It was a day of doubles as Preston grabbed a last gasp point at Cardiff City's Ninian Park. Robbie Fowler's brace, his first goals for the Bluebirds, looked to have got Dave Jones' side their first home win of the campaign but PNE showed great character and commitment and that was reflected non better than a man of the match performance from Callum Davidson.

The fans may have been chanting for Matt Hill at Scunthorpe on Tuesday, and they got their wish, but it was Callum Davidson who was the fans favourite following two stunning strikes on a return to the centre of midfield. The tenacious Scotsman put in a breathless performance and cancelled out Fowler's predatory strikes, not once, but twice. The first a cool volley from the edge of the box just after half time, the second, a wonderfully worked free-kick that was perfect fodder for the watching TV cameras.

It was nothing more than North End deserved and brought about a positive end to what has been a tricky old week for everyone at Deepdale.

Preston's first opportunity of the afternoon came in the fourth minute when Paul Gallagher picked up the ball in acres of space midway into the Cardiff half, he turned, looked up and hit a left-footed effort that flew just over the bar.

Cardiff won a corner in the sixth minute of the game and Roger Johnson did well to arrive late in the box and power a header towards goal, fortunately for PNE Callum Davidson was well placed to head the goal bound ball from under the crossbar.

Youl Mawene was booked in the 13th minute for a foul on Tony Capaldi.

Cardiff should have been in the lead in the 15th minute but for a world class acrobatic save from Andy Lonergan. Paul Parry was set free down the right by Hasselbaink and he delivered a great cross to the far post for Robbie Fowler who timed his run and header to perfection, he powered his header at goal but Lonergan came from nowhere to tip the ball over the bar.

Callum Davidson was the next Preston man in the referee's notebook, he picked up a rather unnecessary yellow after ran on to a Gallagher ball down the middle, he was flagged offside quite early and the ref blew his whistle but Callum carried on and banged the ball into the back of the net, claiming he never heard the whistle. According to the laws of the game Davidson was booked.

Preston had a decent chance in the 23rd minute when from a free-kick was dinked into the box, Agyemang went tumbling over an already prostrate McNaughton and in the confusion Chilvers hit a shot straight at Johnson who had also gone down injured.

In the 28th minute Cardiff took the lead. Joe Ledley got on to a clever pass from Gavin Rae and he was clear in the box, Ledley hit a cross into the box and Robbie Fowler was thee to power home a trademark predator's goal with his head from only five yards out.

Gallagher was almost through in the 36th minute when he latched onto a Davidson bicycle kick in the centre of the park. The Blackburn man had two Cardiff markers in close attention and he tried to turn inside them but the ball was deflected away from him, by a hand according to the pleas of Gallagher and the North End fans behind the goal.

Liam Chilvers was the third North End player into the referee's book, this time for an innocuous challenge on Cardiff's Fowler. Chilvers looked puzzled as to how the challenge was worthy of a yellow card.

Cardiff made a change after the break with Paul Parry replaced by Chris Gunter.

In the opening exchanges of the half Preston won a free-kick right on the edge of the box after Rae was adjudged to have handballed as he attempted to take the ball away from the danger zone. Darren Carter stepped up and hit a curling effort that clattered off the wall.

North End were back level in the 51st minute. Darren Carter whipped a ball in from the left and and both Nicholls and Gallagher challenged for the ball, the ball was cleared to the edge of the box where Callum Davidson was waiting to hit a low first-time volley, straight into the bottom corner.

Preston made their first change of the day when Patrick Agyemang was replaced by Karl Hawley in the 57th minute of the game.

Cardiff hit back in the 61st minute when North End conceded a corner down the right. Joe Ledley stepped up to hit it into the mixer and Robbie Fowler stooped to bundle the ball home with his head for his second goal of the afternoon.

It was almost 3-1 in the 68th minute when Chris Gunter did well to break down the right and hit a good cross into the six yard box and Joe Ledley got to the ball first to power a header that only just missed the angle of the post and the crossbar.

As Ledley was receiving treatment North End made a second change of the day when Neil Mellor came on to replace Paul Gallagher.

Lonergan was called into action once again in the 74th minute. Hasselbaink had turned Liam Chilvers inside and out on the edge of the box and he got a yard or two clear to have a sight at goal. It was from a tight angle but that's never stopped Hasselbaink before and he drilled a shot to the near post that PNE's keeper did well to Parry wide.

Sinclair was replaced by Peter Whittingham for the Bluebirds on 75 minutes.

Neil Mellor was next to try his luck from the angle. Carter had slotted Mellor in down the left channel and the former Liverpool man scrambled a shot across the face of goal. It beat the keeper but was well wide of goal.

Preston's final change of the afternoon saw Lewis Neal come on for Matty Hill, that switch meant that Davidson moved to left-back, Carter moved into the centre of midfield and Neal went down the left wing.

Cardiff made a final change with less than ten minutes on the clock when Steve Thompson replaced Cardiff's goalscorer Robbie Fowler.

But it was one of the other subs, Peter Whittingham that had Cardiff's next chance. The former Villa winger cut in from the left flank and unleashed a curling effort that took a deflection and bounced just wide of Lonergan's left-hand post.

With four minutes of injury time left to play North End's hopes looked bleak but then came the final act which would please so many North End fans.

Preston won a free-kick to the right of Cardiff's box and Carter, Jones and Nicholls all stood over the ball. There was a couple of dummies played as players feinted to hit a shot at goal but instead the ball was calmly tapped across the face of the 18-yard box to Callum Davidson who hit an unstoppable shot at goal, a wonderous strike from the makeshift midfielder.

There was a five minute halt in proceedings as Roger Johnson was laid out injured on the edge of the box following the goal. The Cardiff City man was eventually stretchered off leaving the Bluebirds to play out the final exchanges with just ten men.