Their goals didn’t arrive until late, the final quarter, but had been coming all second half in a game low on quality and poor on thrills but provided a comfortable, routine workout for the home side.
The fact that it's the current top four who have enjoyed a double at City's expense is not coincidence. They're better than the rest but it certainly doesn't mean they're that good, at least not on the evidence of their displays against City. Preston worked hard, had good pace and movement and were well organised but it's a frightening thought that they have a decent chance of being in the Premiership in 6 weeks time. It will only be a 9 month holiday if they make it.
The key difference between the bland teams at this level this term is mostly about finishing. Last week, Wigan impressed nobody against City. City made great chances and put them wide, Wigan had two and scored both. Fast forward a week, Preston created only a handful but were denied but great Alexander saves, Gabbs off the line and then three flew in. Clinical. This time City managed four poxy efforts, two after we were already 3-0 behind. And with them, three were well off target, the other more like a back pass to the keeper. Comical ... but nobody was laughing.
It's a sobering comparison that Presaton's front two are bargains. Teenager Dave Nugent signed for an undisclosed but low fee from Bury in January and has already netted 7. Richard Cresswell made them and scored one himself, his 20th for the season and he cost £500,000.
How can you not contrast that to the £850,000 paid for Alan Lee and his 8 goals in 2 seasons? Or the £950,000 for Andy Campbell for 6 goals and 68 games in more than 3 years? Or the increasingly anonymous Peter Thorne who has been good and his return of 45 goals in 122 games is acceptable but he's spent a third of his time injured at Ninian Park and they seem to be taking their toll. Yes, he's leading scorer with 11 this term but more than half are penalties.
Our strikers are far from our biggest problem but it’s pretty damning. Add £20k+ combined weekly wages for that trio plus bonuses and it is appalling business. It is also believed City will be lucky to get any return on these huge investments as these players move on which is likely to be this summer.
It emphasises the self-inflicted financial carnage at the club from Sam Hammam’s unchecked spending on the back of continual assurances we were ok, going to plan and there were millions more available when it was anything but those things. Money gave us success. But is it worth it to watch this sorry mess? To possibly see City destroyed? Or, if we survive, most likely to send us back to the lower divisions - this year or next - with debts out of control and twenty times higher than before? Only a fool could say yes.
Whilst this was incidental at Preston, you can't separate Cardiff’s league position from its limited squad with so few options caused by the financial meltdown that has beset the club in such devastating style this season. It’s the one over-riding reason why we are where we are right now.
Not that any striker could have shone for City today. The midfield battle was lost as, predicatably, our makeshift central midfielders were shown to be that. They were too ligthweight and overwhelmed. With wide men had forced to help out rather than create and not given balls in space leaving strikers not even having scraps to fight for, it was highly depressing. Even so, Thorney had another of his anonymous games whilst not even the direct running and unpredictability and perserverence of Jerome saw no joy.
A desparate day, a desparate display and City are well and truly back in desparate trouble as goal difference only keeps us out of the relegation zone.
Preston is a long journey, 450 round trip from Cardiff along the M4/A449/M5/M6/M55 and, so, in common with almost half of City’s 750 support, a stopover in nearby Blackpool was in order. Four coach loads stayed there, as did a couple of mini-buses and more by train and car. We left Cardiff early, the roads were clear and made the ’Las Vegas of the North’ well before opening time.
The Kiss Me Quick hats have disappeared but the place is as tacky as ever. When the local newsagent's billboard proudly proclaims, “We Sell Fags’n’Poppers” and Colin, our B&B landlord tells us that we’re sharing the hotel with 16 gagging nurses from Hartlepool and that he's on a promise with one of them. forget all culture. Our room - in the attic! - had less space than Saddamm Hussein's Baghdad bolt-hole. Anne Franks could have written her diary there. With three beds, two were bunks and no room to swing a gnat, never mind the cat, we wer straight out.
Many beers, several quiz machines and a couple of pubs later, we jumped on a train to Preston (15 miles from Blackpool). Quite a few City fans jumped off again, in the middle of nowhere, three stops before. Why? Once there, we returned to the Celtic themed bar near the station, a few games of pool - I suffered a rare loss to Lloydey! - then a taxi to the ground.
Deepdale has been described here many times before. One of the founder members of the Football League, their ground has been transformed into a modern arena with three excellent all seated stands, state of the art floodlights and, curiously, one side left completely untouched with terrace in front of an old stand as if it were a living museum piece to go with the National Football Museum outside. City fans are in one high stand behind a goal, occupying the left hand side with home fans on the opposite side. The crowd was a healthy 16,141.
The Museum’s key highlight today was the FA Cup which you could be pictured with for £5. That’s presumably not the FA Cup which was behind Gary Lineker in the BBC studio at the same time that day whilst they showed the Arsenal v Blackburn walkover FA Cup semi-final.
