Though a repeat of last season's 6-0 victory over the Bluebirds is unlikely, Preston North End fans will be hoping for at least three points against Cardiff City this Saturday and tickets are on sale right up until kick-off at the ticket office.
When Dave Jones brought his side to Deepdale in April last year they were eight points clear of North End, with a game in hand and Preston only having a total of nine points to play for. It proved to be one of the greatest ever turnarounds in a team's season and offers hope still that PNE could launch another late Play-Off charge this year.
North End are once again looking on enviously at the Bluebirds' lofty position in the Play-Off zone. Cardiff are 10 points ahead of the Lilywhites and have a game in hand. Darren Ferguson has been speaking this week about this being the 'business end' of the season and with just 14 games and nine weeks to go, the finishing line is now in sight.
There are a total of 42 points to play for and with four of the next five games being played at Deepdale, there is no reason why Ferguson's men should not be looking to claim a good number of points over the next few weeks.
Darren Ferguson's Team News
"We are looking ok. We've a couple back, Callum has done a bit of running, he won't be right for Saturday but he is not far away.
"Chappy will be back in contention, so they are bonuses. Everyone else has trained fine.
"I've been an admirer of Richard's for a while, even before I came here I always thought he was a good player. When I first came in he was playing with a little niggle and he couldn't continue doing that much longer. His rehab has been good, he's back, he's looked strong, trained really well Tuesday. We know what Richard can bring to the table, a different dimension, probably more of a threat going forward than the other two. Between the three of them they probably compliment each other quite well."
The Opposition
The Bluebirds will be hoping that off-field issues don't start to affect on-field activities as Cardiff's financial plight once again dominates the spectrum at the Welsh club.
The club held an extraordinary general meeting this week to approve plans to raise cash to pay of a £1.7m debt to the taxman. But Chairman Peter Ridsdale found himself answering countless questions on the intricacies of Cardiff's fiscal future.
The main issue seems to be an alleged promise to fans that funds raised from a December season ticket initiative would be spent on team strengthening in January. That funding never materialised and Cardiff boss Dave Jones has become increasingly frustrated - so much so that the local newspaper has been banned from press conferences.
On the field things still look quite rosy for Cardiff. The Bluebirds are nicely poised in the Championship, they currently occupy sixth spot but have a game in hand on Leicester and Swansea above them.
A 2-0 home defeat to Barnsley may have dented their promotion challenge last week but they have shown some impressive form since the turn of the year, including an emphatic 6-0 win at Bristol City at the end of January.
In Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham they possess two of the sharpest marksmen in the Championship and David Jones' first eleven is as strong as any in the division.
The Manager
"They were crazy goals to give away. We've got done by the same ball twice, straight to the heart of the defence, and we've got to learn that lesson. If we defend the way we defended - giving opportunities to the opposition - then it becomes a hard slog. We didn't deserve anything today because we didn't do the right things.
"We haven't played well, we haven't created much - we put in 20 shots but only tested the keeper about six times. We weren't sharp and bright."
Dave Jones speaking on cardiffcityfc.co.uk following last weekend's 2-0 home defeat to Barnsley.
The Player
"We handed them the win on a plate. We handed Barnsley two goals and didn't deserve anything. We had plenty of possession in the second half, but Barnsley were comfortable.
"The game was just about over after 12 minutes. There was an early chance for us and a goal then might have made a difference, but we can't gloss over it and paper over the cracks.
"Defensively we were shocking in those early stages. It's no good pretending. The fans can see what's going on. They know, we know."
Former Liverpool man Mark Kennedy on last weekend's loss.
Head-to-Head
PNE's all time record against Cardiff City W32 D20 L31
Last Meeting
Cardiff 1 Preston 0
(Burke 55)
Saturday 5th December 2009
Coca-Cola Championship
Cardiff City Stadium
PNEBetting.com Odds
Preston North End 13/8 Draw 9/4 Cardiff City 13/8
PNEBetting.com Selected Bet
Tom Williams to score first in a 3-0 win - 460/1.
PNE Player
Jonathan Breeze will be joined by Colin Murdock for full match commentary from PNE Player.
Any Other Business?
Preston North End have scored five goals or more against Cardiff on six occasions.
