Wales On Sunday

BLUEBIRDS MARCH ON FOLLOWING DOMINANT DISPLAY

- GLEN WILLIAMS Football Writer sport@walesonlin­e.co.uk

CARDIFF City’s scintillat­ing form continued in fine fashion as they turned out a dominant display to thrash Preston North End. The Bluebirds went ahead through an early Kieffer Moore penalty before three second-half goals from Josh Murphy, Marlon Pack and Mark Harris put the game to bed.

A word, too, for goalkeeper Dillon Phillips, who produced two spectacula­r penalty saves within minutes of each other deep into the second half.

This was Cardiff at their dazzling best. Gnarled and uncompromi­sing in defence and clinical in attack.

Before the game, the Bluebirds’ bench looked bolstered following the inexperien­ced squad they took to Luton Town in midweek, with Sheyi Ojo restored to the squad, while Jonny Williams was included for the first time since he arrived on deadline day.

But the substitute­s had barely taken their seats before the first flashpoint was upon us.

A long Will Vaulks throw-in inside the first minute resulted in Sean Morrison getting bundled over in the penalty area and referee Jeremy Simpson wasted no time in pointing straight to the spot.

Moore stepped up and rifled his spot kick into the top corner to grab his 14th of the season and earn Cardiff an early lead, which has been a rarity this term.

It gave them a shot in the arm and they looked incredibly dangerous thereafter.

Just minutes after the goal, Harry Wilson whipped in a delightful freekick to the back post, where skipper Morrison met it and fired his header towards goal, but Daniel Iversen acrobatica­lly tipped it away.

The resulting corner preceded another penalty shout from the Blue

CARDIFF CITY

Moore 2 (pen), Murphy 46, Pack 71, Harris 77

PRESTON NORTH END 4 0

birds, this time for a suspected handball at the near post, but there was nothing doing this time.

But the start was impressive for Cardiff, they pressed so high and Josh Murphy was sprinting around like a man possessed, with and without the ball.

As the half wore on, though, the steam ran out of Cardiff a little, all that high-octane defending seemingly having caught up with them, and it afforded Preston a decent little spell before the break.

But chances were at a premium, with both sets of defenders coping with the threats posed, but it was Mick McCarthy who was the happier of the two managers as they trotted down the tunnel at the break.

And Preston certainly didn’t learn their lesson, conceding just seconds after the restart. Although, credit must be given to Cardiff because it was a stunning goal.

Wilson picked up the ball and drove down the right flank before picking out Murphy, who still had it all to do. But he shifted it on to his left to give himself a glimpse at goal before rifling a low, left-footed shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

It was no less than his performanc­e at deserved up to that point.

Cardiff looked so comfortabl­e but then, out of nowhere, came the most bizarre sequence of the game.

Wilson was penalised for a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge with substitute Anthony Gordon and the referee awarded the visitors a penalty.

Paul Gallagher stepped up and sent it low to Phillips’ right, but he saved splendidly before Aden Flint was adjudged to have fouled Gallagher as he went to follow it up. Another spot kick.

Ched Evans was the next to step up and sent it low and into the opposite bottom corner, but Phillips did wonderfull­y well to parry it away expertly for a second time in as many minutes.

What will have hurt Preston more, though, is that Cardiff went down the other end and scored just minutes later.

An almighty mix-up at the back for the Lilywhites saw Iversen smack his clearance straight into defender Liam Lindsay, which allowed Ojo to chase down the errant ball.

Ojo picked Moore out with a lovely cross, but his diving header was saved spectacula­rly by Iversen, only for Pack to tap home the follow-up.

Everything Cardiff touched just seemed to turn to gold and that was the case just minutes later after Mark Harris was introduced.

A sloppy pass back to the keeper from Lindsay afforded Harris the chance to intercept and he did, rounding the keeper with his first touch, just seconds after his introducti­on, before tapping home the easiest of finishes to put the game to bed.

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