Preston North End's mini-revival came to an abrupt end at Cardiff's Ninian Park as Dave Jones' Bluebirds leapfrogged the Lilywhites into the Play-Off zone.

A Roger Johnson header three minutes from the break and a Michael Chopra penalty on 77 minutes were the difference between the two sides as Irvine's men failed to make their dominant periods count and failed to take their chances.

It was Preston's last league appearance at Ninian Park but will surely be ranked by the North End faithful as one to forget.

The afternoon started with plenty of optimism. Neil Mellor named in the starting eleven, a surprising inclusion considering the striker had spent much of the week in the Deepdale treatment room. The former Liverpool man's inclusion meant that Alan Irvine was allowed to name the same side which had done so well in defeating Bristol City seven days earlier.

Mellor it was who created North End's first and perhaps best chance of the opening 45 minutes. The striker received the ball on the right flank, knocked the ball past his marker and drilled the ball across the six-yard box. Richard Chaplow was only a yard short of poking the ball into the unguarded net, the midfielder was later to complain that he was blinded by the sunlight on the cross.

The Bluebirds had a couple of chances of their own in the opening exchanges, former Blackburn man Jay Bothroyd proving to be a real menace, he saw a shot sliced wide when he got space on the edge of the box and then had a free-kick nudged into his path, forcing a great save from Lonergan from 25-yards out.

The rest of the half proved to be something of a midfield battle with neither side able to carve out real clear-cut opportunities. The game changing moment came when on-loan midfielder Wayne Routledge finally got himself involved in the game. He intiially teased Callum Davidson into a foul which earned the Scotsman a yellow card and then moments later won a free-kick after his cross was deemed to have hit Paul McKenna's arm. From the free-kick Roger Johnson's 6'4 frame somewho got into the box unnoticed and the big centre-half powered his header home, the perfect time to score, three minutes before the break.

Preston had picked up a total of 14 points in games from which they had been behind but their resolve would seriously tested in the second half. Preston started brightly but Cardiff were on the boil and Routledge, boosted by his late success in the first half, teased and taunted Callum Davidson hoping to entice the foul that would see Davidson sent off.

On 54 minutes Preston's best chance to get back into the match arrived. A sublime backheel from Chris Brown set Ross Wallace clear, the diminutive Scotsman found himself in the box in the blink of an eye but he chose to shoot from a tight angle rather than lay the ball back to Chris Sedgwick. Enkelman saved Wallace's shot and the chance was gone.

Two minutes later and it could have been 2-0. Paul Parry, inspired by Routledge's success on the right flank, was enjoying himself on the left flank and from his cross Bothroyd powered a header towards goal, Lonergan looked beaten but the ball smashed off the post and bounced away to safety.

Lonergan was called into action on 58 minutes, this time Parry played the ball back towards the edge of the box after beating his man, Gavin Rae was there and his low effort towards goal was palmed wide by the Preston North End keeper.

Preston tried hard to get themselves back into the game but it was all but over 14 minutes from time. Bothroyd again making a nuisance of himself and once in the box he went down under the challenge of Mawene. Substitute Michael Chopra stepped up to slam home the penalty and the game looked beyond the visitors.

Lonergan kept the scoreline respectable when he blocked a Michael Chopra chance with five minutes to go but the only reason Preston's fans had to stay behind beyond that point was because they were kept behind, probably to take one last look at one of Welsh football's most famous venues.