Preston North End see off Cardiff City comfortably as Emil Riis' moment arrives

The Lilywhites were looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since early November - at a ground that hasn't brought much joy in recent years. Last season's bore draw in South Wales made it five without a win for PNE in Cardiff; manager Ryan Lowe bemoaned a mediocre display that day. And so, perhaps in attempt to spark a change in fortune, North End turned the hosts around at kick-off and therefore kicked towards the hardy PNE souls who had travelled.

Freddie Woodman, former Swan, received a tasty reception from the packed out home end as he headed over to his net for first half duty. And there was a genuine sense of atmosphere inside Cardiff's big blue stadium, as the two teams - for whom it felt now nor never to make any kind of push higher up the league - prepared to lock horns. There has been attacking encouragement for North End in recent weeks and Lowe - as expected - stuck by the side which stunned and saw off Ipswich Town last time out.

Any hopes of a quick start from the men in yellow, though, were dashed as the two teams lacked rhythm during dour opening exchanges. Cardiff did call Woodman into action three times, but PNE's number one held the low drives from Karlan Grant and Kion Etete comfortably. At the other end, Jak Alnwick was a spectator as Preston struggled for any kind of potency. But in Mads Frokjaer, Emil Riis, Will Keane and Liam Millar, the Lilywhites have an attacking quartet who can provide moments out of nowhere. And four players whom very few defenders would like to face .

It'd been a long old wait for North End's number 19, who spent the best part of a year on the sidelines with his first major injury. Preston had dearly missed their wonderfully unpredictable goal scorer, too. A couple of opportunities passed Riis by before the Cardiff game, but when the space opened up for him down the left - on 30 minutes - the Dane just had the look of someone who was always going to score. He drove inside with pace and power - two of his stand out strengths - and drilled the ball emphatically into the bottom left corner. A first goal in Preston colours since October 2022 and given the celebration, one of his most satisfying to date surely.

At that stage, the flatness which had set in among the home faithful turned to frustration. And that, as an away team, is the exact moment to sniff blood and go for more. Ten minutes after Riis' opener, the ball was in the back of Alnwick's net once again. This was a thing of beauty from Preston, with Frokjaer surging into the box after tidy work from Keane and pulling the ball back for the arriving Ben Whiteman to slot under the Cardiff shot-stopper. North End headed in at half time with the hosts exactly where they wanted them; the second half would be all about focus as well as discipline.

And switched on is exactly what Preston were, against a home side who - in truth - never looked like getting back into the game. In the reverse fixture, Cardiff stunned 10-man PNE in injury time but there would be no sucker-punch suffered in South Wales. In fact, North End could've put the result beyond all doubt when Frokjaer slipped Riis through again, but Alnwick was there to push his placed effort out this time.

Woodman had to be on his guard late on to keep out a fierce strike from Dimitrios Goutas, after Whiteman read danger brilliantly to block Aaron Ramsey's goal bound drive. The result was secure by the time the referee's full time whistle eventually blew and some comfortable closing stages were certainly welcomed. North End headed back up the long road to Lancashire with three hard and professionally earned points in the bag - most likely feeling a lot better about themselves too.

PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Potts (McCann 72'), Whiteman, Browne (c) (Ledson 80'), Millar (Brady 87'), Frokjaer (Woodburn 87'), Riis (Osmajic 87') , Keane. PNE unused subs: Cornell, Whatmough, Cunningham, Stewart.