Bluebirds late show delights Lawrence

Cardiff 2 Preston 2

Cardiff manager Lennie Lawrence hailed his side’s battling qualities after Peter Thorne netted a last-minute equaliser to earn a deserved point against Preston at Ninian Park.

It had seemed that North End would be leaving Wales with all three points after David Healy had put them 2-1 ahead with only six minutes to go.

However, Thorne – who scored a hat-trick in the 3-2 win at Stoke over the weekend – proved the hero once again as his firm downward header from a Chris Barker cross earned his side a share of the spoils.

Cardiff are now up into the top six and Lawrence declared: “We were delighted to get that late equaliser, but overall we certainly deserved to draw.

“I am very pleased with the way the season has gone so far, but we are still giving the opposition too many scoring chances and are far too vulnerable on the counterattack.

“Despite this we have the second best goal difference in the division, but we really must stop giving away soft goals.”

After a disappointing goalless first half, it was the visitors who took the lead when Ricardo Fuller scored from close-range on 52 minutes after City goalkeeper Neil Alexander found Eddie Lewis’ shot from the left too hot to handle.

Midfielder Richard Langley fired in his sixth goal of the season to equalise nine minutes later as his cross-cum-shot from the right deceived Jonathan Gould in the Preston goal.

Substitute Healy thought he had won it when he smartly converted Fuller’s pull back from the by-line, but Thorne was to have the final say.

Despite taking something from the match, Cardiff defender Daniel Gabbidon maintained the Bluebirds must become a meaner side if they are to challenge for promotion.

“We will have to sort out the defence as we have given away too many goals lately after being really good earlier in the season,” he said, “but I am sure we only need a little fine tuning.

“We have played some good footballing teams, so you have to give them credit as well.”

Preston continue to improve after a slow start, but remain on the fringes of the play-off shake-up rather than in the thick of it.

However, manager Craig Brown had few complaints, despite coming so close to their first away win in five attempts.

“Overall it was a fair result,” said the former Scotland boss.

“But we had won the game twice and threw it away both times.

“Credit to Cardiff, though, for fighting back.”