Stoke 2 Fulham 3 22/1/22 3pm
A cracking game of passion, grit and great goals, but league leaders Fulham edged it. Their double-barrelled players were just too much for City. Stoke need more thrilling games at the bet365 to bring back the crowds. Here’s how the game unfolded in real time:
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Look, they’ve scored 19 in their last 3 games, so Michael O’Neill (MON) puts out James Chester (33) and Phil Jagielka (51) in defence. Keeper Bonham is 35 (I think), and sub keeper Frank Fielding isn’t much younger. But elsewhere, Stoke play a record THREE players with double-barrelled names! D’Margio Wright-Phillips (grandson of Ian Wright-Phillips), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (great grandson of Field-Marshall Harwood-Bellis), and newbie on the bench on loan from Villa Jaden Philogene-Bidace (great-great-great-grandson of Phil Jagielka). Some of this information may not be totally accurate, but you get the idea.
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0.38 1-0 !!!! Wright-Phillips latches on to a Josh Tymon cross from the left and the bet365 goes mad!!! “Who are you??” Chant the crowd.
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1.52 1-1 !!!!! Muniz given an inch to turn and equalise!!!! Right in the top corner, Bonham little chance. Fulham crowd reckon Stoke fans not singing, but they’re drowned out. Stoke’s lead lasted 74 seconds!
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5.01 Wright-Ph crosses superbly from right, but somehow Jake Brown fluffs an open goal!!!!!! How?!!
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26.20 As Joe Allen loses the ball, he chases after the Fulham player, starting a push by Stoke players resulting in Fulham having to pass the ball back to their keeper Rodak. Crowd love it. They then go mad when Fulham players won’t stop with Baker getting barged in the chest – a right rib-breaker, shows the replay.
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32.10 1-2 !! Caught on the break, Carvalho’s shot trickles over the line via the post so gently, that Fulham supporters take a few seconds to cheer! Weird.
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45+2 Wright-Phillips crosses brilliantly, but Stoke can’t finish. great Stoke rally to end the half.
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HT 1-2
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47.01 Tete pulls his groin, and then takes forever to be subbed. Crowd going bananas. The time-wasting is shocking.
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Attendance 21,749, which might actually be genuine.
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57.04 Joe Allen beats 4 players and wins a throw!!
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57.37 2-2 !!!! What a belter by Lewis Baker into the corner. Joe and Josh work their socks off to get the ball to Lewis, who hits it from distance into the far corner. Great goal.
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66.20 Sublime play by Wright-Ph to set up Brown, but Jake is crunched by the keeper. Somehow Brown recovers as it was quite a crunch! Replay shows him twisted so badly a fracture was possible.
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71.48 2-3 !! After hitting the bar from a corner, Decordova-Reid rockets a shot in for 3-2. Another double barrel name. It’s catching.
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78.55 Ince and Tyrese come on for Brown and Joe Allen.
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84.25 Jaden Philogene-Bidace replaces Wright-Ph. Jaden is No.47.
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86.56 After on-the-run Tymon brings a desperate save out of the keeper, Jaden’s deflected shot hits the post with the keeper beaten.
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88.35 Jaden’s shot is over the bar, but the replay shows the keeper tipped it over. No corner given.
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90+1 Chalobah’s shot is the widest seen so far at this stadium, even the family stand had to duck!
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90+6 Fulham hang on, & it ends 2-3. A hard fought match, but a defeat is a defeat!
