Stoke 0 Leicester (2) 5 – 3/2/24 3pm
Stoke were beaten and outclassed by a ludicrously better side, albeit helped by a compliant referee. Steven Schumacher will be under no illusions as to what the task is to turn the club around after this. How he is to achieve this is another matter. Here Steven Schumacher talks at the post match press conference:
Here’s how this punishment unfolded in real time:
Like Christians to the lions, Stoke face the rampant Foxes. Keeper Iversen can’t play against his parent Leicester, so Bonham returns; as do Hoever and Pearson. Newbie Niall Ennis waits on the bench, whilst other newbie Million Manuef is introduced before the game like he’s worth several Million.
5.07 Campbell isn’t just out-jumped, Tyrese doesn’t even attempt to go for the ball. We’ve done Christians vs Lions, next will be Men vs Boys. Leicester look like they’re playing a practice game, assured and relaxed.
9.45 Campbell finally does attempt a tackle, but gets a nasty tap on the ankles for his sins.
13.25 Great save by Bonham, tipping the ball over from a header from Jannik Dewsbury-Hall. Leicester look like they could do this all day. Daka then proves the point by also putting a header in, but wide.
26.01 0-1 !!! After a contested free kick involving yellowed Leris (replay throws doubt on ref’s decision!), Patson Daka taps home from a dinky cross from Fatawu after good work from Dewsbury on the left.
29.30 0-2 !! Deflected shot by Kasey McAteer off poor Ben Wilmot means Bonham doesn’t even move, apart from to collapse after the ball hits the net. Dismal.
38.30 Burger puts in strong tackle on McAteer, who gets up and pushes the argumentative Wouter over! Yellow card not red!! Weird. Stoke fans reckon ref isn’t as clever as he thinks he is.
HT 0-2 to city…
45.00 Newbie Niall Ennis & Junho on for Pearson and Leris. Junho gets yellow carded almost immediately. Crowd furious.
Attendance 22657
57.05 Gooch and Tyrese replaced by Lowe and Vidigal.
62.43 Bonham almost caught dawdling with a Rose back pass…
63.46 Penalty !! Thompson brings down hairy Wout Faes as he tries to power through the defence. Jordan barely grazes him, but the ref is feeling generous.
65.18 0-3 !! Daka sends Bonham the wrong way. Daka does a cartwheel.
68.32 Hoever down with cramp. How’s that??
70.40 McNally on for Hoever.
72.01 Good move by Lowe, but…
72.13 0-4!! Leicester break and it’s crossed from the right for Jamie Vardy to make it 4. Men against boys.
75.52 Somehow Stoke fail to score with two point blank chances! Junho and Wilmot denied. Well-worked free kick though.
82.45 Wilmot brought down on the right wing…and the ref gives nothing! He is LIVID. few Stoke fans left or see it.
96.10 Penalty !!! as Rose trips Dewsbury on the break. Rose yellowed.
97.20 0-5!! Vardy sinks it.
98.00 That’s all folks!
