A vital point at playoff-chasing Bristol could be enough for Stoke to stay up in the Championship as they reach that magic 50 point mark, that seemed so unlikely earlier in the season. Danny Batth took man-of-the-match, equalising in the 2nd half. A real miracle game, then. Here’s how it unfolded in real time:
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Stoke’s last winnable game of the 3 matches left? Harsh, but fair. Bristol will hopefully have had the stuffing knocked out of them by Cardiff & Millwall’s wins (that make Bristol’s playoff chances SLIM). So, Michael O’Neill MBE “rests” Tyrese Campbell for lively Lee Gregory. Josh & Tash join the bench, and there’s that mysterious unknown keeper (Noukeu) there too. This could be good!
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0.40 Vokes claiming corner, penalty, obstruction…well, just about everything! Gets nothing.
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1.50 Somehow The Sentinel’s Pete Smith has fought through the M5 traffic to get to the church on time!
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14.45 McClean pushes his marker on to the corner flag & then is surprised the ref thinks he’s been naughty! James is the only one to test keeper Bentley after his cross turned into a shot. Sort of.
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22.15 Adam Davies races out & dives at the feet of Diedhiou, who shouldn’t still be on the pitch after showing his studs to Chester a few minutes earlier.
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32.45 Ball in net, but Wells is accused of knocking over Batth! Really? There’s really someone who can knock over Danny Batth?! Should have been 0-1.
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41.45 The seagulls circling the pitch are proving more entertaining.
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45+2 0-1 !! Stoke unable to defend a late corner, & Benkovic curls the ball into the far left corner. Uh? Crazy.
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HT Bristol mid-tablers 1 Frustrating Stoke 0
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50.51 O’Neill already doing his nut on the terraces.
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56.10 Powell’s snap shot hits the outside of the post. He’s trying to stop his manager from blowing his top.
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63.30 1-1 !!! Danny Batth charges through & heads the equaliser from a McClean cross from the left. Never seen him move so fast!! MON’s explosion has been delayed.
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75.35 Thompson on for lame Powell. Saving him for Brentford.
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79.39 Batth almost makes it 2, this time from a corner. Great save by Bentley. Bristol not the only ones surprised to see Stoke attacking.
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81.30 Tyrese on for Gregory. Surprise.
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85.10 After everyone screams at Tommy Smith to belt the ball clear, he does just that & pulls his hamstring. Grief! Amazingly he gets up & carries on. Nathan Collins is not pleased, & has to sit down on the bench again.
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90+4 Collins finally on for cramped Clucas.
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90+5 Campbell runs the length of the pitch & almost does a Geoff Hurst, but goes to ground claiming a lame penalty.
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FT Bristol (season over) City 1 Stoke (season over hopefully) 1
