Stoke City continued their good run in the Premier League with a 3rd straight win, as the potters brushed aside Blackburn Rovers by 2-0 at Ewood Park.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Matthew-Etherington-c24822 could have done better when he got a great chance in the first half, but there was hardly much action.
The 2nd half, though, was a much better game; the former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Marc-Wilson-c23501 put the game to bed almost in the final few seconds to complete
the 2-0 win.
The best chance for the home team in the game came to Grant Hanley- his header was well directed but http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Asmir-Begovic-c6841 was on duty to palm it away.
The last time Stoke and Blackburn played each other in the month of December was exactly 2 years ago. It was the first match in charge for former boss, Sam Allardyce.
That time, it was the home side that ended up with all 3 points with a 3-0 win, but there were no signs of them repeating that result as they were clearly the 2nd best throughout the 90 minutes.
The Rovers did not make many substantial moves and the opposition keeper was not at all tested. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nikola-Kalinic-c27943 and Hanley tried their luck from a distance but not with much effect.
Stoke should have had the lead in the first half, when Etherinhton got the ball inside the 6 yard box, but the player somehow managed to slash it wide from almost at the mouth of the goal.
The chance was created not surprisingly by a trademark long through by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Rory-Delap-c31779. The long ball was headed forward by Ryan Shawcross. The goal was at Etherington’s mercy but his left footed shot beat the keeper as well as the post.
There was a period where 3 quick cards were shown, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ryan-Shawcross-c31996 from Stoke, going into the Referee’s book. The first half ended with the teams on level terms
but it was clear that something more was needed for both to breathe some life into the game.
Whatever the two managers said in the half time break seemed to be working as the two teams came out for the 2nd half.
Stoke were the first to go on the attack, they got an early corner that was followed by 2 more dangerous long throw inns by Delap. The pressure paid off and finally the away side got the lead. It was the tall defender Robert Huth
who jumped high to meet the corner sent in by Etherington.
The home side quickly tried to respond, and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Morten-Gamst-Pedersen-c26824 did well to bend a free kick towards the Stoke goal, but he was inches wide and the score remained 1-0.
Despite the determination by Rovers, Stoke looked to be the more likely team to score again.
Blackburn started to pile on more pressure and in the last 20 minutes of the game, Rovers were almost camped in the Stoke half.
Blackburn tried to put on an intense amount of pressure but the Potters looked determined to get their 3rd successive win and held on. As the home side committed too many men forward, there was always a chance of them being
caught on the break. That is exactly what happened deep into injury time; http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ricardo-Fuller-c30989 got the ball out of his own box and made a dart towards the Rovers’ goal. He made an excellent pass to find Wilson who sent the ball in the back of the net to make it
2-0, securing all 3 points.
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