3-3 thriller, but Stoke City miss out on more points in monsoon

Rotherham (1) 3 Stoke (1) 3 – 19/1/21 7.45

Somehow Stoke didn’t win this 6 goal thriller in the wind and rain, despite 64% possession. Jeckle & Hyde performance by Danny Batth, but it wasn’t all a horror show. Here’s how it unfolded in real time:
After Saturday’s Ewood Park marshland, it’s nice to see Stoke playing on grass for a change, looking for their first win since the launch of the Yuletide Radio Times. Actually, with all this rain, they could be walking on water soon. Joe Allen is rested, Batth replaces red carded Chester, but the returning Fletcher, Lindsay and keeper Adam Davies is the big news. Oh, and James McClean, forgiven for doing some extra training at an external gym.
13.40 1-0 !!!! OG by MacDonald, as Big Mac deflects a Rhys Norrington-Davies cross looping the ball over keeper Blackman. Comical. (The deflection, not Rhys’ name.)
16.50 United hit the bar, a header from a corner, with Stoke all at sea (in the pouring rain of Hurricane Christoph).
28.10 Powell’s moment to roll around on the floor. Questions should be asked where his centre of balance is. Switzerland, I think.
30.12 1-1 !!! Batth robbed pathetically on the left, and the cross is converted easily by Crooks. The replay is truly embarrassing for Danny.
39.10 Batth compounds things by getting a yellow for an off the ball incident. He’s at least now keeping his indiscretions off the TV screens.
HT United 1 City 1 – Gone With The Wind.
50.10 Bursik having an attack of the Batth’s, playing a pass astray, resulting in a corner concession by Harry.
50.52 1-2 ! Bursik misses the skuffed Harding shot from the corner, and it’s headed in by Smith. Comedy of Errors at the back for Stoke. A lot of substitutions need to be made!
57.00 Bursik trying to dribble out of the box! He loses it, and Batth has to bail him out. Joe really intimidated by having Davies on the bench. Suspect he’ll lose his place at this rate.
61.42 2-2 !! Suddenly Danny Batth has come good, heading home from a Powell cross from the right. United taken by surprise, and they aren’t the only ones! Suspect Danny is the most surprised.
65.30 Fletcher & Joe Allen on for Brown & Cousins.
66.50 2-3 !! Stoke fail to clear, and it’s belted home by Crooks. Michael O’Neill will be having kittens over the defending.
72.40 McClean & Jack Clarke flood on to the pitch in this monsoon, replacing Thompson & Matondo. It’ll all come out in the wash.
74.20 3-3 !!!! Powell glancing header from a McClean cross …..from the RIGHT!!!?! All that extra training has paid off for James…
76.44 Superb tackle by Batth on Crooks who looked certain for a hat-trick. What a comeback by Danny. Maybe he was cloned at halftime?
90+4 FT 3-3. Rotherham happy with the point. Doubt MON will be. A point for Stoke.
Dave Lee
Dave Lee
Sports Reporter - Stoke City

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