03-01-2022, 22:08
Stoke City 1 Wilmott Preston North End 2 Potts Hughes
Stoke City line-up: Davies; Wilmot, Batth, Chester, Fox; Clucas, Allen, Vrancic (Brown, 75); Campbell (Doughty, 69), Fletcher (Surridge, 52), Ince. Subs not used: Bonham, Smith, Brown, Oakley-Boothe, Wright-Phillips.
PNE line-up: Iversen; van den Berg, Bauer, Hughes; Potts, Browne, Whiteman, Johnson (Ledson, 88), Earl; Riis (Sinclair, 80), Evans (Maguire, 89). Subs not used: Ripley, Lindsay, McCann, Rafferty.
Attendance: 20,002 (1,603 PNE fans)
Referee: Mr J Simpson
Fifth visit to the Bet 365 fifth win, still one of the coldest grounds in the world but always win there, first game for 20 days since our enforced Covid break and a well deserved win against a City side who looked a shadow of the side they were at Deepdale earlier in the season.
Was hard work actually getting into the ground, wave your phone at the girl on the Covid section, doesn't look at your phone gives you a pink wrist band, through the search and then have a dog bat-rking at your nadgers allegedly looking for drugs
Potts at wing back was an interesting choice apparfently played at right back for Carlisle.
There wasn't a lot in the first half thought we shaded it although in truth neither keeper had much to do.
Inc looked dangerous for 15 minutes before fading like he usually does when he plays against us, Campbell got into a couple of good positions and wasted them. Whiteman shot easily dealt with by Davies probably our only effort on target. Earl selling Ince a dummy was the highlight.
Needed something special to get the game going and within 30 seconds we got and how, at times you have to just say nothing anyone could do about that as Wilmott from about 40 yards hit a first time shot which absolutely flew into the net, wonderful strike out of context with anything that had gone before. For ten minutes we were all over the place nearly went two down following an almighty goalmouth scramble but from that moment the game changed, Began to dictate, Johnson and Earl linking well and it was from that source we scored, a non too shabby effort either, Johnson to the back post and Brad Potts scissorkick smashed the ball home, he celebrated by diving into the away end, possibly to make a point.
We looked the more likely side to score the winner and that duly came about ten minute from the end, Whiteman corner Hughes heads home
The aftermath
![[Image: 0-EA890-E2-6488-4-E8-C-B2-B8-995-A8-BE48-CC2.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/0jcvGbT/0-EA890-E2-6488-4-E8-C-B2-B8-995-A8-BE48-CC2.jpg)
Apart from save at his near post Iversen was untroubled as we took the points, nine points from the play offs with games in hamd surely not, the Championship is wide open this season could be a fun ride
Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Stoke:
"We were in a very good position in the game, I thought first half we played well, our final ball was poor, we got into good areas but didn't make enough of that.
"We go ahead, and it's a great goal from Ben, and have chances possibly to make it 2-0, and then we lose a poor goal. We've got to defend the goal better, we didn't get pressure on the ball at any point in the build-up.
"Then I think our play deteriorated, we found it difficult after that, we had to make substitutions to get energy into the team, which whilst it brought us energy I think it diluted a little bit of our quality at times.
"But we lose a goal off a set piece. It's a corner, we should defend it better and that's the differential in the game.
"But the concerning thing is we're ahead in the game again and we come away with nothing."
Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"The players, credit to them, they've stuck by what we've asked them to do over the time.
"We've had a tough period of being off with the Covid situation, the training ground was shut, they've had four days of work into them into what we wanted to do and it's paid off.
"I thought the two goals were well-worked, thought we could have scored early doors. When they score a worldy strike you think 'is that just it, is that going to seal the game?'
"But no, fair play to our lads, they had that character and that resilience to keep going and get two good goals."
Stoke City line-up: Davies; Wilmot, Batth, Chester, Fox; Clucas, Allen, Vrancic (Brown, 75); Campbell (Doughty, 69), Fletcher (Surridge, 52), Ince. Subs not used: Bonham, Smith, Brown, Oakley-Boothe, Wright-Phillips.
PNE line-up: Iversen; van den Berg, Bauer, Hughes; Potts, Browne, Whiteman, Johnson (Ledson, 88), Earl; Riis (Sinclair, 80), Evans (Maguire, 89). Subs not used: Ripley, Lindsay, McCann, Rafferty.
Attendance: 20,002 (1,603 PNE fans)
Referee: Mr J Simpson
Fifth visit to the Bet 365 fifth win, still one of the coldest grounds in the world but always win there, first game for 20 days since our enforced Covid break and a well deserved win against a City side who looked a shadow of the side they were at Deepdale earlier in the season.
Was hard work actually getting into the ground, wave your phone at the girl on the Covid section, doesn't look at your phone gives you a pink wrist band, through the search and then have a dog bat-rking at your nadgers allegedly looking for drugs
Potts at wing back was an interesting choice apparfently played at right back for Carlisle.
There wasn't a lot in the first half thought we shaded it although in truth neither keeper had much to do.
Inc looked dangerous for 15 minutes before fading like he usually does when he plays against us, Campbell got into a couple of good positions and wasted them. Whiteman shot easily dealt with by Davies probably our only effort on target. Earl selling Ince a dummy was the highlight.
Needed something special to get the game going and within 30 seconds we got and how, at times you have to just say nothing anyone could do about that as Wilmott from about 40 yards hit a first time shot which absolutely flew into the net, wonderful strike out of context with anything that had gone before. For ten minutes we were all over the place nearly went two down following an almighty goalmouth scramble but from that moment the game changed, Began to dictate, Johnson and Earl linking well and it was from that source we scored, a non too shabby effort either, Johnson to the back post and Brad Potts scissorkick smashed the ball home, he celebrated by diving into the away end, possibly to make a point.
We looked the more likely side to score the winner and that duly came about ten minute from the end, Whiteman corner Hughes heads home
The aftermath
Apart from save at his near post Iversen was untroubled as we took the points, nine points from the play offs with games in hamd surely not, the Championship is wide open this season could be a fun ride
Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Stoke:
"We were in a very good position in the game, I thought first half we played well, our final ball was poor, we got into good areas but didn't make enough of that.
"We go ahead, and it's a great goal from Ben, and have chances possibly to make it 2-0, and then we lose a poor goal. We've got to defend the goal better, we didn't get pressure on the ball at any point in the build-up.
"Then I think our play deteriorated, we found it difficult after that, we had to make substitutions to get energy into the team, which whilst it brought us energy I think it diluted a little bit of our quality at times.
"But we lose a goal off a set piece. It's a corner, we should defend it better and that's the differential in the game.
"But the concerning thing is we're ahead in the game again and we come away with nothing."
Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"The players, credit to them, they've stuck by what we've asked them to do over the time.
"We've had a tough period of being off with the Covid situation, the training ground was shut, they've had four days of work into them into what we wanted to do and it's paid off.
"I thought the two goals were well-worked, thought we could have scored early doors. When they score a worldy strike you think 'is that just it, is that going to seal the game?'
"But no, fair play to our lads, they had that character and that resilience to keep going and get two good goals."
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?