Memory match: Youl Mawene was Preston North End’s goal hero in Friday night win at Cardiff City

After 10 months, 18 games and 6,000 motorway miles starved of success on the road, three points finally came their way over the border in South Wales.

Youl Mawene’s first goal in a PNE shirt was enough to secure the win in a Friday night clash in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

It wasn’t classic viewing for the armchair audience but that didn’t matter to the Lilywhites and their travelling supporters.

Mawene found the net with a shot which deflected in off Cardiff striker Alan Lee after 14 minutes.

From then on it was largely a case of North End defending that lead as the Bluebirds swarmed forward in search of an equaliser.

It meant a busy night for Mawene after his scoring exploits, so too skipper Chris Lucketti and Marlon Broomes who were alongside him in the back three.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Gould, recently returned from a loan in non-league at Hereford – was excellent.

Up front there was a PNE debut for Patrick Agyemang after his £350,000 switch from Gillingham.

Cardiff had a goal disallowed as early as the sixth minute.

Lucketti swung a leg at a cross from the right and missed it completely.

Fortunately striker Lee used his upper arm, as well as his chest, to control the ball before firing in and referee Phil Crossley chalked it off.

That was Lucketti’s one slip of the evening, after that he was flawless.

North End winner’s came after new boy Agyemang and striker partner Richard Cresswell combined down the right to win a corner.

Graham Alexander took the corner, swinging it out and keeping it low.

Mawene moved towards the near post to meet it, his first-time shot bouncing into the ground and against Lee’s shin before crossing the line.

From then on it was primarily defensive duties for the visitors.

An Alexander free-kick which just cleared the bar, and Agyemang’s shot which Cardiff keeper Tony Warner held above his head, were North End’s two attempts on goal from then on.

Jobi McAnuff went close with a scorcher of a shot which flashed the wrong side of Gould’s right-hand post.

Then Chris Barker hooked the ball across the face of goal with two Bluebirds team-mates unable to turn it in. For the last 20 minutes Preston hardly got out of their own half.

Danny Gabbidon galloped through the middle and smashed in a shot which struck Lucketti and looped inches over the crossbar.

From the corner Lee rose to power in a header which Gould acrobatically tipped over the top.

With 10 minutes to go Cardiff threw everything forward

Joe Ledley thought he had snatched an equaliser with a first-time shot but Gould flung himself down to turn it round the post one-handed.

From the resulting corner North End substitute Omar Daley made a desperate clearance in the goalmouth as two City players moved in for the kill.

Preston took the ball into the corners to frustrate their hosts and run the clock down.

The final whistle seemed to take an eternity to arrive, but when it did the relief was clear to see on the face of North End boss Billy Davies and his players.