Stoke 3 Blackburn 2 – 10/3/23 8pm
City looked comfortable at 3-0, and then suddenly Rovers brought it back at the end to 3-2! Only one side looked like a Top-4 side, and Stoke should have finished the game in style instead of struggling at the brink. What on earth happened?! Here’s what:
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Yep, Alex Neil’s 30th league game in charge, & he needs a result or people will say his stay has become stagnant; stalling at a 33% win rate at the lower end of the championship. Here he has his chief defenders & keeper ripped out (injured), so look out for newbie Axel Tuanzebe at the back. You can’t miss him.
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2.03 As Tuanzebe fluffs a clearance, the unlikely named Rankin-Costello rambles through to shoot wide. He shoots like he sounds. Smallbone’s ears are red with cold!
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6.02 Rovers fans already questioning the repository likeness of the stadium, but it’s another poor crowd, no doubt caused by SKY TV live coverage (& the smattering of snow on the hills).
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10.10 Great break by Stoke down the left, with the final pass to Smallbone whose shot hits the bar.
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23.17 1-0 !! Hoever half-volleys a Gayle cross from the left which seemed to have looped over everyone. Rovers certainly don’t look Top-4.
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35.40 Pickering plays the ball back to keeper Aynsley Pears who blasts the ball right at Harry! Boy is he surprised. Full tilt as well!
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37.17 Gayle is tumbled in the box, but he just looks fragile! Nothing given.
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42.15 Smallbone tripped in box! Replay clearly shows it. 30 seconds later he hits a shot from outside the box, Pears beats it away, and Josh Laurent crosses back in and…
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42.59 2-0! Hoever diving header at the far post! He’s on a hat trick!
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45.00 Gayle handles in the box – well, he protects his face from a thunderbolt. Should be a penalty.
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HT 2-0 City
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48.26 Gayle turfed off the ball as Rovers try a new ruffian approach.
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Attendance 19427. They’re clearly not all here though!
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52.55 Travis hits a decent shot for Rovers, but it’s just wide. But it’s the expression of surprise by Bonham who dives full length none the less. Weird.
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60.10 Smallbone blasts over when it seemed easier to score!! Tyrese crossed it beautifully for him from the left, so he won’t be pleased.
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68.10 Sterling yellowed for time wasting over a throw in. Dumb.
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73.50 Smallbone goes down, and it looks like a dive, but the ref dishes out a yellow to Morton all the same.
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74.55 3-0 !! Tyrese rockets the loose ball home, after Laurent does all the work on the left.
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75.35 Josh Tymon on for Gayle. Brown moves up front.
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78.42 Rovers players march arms raised at the ref!!! For a split second, he looks in some peril!! Awful. One yellow issued for this.
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81.10 Clucas and Thompson replace Tyrese and Pearson.
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85.35 3-1 !! Slack marking as Brittain crosses from their right and is easily headed home at the far post by Brereton. Bit of a surprise.
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86.50 Lewis Baker on for Laurent.
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89.22 3-2 !! Gallagher makes it TWO! A superb header in the corner! What are City doing?!?
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90+5 Stoke hang on!! For 3-2, and almost creep into the top half.
