NORTH End won their second home game of the season against one of the Championship's surprise in-form teams.

Chris Sedgwick put the home side in front after 22 minutes - although had Cardiff been more accurate with their chances, it is they who would have gone into the lead.

Michael Ricketts crashed an early drive against the bar before Nash had to punch away a shot from the same Cardiff man just moments later.

Then Darren Purse glanced his header wide from a Jason Koumas corner - all these chances in the first eight minutes.

The early onslaught seemed to wake Preston up. David Jones' left-footed shot was blocked by Neal Ardley before keeper Neil Alexander saved a 20 yard shot from Patrick Agyemang.

Sedgwick got his name on to the scoresheet when he hit David Nugent's cross from six yards out.

And on 44 minutes, Paul McKenna set up Patrick Agyemang, who poked his shot into the corner and doubled Preston's lead.

Jemal Johnson replaced David Nugent at half-time - the latter still showing signs he is not over the illness which has kept him out of action for nearly two months - but North End continued to press for a third goal.

It was Cardiff, however, who found the back of the net on 68 minutes when Glenn Loovens fired home a right-footed shot.

North End boss Billy Davies said: "We should have been out of sight by half-time - there was only one team in it in the first half.

"Then we had to change our game at half-time due to losing David Nugent, which was a big blow.

"But we showed a lot of courage to hang on in there and we have now lost just four games in 19 matches and we are pushing ourselves into the top 12."