As often seems to happen, the papers spend the week telling us how some players have recovered fitness, others played well for the reserves and others saying how they’re ready for a starting chance. Willie Boland was back, Michael Boulding tells us he’s ready and nobody can understand why Tony Vidmar gets selected ahead of Darren Williams but, all along, everyone knows it’s going to be exactly the same team.
Yep, City were Alexander, Vidmar-Gabbidon-Collins-Barker, Ardley-Langley-Ledley-McAnuff. Thorne-Jerome. Subs were Margetson-Boland-Boulding-Lee-Williams. Helpfully, the very good Preston programme show the national flags of every player. Jamaican internationals Richard Langley and Jobi McAnuff are, apparently, English. Andy Campbell, we're told, is on loan - if only it were true.
Preston started and finished the day safely in 4th place and that‘s likely where they‘ll stay. With 3 games to go, they're 8 points behind Wigan in final automatic promotion spot and 8 points ahead of West Ham immediately outside the play-offs.
They’ve had a an amazing 'Crystal Palace' style transformation this term. A sluggish start to this term, and a poor finish last season, saw fromer Scotland boss Craig Brown gone before August was out. Another Jock and Brown's ex-assistant Billy Davies took over and it’s been success ever since. They went into this fixture in ominous form - only 1 defeat (to Forest of all teams) in 18 Championship games since mid-December and with 4 successive wins before us propelled them into their position with same group of players. There are no stars, just the right blend and organisation.
Their side were Nash, Alexander,Lucketti-Mawene-Hill, Sedgewick-O’Neill-McKenna-Lewis,Nugent-Cresswell. Evens with stars sold and near million pound players on the bench or not even in the 16, City’s starting eleben fighting to stay in the Championship cost us £4.5M, Preston's eleven fighting to get in the Premiership cost half of that at £2.3M.
There was a good atmosphere amongst City fans, one who’d enjoyed pre-match hospitality brought a huge drum but he was to rhythm what Blackpool rock is to high class confectionery. Maybe his best moment was when he put it down for a pee and someone hid it, a priceless look took over his face.
As for the football, it was as poor as it gets with no real highlights for City. The first half was dreadful and, for City, the second half was even worse. It badly lacked in quality, excitement and entertainment with nothing to get either set of supporters going. City fans were spot on singing “Premiership, you’re having a laugh” to Preston, neither side made the Championship look decent but we were matching the home team for what it was worth and for a long period, it had the look of a 0-0 stalemate about it.
There’s no point wasting any time writing about the first-half, it could not have been more anonymous. Neil Alexander had one save to make, tipping a long-range drive over the bar, Nash had one save as Thorne cut inside but virtually rolled the ball to him whilst Gabbs headed well over.
Both teams seemed to be cancelling each other out or lacked the imagination to impose themselves on each other. City looked capable at the back, no more than tidy in midfield but neither side had any ideas in the final third. Preston had a bit more movement about them but nothing to over-worry about.
We were, of course, far happier with the way that the game was going in holding Preston with some ease but there was never any suggestion that we were likely to score. It soon got to the stage where most fans just chatted away with each other about nothing in particular. Many City fans were very grateful that the bar opened early for business, I think a few in there never bothered coming back out.
Half-time: PRESTON 0 CITY 0
A recent trait of City’s is that they have reasonable first halves but can’t match it in the second period, often because they don’t really have much else to offer. This was no exception. Preston had the ability to respond to a poor first half showing by stepping up the pressure and work-rate, Cardiff weren't able to go with them and, so, when we hoped to see City attacking towards us, we had to watch them defending at the other end.
Langley and Ledley were looking the makeshift and lightweight partnership that they are at this level, Ardley and McAnuff were no outlet and unable to get in the game, Thorne and Jerome were more isolated than ever so Preston started to advance to apply the pressure.
With the side getting over-run, most managers wouldbe pro-active at look at change. Lennie Lawrence is not most managers and doesn't know the word pro-active. He doesn't make a change until the other side does and then usually goes like-for-like. Willie Boland closing and chasing every ball wouyld have been a big help but, instead, the onslauught continued.
The only hope seemed to be that City could ride it out and when Nugent fired over when better placed to score, crosses and dangerous moves were intercepted, Gabbs cleared off the line and then Alexander somothered the follow-up at the second attempt then bettered that with an outstanding flying parried save from the same player and saw Cresswell’s angled follow up blaze over too, we were starting to believe that it would indeed be our lucky day. However as news of Watford winning, Crewe and Gillingham drawing filtered around fans, the nerves were starting to fray.
Just 23 minutes remained as you felt Preston were starting to feel frustrated and out of ideas themselves when they took the lead from nothing with a wonderful finish. Richard Cresswell was put in space down the right, he whipped the ball back and when it came to the edge of the area, DAVE NUGENT was unmarked between our defenders but it was an exceptional finish to half-volley home with a rising drive in a top corner that left the diving Alexander clutching air.
