'Dowda; Kaba (Ojo 64), Etete.

Subs: Romeo, Sang, Colwill, Davies.

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Preston North End earned a sixth home league win of the season against 10-man Cardiff City at Deepdale.


BBC



Cardiff had a goalkeeper sent off for the second straight game as Jac Alnwick saw red for a late foul on Tom Cannon.

Cannon put the hosts ahead as he struck midway through the second half just as Cardiff had been impressing.

Alnwick was then sent off in the first minute of stoppage time and Preston took advantage with Ched Evans scoring via a rebound from the freekick.

The victory lifts Preston to 11th in the Championship, while Cardiff remain 21st, still six points above the relegation zone.

The omens were not good for a high scoring contest at Deepdale.

This was a meeting between the two lowest scoring sides in the Championship with the two clubs only managing 57 goals between them from a combined 70 league games so far this term, with the last two league meetings between the clubs ending goalless.

Cardiff were without first choice goalkeeper Ryan Allsop after his late red card in the Bluebirds' 2-0 win over Bristol City, but the hosts rarely threatened stand-in Alnwick in the first half despite the goalkeeper looking uncomfortable a few times as he tried to claim crosses.

Alnwick was forced to save on 27 minutes as Troy Parrott found the target, but largely Cardiff managed to frustrate the hosts as they looked to cause trouble on the counter-attack.

The Bluebirds came close to taking the lead on 39 minutes, but Kion Etete's effort whistled just past the upright, while Preston ended the half brightly, with Cedric Kipre blocking Alvaro Fernandez' fierce effort and Bambo Diaby firing just wide.

Both sides were close with respective efforts just after the interval, but Alnwick saved from Cannon and Jaden Philogene fired just over.

Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman suffered an early injury that required lengthy treatment, but was able to continue and he was finally tested on 57 minutes as he saved Perry Ng's well-struck freekick.

Woodman made a stunning save on 63 minutes as he somehow tipped Sory Kaba's powerful volley around the post, as Cardiff underlined why they have won three of their last four league matches, one more than in their previous 18 league games combined.

However, just when Cardiff looked on to be on top they conceded on 67 minutes as Cannon fired home from a tight angle.

The home side should have doubled their lead five minutes later, but Brad Potts somehow missed the target from Ben Whiteman's cross.

Philogene came close on 80 minutes with a fine run and shot, but Woodman again denied the Bluebirds before Philogene fired wide.

Cardiff's afternoon ended poorly when Alnwick was sent off for fouling Cannon outside his penalty area as he made it back-to-back goalkeeper red cards for the Bluebirds.

Preston took full advantage, with Welshman Evans firing home after Rohan Luthra parried a freekick on his senior debut.

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