Preston's poor home form continued with a second home defeat of the Festive season at the hands of Cardiff City.

The hosts looked to be on course for a welcome success when Simon Whaley fired them into an early lead, but the damp, cold day was made to feel even chillier when second half strikes from Roger Johnson and Joe Ledley send the three points to south Wales.

North End made three changes with Billy Jones, Chris Sedgwick and Neil Mellor making way for Darren Carter, Lewis Neal and Patrick Agyemang, with Callum Davidson maintaining his unfamiliar right back position and Simon Whaley taking up a more familiar role down his preferred flank to accommodate Neal.

The decision proved to be an immediate success, with North End scoring inside the first five minutes from their first concerted effort on goal. A left wing corner was swung in with venom by Neal, but the outswinger was missed by everyone inside the penalty area. The curve on the delivery proved crucial as it landed straight into the path of Whaley who was ready to pounce - he caused Deepdale to erupt with a 20-yard rasper into the bottom right-hand corner.

It provided the perfect start to this Anglo-Welsh tussle, and within 60 seconds it could have been two. Agyemang made a dart down the centre before slipping the ball through to Gallagher along the wet surface. The slippery conditions meant that the Scotsman's effort from the edge of the box ballooned high into the air as he lost his footing, but Agyemang was wary and only a good low block from Kasper Schmeichel prevented Preston from doubling their lead after the forward raced onto an accidental return pass.

The visitors were in no mood to sit back and feel sorry for themselves, and immediately looked to try and fashion an equaliser. As Preston defended a corner, Glenn Loovens thumped a shot at goal but felt the full force of Darren Carter as the midfielder charged at both man and ball to see off the danger. It left Loovens feeling pretty groggy, and as he missed a loose ball that fell back into his path, Stephen McPhail instead met it and only narrowly cleared the PNE crossbar from 18 yards.

Preston wanted to end the year on a high, and an excellent through ball from Lewis Neal down the left flank nearly provided a show-stopper. It was met on the overlap by Matt Hill, and after shrugging off the challenge of Kevin McNaughton he fired a promising shot on goal, only to narrowly miss the near post and instead find the side-netting.

As Hill was charging forward, Simon Whaley was slowly making his way over to the bench after suffering an earlier knock, and as the chance flew out of play, Chris Sedgwick prepared to make his arrival.

The substitute nearly made an immediate impression, heading over the top from Agyemang's cross with his first touch and repeating the feat with his second after Hill turned provider.

Another golden chance to score was washed away after Loovens slipped on Deepdale's greasy top, allowing Gallagher to break free down the right. He squared for Agyemang who had the chance to side-foot home from eight yards, but he mis-timed his approach and could only top-edge the ball in the style of a cricketer playing a pull-shot too early.

At the other end, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink missed a chance to show that he can still be a top-class finisher, pulling a low shot wide of Lonergan's far post from 20 yards with little of the trademark venom we've come to expect from the Dutchman over the years.

Darren Carter took a blow to the head in a challenge with Gavin Rae as North End were awarded a free kick just outside their own penalty area, but it seemed to do him little harm as the hosts broke quickly from deep. It was Carter himself that received the ball in the middle of the park and his jinking run took him to within inches of firing in a shot from just inside the box, only for a great last-ditch block from McNaughton to turn the ball wide for a corner as he unleashed his effort on goal.

The home side went into the break a goal to the good, but they were nearly pegged back soon after the re-start when McPhail send a left footed warning shot curling just wide of the post as Lonergan sprawled to try and reach it.

The warning proved to be of merit, as within eight minutes of the second half the Welshmen were level. Joe Ledley - a player who will surely go far in this game - placed his left wing corner to perfection, and Roger Johnson on the charge from the back was in the right place to head the ball home low into the bottom right corner.

Though City then found themselves on level terms, Preston should have re-taken the lead when another defensive lap from Loovens allowed Agyemang to meet a long downfield punt and square the ball perfectly into Gallagher's path. Sadly he opted for placement over power which gave Schmeichel the chance to get down low to parry, and the Bluebirds were able to scramble the ball clear when it all but fell to Gallagher again on the rebound.

In an even opening to the half, Cardiff likewise will have felt they should have scored when Peter Whittingham sent a shot into the side of the net from Hasselbaink's long cross-field ball. Indeed, the away support thought their side had taken the lead, such was the ferocity of their celebrations from behind the Kop End goal.

Sadly, the away fans were celebrating for real on 66 minutes when Ledley undermined his potential with a superb solo ball. Having come out on top in challenges with Paul McKenna and Liam Chilvers on half way, he led a pacy run down the left flank which Sean St Ledger did well to keep up with, and after surviving several attempted challenges from his marker, he unleashed a looping shot over the head of Lonergan which looked to have taken a possible deflection off St Ledger as he made one last attempt to block Ledley's progress.

It could have been worse when substitute Steve MacLean saw a well-driven shot deflect off Callum Davidson's ankle and almost curl round Lonergan, but the PNE keeper got down well to push it away.

St Ledger then enjoyed a possible moment of fortune when he only saw yellow for an ugly challenge on MacLean when he looked set to break clear, and there were further moments of fortune in the final ten minutes when a number of mis-placed passes at the back weren't punished by the men from over the border.

PNE: Lonergan, Davidson, Agyemang, Gallagher, Carter, St Ledger (sub Hawley 86), Chilvers, Whaley (sub Sedgwick 18), McKenna (capt), Hill, Lewis Neal (sub Mellor 71). Subs not used: Chris Neal, Nicholls.

Cardiff: Schmeichel, McNaughton, Capaldi, Johnson, Loovens, McPhail (capt), Rae, Ledley, Whittingham, Hasselbaink (sub MacLean 74), Parry. Subs not used: Oakes, Purse, Blake, Ramsey.

Booked: Davidson (26), St Ledger (84); McPhail (76), MacLean (88)

Referee: Mr M Haywood

Attendance: 12,046 (637 away fans)