Saturday, March 21, 2009

Stoke City FC 1 v Middlesborough 0

Shawcross does it again with late headed goal......goooooo.....aarrrrrn!!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

EVERTON 3 STOKE CITY FC 1

Everton enjoyed a pretty leisurely first half,coming into the break comfortably placed 2-0 up.Their first goal was scored by Brazilian striker Jo.Sadly the home team's second has to be classed as a blunder by Thomas Sorensen.The keeper should have done better with Jo's header.He palmed the ball directly to Lescott to present him with an easy tap in finish.

Throughout the half Stoke did not mount any real attacking challenge.

In the second half a different Stoke side emerged.They proceeded to boss the game especially after Shawcross headed home from Lawrence's corner on 53 minutes.Five minutes later The Potters could have been on terms,Higgy's header going just wide of Howard's right post.Against the run of play Everton got a third when Abdy Faye's part block on Fellani's shot wrong footed Sorensen.

On the balance of the two halves Stoke could consider themselves unlucky not to emerge with a point.

Results elsewhere see us back in the bottom three

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Record Signing Kitson Returns To Reading

Stoke City's £5.5m record signing Dave Kitson has returned to his former club Reading on loan for the rest of the season.

Reading are currently well placed for the Championship promotion run in.Though they are 4 points behind Birmingham,who are in the second automatic promotion spot, they have two games in hand.Reading have also re-signed winger Glenn Little who failed to make an impression at Portsmouth.

Promotion for Reading would mean that the Kitson move would become permanent.

Potentially a good move all round then.....things have not worked out for striker Kitson, with no goals to show for his stay in the Potteries,so there is every possibility that the Potters will recoup some of their substantial outlay come the end of the season.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Inch By Inch We Are Getting There!!

STOKE CITY FC 2 BOLTON 0

The Proud Potters continue to inch toward Premiership safety.Another cold night at The Brit,with a good snow shower before (and during) halftime.Our heroes came through a stiff challenge from a capable Bolton team,netting twice and keeping a cleansheet.The three points lifts us out of the bottom three,to a respectable 15th place in the table on 29 points.

James Beattie continues to prove a fabulously astute signing.His opener on 14 minutes being his 5th goal in 7 starts.Class by anyone's standards.Who made the goal for him? Mr Whelan !His thrust through the centre and header forward to set Beattie clear was superb.Beattie one on one with the keeper.....you just knew he was going to score....its been a long while since we have had a striker who inspires such confidence.

Bolton made a strong start to the second half.Tony Pulis countered by putting Ricardo Fuller on.We only had to wait to the 73rd minute for this to pay off.Who was the inspiration?Mr Whelan!He struck a fierce shot from the edge of the penalty box.Keeper Jaaskelainen could only parry away.The ball fell to Fuller who lashed it into the net.Game over.

Oh the clean sheet? Sorensen looked accomplished,pulling off some fine saves,one in particular from a Taylor freekick.Abdy Faye and Shawcross were magnificent in defence.Alongside them Wilkinson continues to get better and better,especially going forward.MOTD pundits drooled over the intricacy of the West Ham build up to Carlton Cole's goal at Wigan.Sadly they never showed some fine interpassing between the Stoke players leading to a Wilko/Fuller/Wilko one two,with the fullback's shot on the run going narrowly wide of Jaaskelainen's post.

You may recall that when he was a Reading player Ibrahima Sonko often got onto the score sheet.He was unlucky not to add Stoke's third on the night when his powerful header smacked against the Bolton crossbar.

A fine,mainly confident performance from the Potters.This is no longer a one dimensional team,reliant on setplays and throw ins.We are playing some good football,the manager has a much improved squad to work with,we don't look out of place in this league.

Long may it continue....GO....ARRRRN STOKE! (and.....Mr Shearer thinks we are going to stay up too!!)

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Potters Late Show

ASTON VILLA 2 STOKE CITY FC 2

Stoke were not really at the races in this match,until the last 5 minutes.The Potters stubborn defence in the first half was finally breeched by Bulgarian international Petrov in the 45th minute.

It all looked to be over when substitute Carew doubled Villa's lead midway through the second half.

With nothing to lose Stoke came on strong in the last 15 minutes.Ryan Shawcross got one back in the 88th minute heading in James Beattie's excellent cross.One minute into added on time sub Whelan netted from 20 yards out to give the mighty Potters an unexpected but very welcome point.