A second half collapse by City resulted in them falling below Charlton to 21st spot in the crucial relegation situation at the foot of the Championship table. Tommy Smith gave away an unnecessary penalty on the stroke of half-time, but the floodgates opened after the break, undoing most of Stoke’s good work against Barnsley. Things may look desperate for Stoke, who may still have to rely on Wigan having points deducted. Here’s how the game unfolded in real time:
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2nd place vs 20th place. Collins in for old-boy James Chester. Necessary change?
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0.27 Roberts tests Butland within first half-minute! Surprisingly the game going to form. Except Butland actually saves instead of conceding own-goal. (!)
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3.15 Somehow Powell wins dangerous free-kick after pushing over a defender. Campbell’s kick hits defender in face. Pace is electric.
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15.03 Now is time for the ref to explain why he’s wearing red & black…same as Stoke. Not as bad as the Luton v Barnsley game where both set of players were wearing red & white! Who’s testing the refs’ colour-blindness??
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19.30 Bruno Martins Indi looks like he’s taken one for the team in the groin…although replay seems to imply it’s the hip.
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21.41 Somehow McClean clears off the line, but the rebound block by Batth is extraordinary! Batth had been nervous and skitty up until then.
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25.00 O’Neill relieved for the water break so he can instill the discipline again. Stoke defenders falling asleep, and it’s not even Nathan’s bed-time. (Youngest player on the pitch.)
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43.08 PENALTY!! Tommy Smith catches Costa on the very edge of the box for a stupid penalty. He should have let him go, as Costa was heading off for a coffee-break in the corner, not really towards goal.
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44.00 0-1 !! Easy penalty, as Butland wonders off the wrong way towards Hartlepool…
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45+3 Top-Place 1 20th-Place 0 (could have been 18th). 73-27% possession.
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45.00 Chester on for baby Nathan, who will soon be tucked up in bed. He made the other defenders feel nervous.
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46.42 2-0 ! Easy goal for Costa, put through in space, and tapped it past Butland. Chester hadn’t even woken up from his pre-match kip, and Costa flew past him. Far worse than Smith’s indiscretion.
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49.07 McClean tripped nastily for a yellow card.
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50.08 Bamford hits bar from point-blank range – no wonder Pulis didn’t fancy him.
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51.57 Savage shot from Bamford is beaten away by Butland. It’s not good enough for me to want to buy a red Stoke goally shirt.
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56.41 0-3 !! Stoke defence falls apart as defender Cooper slots home off the near side post.
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58.00 Bruno picks up a deserved yellow for kicking out at Costa as he flies past Indi.
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59.10 Keith misses a sitter. Laughable…if they weren’t winning by 3-0…
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60.10 Campbell actually hits a shot…albeit over the bar. Gregory & Diouf on for Campbell & Vokes. MON trying to mix things up.
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68.00 Another decent save by Jack, but not enough for me to want to buy his shirt…
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71.42 0-4 !! Hernandes (the sub) curves a shot from outside the box into the corner after Leeds broke down Stoke’s left.
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73.00 Stoke drop below Charlton to 21st spot, and MON rests Powell for Sorensen.
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80.30 Thompson replaces Clucas in more resting tactics for the crucial game on Sunday vs Birmingham.
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90+3 0-5 !!! Stoke can’t even hold on to a 0-4 position. Bamford on the break, puts it past Butland via the post. Yer Could‘ner Make It Up!
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FT Top Club 5 21st-Club 0 – Stoke slaughtered…
