PNE pay the penalty at Cardiff

The Lilywhites saw their five-game unbeaten run come at an end in South Wales as the Bluebirds won 2-1, both the home side’s goals scored by Anthony Pilkington from the penalty spot.

Substitute Callum Robinson pulled a goal back for North End but they could not force a late equaliser.

Grayson said: “It was frustrating to lose but I cannot be too down about it bearing in mind the good run we have been on.

“We will look to respond to this and go again when we play a good Brighton team next week.

“In the first half we probably didn’t play with the energy and zest we have done in a lot of games this season.

“Maybe our third game in a week caught up with us a bit.

“The first penalty we conceded came right at the end of the first half and changed our half-time discussions.

“In the second half we had more urgency about us and drove forward, we looked a different team.”

Grayson had no complaints with either penalty, although the second one conceded by Paul Gallagher when he tugged Tom Lawrence’s shirt, looked on the soft side.

He said: I think they were both penalties.

“Gally got a little tug on the lad’s shirt for the second one and if it had been at the other end, we would have been looking for it.

“We scored a good goal to respond to that, it was a good goal from Callum Robinson.

“Callum has been ill since Wednesday night, he missed training on Thursday and Friday, with him travelling down on his own.

“With that in mind, we didn’t have the chance to start him.”