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Cardiff City vs Preston North End. Sky Bet Championship.

Ninian ParkAttendance16,560.

Bluebirds back on track

Image: Chopra: Crucial second goal

Cardiff beat Preston 2-0 to leapfrog their opponents and climb back into the play-off places.

Cardiff beat Preston 2-0 to boost promotion chances

Cardiff beat Preston 2-0 to leapfrog their opponents and climb back into the play-off places. The Bluebirds, without a win in their previous three games, opened the scoring through centre-back Roger Johnson just before half-time. On-loan Sunderland striker Michael Chopra then scored from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after Jay Bothroyd had been brought down by Youl Mawene. From the start, Cardiff found their rhythm with some neat interchanges between Joe Ledley and Paul Parry leading to an opening for Bothroyd, but his rasping drive flew wide of the post in the third minute. Bluebirds top scorer Ross McCormack also tried his luck from distance in the opening period as the home team dominated possession. But the first chance of real note came in the 10th minute when a Ledley cross was chested down by McCormack into the path of former Perugia striker Bothroyd, and his first-time volley crashed narrowly wide. Cardiff boss Dave Jones opted to give the captain's armband to Wales international Ledley in the absence of suspended first-choice skipper Stephen McPhail. Preston came into the game as the form team with last Saturday's 2-0 win against Bristol City at Deepdale ensuring they stretched their unbeaten run to five games. Alan Irvine's visitors soon began to establish themselves in the game but were still struggling to create chances with strike duo Chris Brown and Neil Mellor offering little attacking outlet. The travelling fans had to wait until the 28th minute for the Lilywhites' first notable attempt on goal, but midfielder Ross Wallace's 25-yard drive was always rising. Jones was forced to introduce Chopra in the 36th minute in place of McCormack who appeared to have suffered a hamstring injury during the opening period.

Tantalising

But just when it appeared the game was going to be goalless at the break, Johnson rose above the static Preston defence to head home Wayne Routledge's tantalising 42nd-minute free-kick from the right wing. The home side started the second half strongly and could have doubled their advantage on several occasions. Ledley's 20-yard drive whistled past the post four minutes after the restart before Bothroyd's well-executed header came back off the post following an incisive cross from Parry. However, the visitors were a constant threat on the counter attack and Bluebirds goalkeeper Peter Enckelman was forced to take evasive action in order to tip Ross Wallace's stinging shot around the post. But the visitors were struggling to cope with the aerial threat of Bothroyd in the Bluebirds attack and the striker came close once again but his header sailed wide after good wing play from Routledge. And just when the home side needed it, they established a two-goal cushion courtesy of Bothroyd's persistence as he burst into the area only to be felled by Preston centre-back Mawene in the 76th minute. Chopra stepped up to coolly convert past Abdy Lonergan from the spot to net his third goal in five games and make it 2-0. The former Newcastle striker could have further extended the lead but his 86th-minute drive was superbly saved by Lonergan at his near post.

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