Preston 6-0 Cardiff

St Ledger and Nolan enjoy Preston's biggest win of the season

Preston revived their play-off hopes as Alan Irvine's side comprehensively beat Cardiff City 6-0 to end the Welshmen's Championship automatic promotion bid.

Neil Mellor's 11th of the season opened rout, guiding in Jon Parkin's flick before Paul McKenna's deflected strike.

Preston keeper Andy Lonergan saved a Ross McCormack penalty on the stroke of half-time after Jones fouled Ledley.

Jon Parkin's shot and a Mark Kennedy own goal sealed a win before Chris Brown and Lee Williamson's late goals.

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Preston North End manager Alan Irvine:
"The play-offs are still not in our hands. We are waiting to see what happens. We have kept ourselves in with a chance.

"Before the game the gist of my talk to them was that it's now or never, that they had to go out and do the job.

"But I certainly didn't see this coming. I don't think anyone would have imagined that happening for a moment.

"We went 2-0 up and I felt that was probably a bit harsh on Cardiff. They were probably the better team in the first half and we got our goals pretty much against the run of play.

"The penalty save by Andy Lonergan I felt was a key moment.

"Also I had made a decision to put our two wide players on opposite wings, to do something a little bit unexpected perhaps that Cardiff would not be prepared for. It worked, but on another day it might not have.

"I am delighted with the way the lads have responded since the Blackpool game a week ago. That was probably the lowest time here that I have certainly felt."

Cardiff City manager Dave Jones:

"I didn't see that coming, we just didn't turn up and failed to do what we have been doing all season.

"They scored two deflected goals and we haven't defended the two set plays as people aren't in the positions that they should have been in.

"We tried to play offside for the third goal and it was ridiculous position and the ball should have to be cleverer than that to break us down and then at 3-0 down, we were chasing the game.

"Full credit to Preston but they didn't have to work too hard to get the result as it looked like we went through the motions in the second-half."

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Preston: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St. Ledger, Nolan, Sedgwick, McKenna (Carter 77), Williamson, Wallace, Parkin (Brown 58), Mellor (Elliott 67).
Subs Not Used: Neal, Chilvers.

Booked: Williamson, Parkin.

Goals: Mellor 17, 41, Parkin 51, Kennedy 54 og, Brown 75, Williamson 86.

Cardiff: Taylor, McNaughton, Gyepes, Roger Johnson, Kennedy (Comminges 65), Whittingham (Chopra 46), Rae, McPhail, Ledley, McCormack, Bothroyd (Eddie Johnson 76).
Subs Not Used: Heaton, Purse.

Booked: Rae.

Att: 13,692

Ref: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).