report by Ian Corbishley
Stoke City won their first home game of the new EFL Championship season against Blackpool with a goal in each half, courtesy of Harry Clarke and Jacob Brown.
City made two changes to the side that had lost disappointingly to Millwall on the opening day of the season with Dwight Gayle replacing Tyrese Campbell and Will Smallbone coming in for Sam Clucas, with both Campbell and Clucas dropping down to the bench.
In contrast to City , Blackpool came into the game full of confidence having won their opening game against Reading. However, it was City who began the brightest, playing on the front foot and trying to bring the wing backs, Clarke and Tymon, into the game at every opportunity. After just twelve minutes Brown and Gayle linked up well but Gayle’s shot from the edge of the box was straight at Blackpool keeper, Grimshaw.
On twenty minutes the visitors suffered a blow when their experienced striker, Gary Madine, went down and had to be replaced by online Wolves striker Theo Corbeanu. Almost immediately Grimshaw was back in action, tipping a long-range effort from Josh Laurent onto the bar. Blackpool’s best effort of the half, an attempt at a diving header by last season’s top scorer Jerry Yates, was then almost immediately followed by the Potters taking the lead.
On thirty- three minutes Brown and Smallbone combined well to find Tymon in space on the Stoke left. His whipped cross to the far post was headed home by Harry Clarke, his first goal for the club on his home debut.
In a bid to change things around Blackpool manager, Michael Appleton, made a substitution at half time, Matty Virtue being replaced by Kenny Dougall. On fifty two minutes the dangerous Bowler almost levelled for Blackpool when a jinking run took him past two Stoke defenders in the penalty area but he placed his shot a yard wide of Bursik’s right hand post. Blackpool then had their best spell of the game putting pressure on Stoke but without creating any real chances against a Stoke defence well marshalled by Aiden Flint.
Indeed, it was Flint who almost got the second for Stoke when he just failed to get onto the end of a low ball into the box following a Stoke corner. City now seemed to have weathered the Blackpool pressure and a first time shot by Gayle was well saved by Grimshaw as City began to create more chances.
On seventy- four minutes City finally put the game beyond doubt with a beautifully executed second goal. Baker and Smallbone combined well before Baker sprayed the ball out to the left to find Tymon in space. His first touch controlled the ball and his second was an inviting cross which found Jacob Brown whose first- time volley found the back of the net. City then played out the game in relative comfort despite Appleton using his full complement of five substitutions in an effort to get back into the game.
Afterwards Stoke manager Michael O’Neill said that he was pleased with his players reaction to last week’s defeat and with the number of chances that they had created. He was very pleased with the way that Man of the Match Will Smallbone had settled into the side and praised Harry Clarke for his goal, although he still needed to work on the defensive side of his game.
Next up Stoke face Morecambe away on Tuesday August 9th in the EFL Cup kick off at 7.45pm, and their next league game is away at Huddersfield on Saturday August 13th, kick off 3pm.
