Preston North End 1-2 Cardiff City: FLW report as Collins leads Bluebirds resurgence | OneFootball

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Football League World

·20 November 2021

Preston North End 1-2 Cardiff City: FLW report as Collins leads Bluebirds resurgence

Article image:Preston North End 1-2 Cardiff City: FLW report as Collins leads Bluebirds resurgence

Steve Morison’s reign as permanent head coach of Cardiff City got off to a flyer as the Bluebirds ran out 2-1 winners over Preston North End at Deepdale.

North End got off to the perfect start after two minutes from a set piece as a corner was swung into the danger zone, flicked on to the back post and there was Irishman Seani Maguire to bundle it home from close range.


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It was a first league goal of the season for the striker and one that was well deserved after being a foil to Emil Riis for most of the season.

North End controlled the early exchanges of the game for the most part but Cardiff did have a penalty shout midway through the half as young striker Chanka Zimba went down under contact from Patrick Bauer.

Quiz: Have Preston North End ever won an away game at each of these 20 stadiums?

It was nothing more than a touch on the shoulder though by the German and referee Leigh Doughty correctly waved away the decision.

North End had half-chances to extend the lead and the main one came from Northern Ireland international Ali McCann from distance, but Alex Smithies palmed his effort away from nestling into the back of the net.

The start of the second half was a different game as Cardiff started on the front foot massively after a half time substitution, which saw the experience of James Collins come on for Zimba.

It was midfielder Will Vaulks though who almost equalised just a couple of minutes into the half as his strike rattled the post with Daniel Iversen beaten all ends up between the North End sticks.

And the equaliser did come just moments later from an unlikely source as defender Mark McGuinness nodded in his first Bluebirds goal since arriving from Arsenal in the summer, getting on the end of a free-kick unchallenged to level the contest.

The warning signs were there that Morison’s side were going to quickly take the lead and eventually they did on 66 minutes.

Ryan Giles whipped in a corner and on the end of it was half time substitute James Collins, who extended his Championship scoring record against the Lilywhites to five goals in as many matches with a close range header.

North End huffed and puffed but there was little end product and the visitors could have extended their lead with eight minutes to go through Marlon Pack, but his effort from a few yards out was somehow stopped by the legs of Iversen.

Despite their best efforts and constant attacks, North End just couldn’t carve out a key chance and it was the Bluebirds who headed back to Wales with all three points.

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