You feared that was no way back for City. Lennie know felt it was time for those substitutions - well done LL! - but, as usual, just went like-for-like with his personnel changes as Boulding, Lee and Boland replaced Jerome, Thorne and McAnuff and kept the same system employed too.
Before they had any chance to make an impact, the game was put beyond us anyway. On 79 minutes, Cresswell burst away again with Preston on a counter-attack, this time on the left, and again found NUGENT unmarked in the middle, the teenager again applying an excellent finish from 15 yards as he made it look easy steering the ball wide of Alexander and tucked inside his far post.
Five minutes later, it was 3-0. City players all advanced but without movement, Chris Barker hesitated fatally and got caught by CRESSWELL who did all the work himself this time and he advanced on goal, waited fro Alexander to come out and placing his shot past him.
It looked awful, fans there looked shocked and felt the spectre of relegation (which we felt could be avoided after that win at Stoke) is back after two successive defeats and with us until the very last game. City collapsed once the first goal was conceded, the belief seemed to just disintegrate, very worrying. A terrible City display was rounded off without even a consolation goal but in keeping with the day’s performance as, first, Richard Langley curled an edge of area free-kick yards over the bar and then Alan Lee was put behind Preston’s defence but drilled his angled effort into the side netting.
City were applauded off. It was a day when we knew they were poor, they knew they were poor and nobody could offer any excuses. We were well beaten by a decent side but nothing special. Forest lost again which means only an outrageous miracle can ensure their survival. Watford won at Rotherham, Crewe were pegged back late for a point and Brighton fought back for a point at Burnley.
Leicester, Coventry and Gillingham remain in the relegation mix too but, realistically, it now looks like Cardiff, Brighton or Crewe for the third team to go down. City fell two more places to 21st with only, our goal difference was done damage today but remains vastly superior to most around us and is all that keeps us ahead of Brighton and that final relegation spot. It was hard to argue that we’re any better than our current placing watching that game.
It's got worrying and depressing. Ouyr defence look good but can't get a clean sheet anymore (it's 11 games since we did that), our midfield are struggling big time and our attack can't find goal (3 blanks in 6 games). It's hardly a recipe for survival.
Tuesday night at Leicester and what a massive game it is. Win and we’d look safe again plus climb 4 places, a draw would be good enough to take us past Crewe, a third successive defeat is unthinkable and make the pressure unbearable.
The good thing was, for those of us who stayed oop north, a visit to Blackpool soon saw us get over the loss. Colin, our B&B landlord, told us that we could do whatever we liked, bring back whoever we liked as long as there was no damage. Little did we know how he’d set the example.
He’s an Arsenal fan and greeted us p*ssed over-celebrating his side making the FA Cup final. The pay bar drinks were suddenly all on him. With the nurses all dressed up, Colin was so wild and excited that he was dancing topless and mooning around the bar room - hey, we were supposed to be doing that!! He ended up crashed out in bed by 9pm. Yes, the nurses were lovely and they enjoyed my 3am karaoke display, Colin slept through that too but his stereotyped Blackpool landlady wife didn’t and what a sight she was(n’t)!
The night out was a brilliant laugh too. One club had an upstairs glass dance floor where viewed the basement, you could soon a few girls with Basil Brushes and a few with less hair than Mike Morris! We ended up in Flares where perhaps the funniest thing was walking down their grand staircase at 2am singing a City song doing the ayatollah and noticing half the place joining in as it was full of Rams and City supporters club which he hadn’t realised until then.
The one bonus from the weekend is that we're likely to be back next season. Hopefully to see another Preston v City clash but there's an increasing chance that it could be to watch us at Blackpool in League One.
Report from FootyMad
A fantastic second-half performance by Preston in front of 15,141 took them one step nearer the play-offs.
David Nugent scored two goals to make it eight for Preston this season since signing from Bury for 150,000.
The first effort on target came after 36 minutes when Eddie Lewis took a left-wing corner and played a one-two with Chris Sedgwick before hitting a left-foot shot from 15 yards which was tipped over the bar by Neil Alexander.
Lewis had been booked earlier for dissent and Youl Mawene was cautioned for a foul on Cameron Jerome after 39 minutes.
Peter Thorne had a shot saved by Carlo Nash on the stroke of half time but a scrappy first half ended goalless.
After 53 minutes Richard Cresswell had a shot blocked and the rebound fell to Sedgwick whose shot was saved and the ball was scrambled clear.
Lewis has a 15-yard shot saved by the Cardiff City goalkeeper who dived to his left and Cresswell put the rebound wide of the post.
Nugent made it 1-0 in the 67th minute when he hit a 20-yard half-volley into the top right-hand corner of the net giving the keeper no chance.
And Nugent made it two after 78 minutes when he hit a right-foot shot from 15 yards that flew into left-hand corner after a pin-point Cresswell cross.
Cresswell made it 3-0 to Preston after 84 minutes when he robbed substitute Willie Boland before hitting a 12-yard shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
External reports
Wales on Sunday
South Wales Echo