Stoke 2 Huddersfield 1 – 11/9/21 3pm
After a grim first half, Stoke came back to go 3rd, helped by a comical own goal. That’s the way it crumbled for Huddersfield, who huffed & puffed but caved to O’Neill’s Stoke. Here’s how the game unfolded in real time:
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We’re back, after a LONG international break. Joe Allen looks like he’s a victim of that, replaced by debutante Romaine Sawyers, with Fletch rested for Surridge. In fact MON’s five new signings all start: Vrancic, Wilmot, Surridge, Sawyers and Oystercard (damn this autocorrect!!)…I mean Ostigard! So, a real test of MON’s judgement here!
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0.35 Surridge gives keeper Lee Nicholls a playful shove like they’re old mates, although Lee doesn’t give off that sort of vibe.
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9.10 Vrancic receives the ball, and does what he seems to always do which is to look up to see if he’s close enough to shoot…even if he’s half a mile away! He’s then floored half-way inside the Town half. No, SuperMario, don’t shoot from there! Instead, his dipping cross is just headed over by Surridge.
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14.42 For some weird reason Surridge decides not head the cross from Wilmot, and dangles his legs vaguely at the ball. Fletch would have buried that…possibly.
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21.14 As everyone gets frustrated by Nicholls wasting time, we focus on the wild gesturing of manager Carlos Corberan, or octopus man as he’s soon to be known as.
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26.05 A brilliant corner set-piece, involving flick-on header, completely foxes Stoke. Thankfully, Town cock it up. Stoke floundering, but there’s only Joe and Fletch of any note on the bench…unless you’re considering…Tom Ince!
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32.05 Fraizer Campbell has been Ostigarded!! Ow!
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HT City 0 Town 0 – My, that was DULL!
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46.47 0-1 !! After Joe Bursik saves a free kick with his feet, the Stoke defence are too slow to clear and Harry Toffolo easily stabs home in the corner. Very poor defending.
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49.14 1-1 Jacob Brown heads home a Vrancic corner. More awful defending!!! Dull first half, explosive start to the second!
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Attendance 20,447.
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61.43 Duane Holmes takes AGES over long throws…and the crowd screams at him every time to get on with it. He just stares at them as if he’s enticing obscenities. However, the ref sees right through him, and he is yellowed!!!
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62.58 2-1 !!! Own goal!!!! Vrancic crosses, and Pearson puts it in his own net under pressure from Surridge.
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67.05 Finally, Joe Allen on for Sawyers.
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78.17 Two shots blasted at Wilmot, but they bounce back off him like he’s a piece of granite! Solid lad! Fletch on for Surridge, who has to walk all the way around the outside of the ground.
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85.05 As Joe is unfairly yellowed (standing his ground to stop a free kick being taken too quickly, 2 seconds after it’s been given, not giving Joe time to move anyway…!), Doughty comes on for Vrancic.
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87.30 After some great work by Brown, he sets up Clucas to blast over in the style of Tom Ince! We’ll have to call him Tom Clucas at this rate.
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90+5 FT City 2 Town 1. Stoke are 3rd= with mighty Fulham. Good show.
