Basic errors contributed to Preston's disastrous defeat at Cardiff City

The 4-0 loss in South Wales was the joint heaviest of Neil’s time in charge.

Defensive errors led to all four Bluebirds goals, with Paul Gallagher and Ched Evans both missing penalties within 60 seconds of each other with the score at 2-0.

North End have taken only seven points from nine league games in 2021, conceding five penalties in that spell.

A sixth spot kick was given away in the FA Cup defeat at Wycombe Wanderers.

Neil told the Lancashire Post: “I wouldn’t have said that confidence was a problem before the game.

“In the previous two games we’d played Blackburn at their place and won, we played well.

“We played well against Watford and got done by a penalty after making a bad decision in our own box.

“Cardiff did the basics really well against us, they have a lot of experienced players in their team.

“They take a lot of pride in doing the bits of the game you take for granted – head it, kick it, compete, turn the ball in an area, lock you in.

“If you don’t stand up to that and you don’t make good decisions, it will cost you.

“That is exactly what happened to us.”

PNE were a goal down with barely a minute gone as Kieffer Moore netted from the spot.

They shipped a second goal even earlier in the second half, Josh Murphy netting just 27 seconds after the re-start.

Then came the two misses from the spot, Cardiff keeper Dillon Phillips saving them both.

Mistakes at the back then led to the home side’s third and fourth goals.

PNE’s best spell came after Anthony Gordon and Gallagher came off the bench.

It was Gordon who won the first penalty, the Everton loan man catching the eye.

Neil said: “I started with two out-and-out centre forwards in Emil Riis and Ched Evans for their presence.

“Cardiff just stifled us and were too aggressive.

“I didn’t think we risked the ball enough, until Gally and Anthony came on we were far too safe with our passing in the central area.

“As soon as those two came on, that aspect changed. We started getting joy behind and got down the sides of them.

“That is where the first penalty came from, Anthony got into the box.

“The fact we missed two penalties probably best summed it up for us.

“This was a sore one for everyone, that rarely happens to us, particularly in the manner the game went.

“It wasn’t a game where Cardiff they miles better, they capitalised on our mistakes.”