Birmingham 0 Stoke 0 10/4/23 3pm
Stoke took a point in a drab goalless draw. Here’s some remnants from this drabness in real time:
Time for Stoke to shake off Good Friday’s 1-2 blip against Bristol City, so Jagielka is rested (for Fox?? Why not Connor Taylor?) and Nick Powell is benched for Dwight Gayle. This side feels weakened. We will see.
12.25 Tyrese Campbell crosses from the left yet (again) to the invisible 6ft+ centre forward that Stoke don’t have. Might have worked (as it did on Friday) with Nick Powell…, but Dwight Gayle?!
17.50 Stoke fans so bored, they launch into a SECOND rendering of Delilah, a football song now sounding withered and dated. Hoever takes a knock, but looks like he will play on. Alex Neil takes his time getting his subs out, just in case.
21.40 Ben Pearson actually has a shot from the edge of the penalty area, just wide.
23.10 Somehow Marc Roberts avoids a card for an assault on Jacob brown from behind!! Replay looks like the police should be called. Disgusting!
26.05 Roberts then gets yellowed for a soft tackle on Sterling!! the ref obviously thought 2 wrongs don’t make a right.
30.09 Great lifting shot by Tyrese is just beaten away by keeper John Ruddy for a corner.
39.05 Birmingham’s George Hall gets hit in the face with the ball, and is treated for some time, with blood pouring down his face…but only leads to 3 minutes of time added!
HT 0-0 zzzzzz
45.52 Jacob Brown’s turn to put in a decent cross to nobody at all. Who does he think is going to be there? Tyrese?
49.18 Pearson’s stout back pass beats Bonham for an embarrassing corner. Not looking great fro Stoke.
55.35 Wilmot makes a brave tackle on breaking Bacuna, but he incurs a yellow card. The wall takes the brunt of the free kick though.
58.10 A great move involving Laurent and Gayle results in Tyrese belting the ball over the bar and injuring himself in the process. Are subs coming on??
60.20 Hoever fouled by Bielik, kicked whilst on the floor but goes unpunished. Replay is damning of Bielik.
72.10 Pearson finally gets his obligatory yellow card. Play is waved on initially, and sub Powell (for Gayle) tries to get a card too, but fails!
77.30 Stoke pressing, gaining two corners, but can’t press advantage.
78.20 Josh Tymon on for Tyrese.
86.10 Best chance for Birmingham, who haven’t looked dangerous all game. A corner is flapped at by Bonham, but the shot into an empty net is deflected away.
90+1 Fox blocks Birmingham’s best chance.
90+4 0-0. Definitely NOT a classic
