It will be three months tomorrow since Stokes first ever Premier league victory. Mamady Sidibe header a lead winner in a 3-2 succe s for Stoke and he repeated the feat today, heading home in the 84th minute to give the Potters all three points. The game though, was nothing like as entertaining as the end-to-end encounter with Villa back in August, Sidibes goal today beingone of only a fewtalking points in a game that otherwise failed to catch the imagination.Stokes matchwinner Sidibe battles Gianni Zuiverloon for the ball Stoke bo s Tony Pulis made two changes to the side that lost 5-0 at Manchester United a week ago, bringing in Dave Kitson for the suspended Ricardo Fuller and Tom Soares for Seyi Olofinjana, who was deemed only fit enough for the bench after suffering a knock at Old Trafford. There was no place for former Stoke favourite Carl Hoefkens in the Baggies eighteen, while Stokes summer target, the blunder plagued Scott Carson, started in goal for the visitors. The game started in scrappy manner, neither side being able to settle into their rhythm until Stoke won a corner in the eighth minute.Soares whipped in a dangerous ball, Sidibe climbing highest to meet it with hishead, only for his seemingly on target effort tostrike team-mate Danny
Zach Cunningham Jersey Higginbotham and bounce away from the danger zone. Shortly after, Stoke won a throw in well into the West Brom half. Unsurprisingly, Rory Delap threw it long, and in the ensuing penalty area melee, Kitson sustained an injury, remaining on the ground long after play had resumedat the other end ofthe field. The striker was, sadly, on the daythat was supposed to provide his chance to prove himself to the Stoke support, unable to continue, being replaced by Richard Cre swell le s than ten minutes into the match. A rare moment of cla s in a half, and a match that lacked quality came just two minutes later. Sidibe controlled the ball twenty-five yards out before hitting a powerful half volley that pulled a fine diving save from Carson. That was as good as it got in the first period, Stokes only other effort on target being a weak Sidibe header following a trademark Rory Delap long throw that did absolutely nothing to trouble Carson, who was able to collect it with ease. Albions best moment of the half came around the half hour mark, powerful striker Ishmael Miller, who was a handfull all match, dipping a volley onto the roof of Thomas Sorensens net from the edge of the penalty area. The action
NFL Houston Texans Jersey did pick up in the second half, Soares having a presentable chance to give Stoke the lead on 51 minutes when the ball fell to him on the edge of the Baggies penalty area following some good interplay between Cre swell and Higginbotham. Striking the ball with his weaker left foot though, the former Crystal Palace man wasonly able to force a routine save out of Carson, the ball travelling low towards the centre of the goal. Minutes later,the 22 year oldhad another chance to open his Stoke account, meeting Sidibes curling cro s from the left flank. His glancing header, unfortunately, flew straight into the arms of Carson. West Brom then had their best spell of the game, the lively Millers effort curlingwide after taking a deflection off Abdoulaye Faye, before Slovenian international Robert Koren could only guide his header past Sorensens left hand post after the Danish keeper failed to deal with Baggies captain Jonathan Greenings in-swinging corner. Miller and Koren failed to convert two of West Broms second half chances The spell of away pre sure prompted Pulis into his second substitution of the afternoon, swapping one deadline day buy for another, Michael Tonge replacing Soares on the right wing. Tonge soon found himself in the thick of the action, picking up the ball wide on the left flank and curling an effort at goal
Maliek Collins Jersey from an unlikely angle. The shot was though too much for Carson to handle, the keeper claiming the ball only at the second attempt. Tonge then drove a good looking cro s into the West Brom penalty area, Sidibe looking likely to make contact with the ball. Sidibe was muscled away by fellow African, West Brom centre half Abdoulaye Meite. Many Stoke fans, myself included, felt aggrieved that a penalty was not awarded, as Meite seemed to make heavy contact with Sidibe, denying him the chance to head the ball goalwards. Just over five minutes later, West Bromwere presented with by far the best chance of the game to that point, courtesy of Stoke skipper Andy Griffin. Griffin, who otherwise produced a good performance, was far too slow to get rid of the ball in the right back position and had it nicked away from him the Baggies Portugeuese midfielder Filipe Teixeira. The Albion man cut inside and had only Sorensen to beat. He was woefully unable to find the target though, slicing wide to Sorensens left when a little more fine se was required. With Miller also in a good position, and likely to have scored a tap-in if Teixeira had found the right ball, it really was a let off for Stoke. At this point, the game looked like it was heading for a damp squib of a 0-0 draw, and if
Jimmy Morrissey Jersey there was to be a goal in it, it was surely to be the winner. The goal did come, and indeed it was the winner, Tonge playing a fine ball to Higginbotham on the left wing, before Higginbotham lofted a perfect ball to Sidibe at the back post, who was able to climb highest a loop his header into the far corner of Carsons net, to the delight of the 23,000 Stoke fans present.Sorensen celebrates the goal West Brom were unable to conjure up much by the way of clear chances in the remaining five minutes of normal time, or the five minutes of added time which were played largely as a result of a back injury to Ryan Shawcro s,a sour note on a good day for Stoke.
Reggie Robinson II Jersey The final whistle came from referee Lee Mason, who many Stoke fans felt should have given more the way of the homeside, but in truth we did not need any decisions to go our way, as one goal, crafted from a quality cro s and a quality header was enough to seal all three points in a game that was defined by an abjectlack of quality play.Sidibe heads home his third of the season to give Stoke the winStoke team (4:4:2): SorensenGriffin Shawcro s Abdoulaye Faye Higginbotham Soares Diao Amdy Faye Delap Sidibe KitsonSubstitutions: Cre swell for Kitson (10), Tonge for Soares (65), Cort for Shawcro s (80)Subs not used: Simonsen, Wilkinson, Olofinjana, WhelanAttendance: 26,613
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