Having missed the QPR game (weekend trip back to the UK to see friends which left me with a hangover and a couple of busted ribs) but been more than mildly encouraged by comments from others and the highlights, and given the other results in the interim, the permutations for last night’s game were simple enough: win and we put seven points between us and the drop zone, moving back alongside Norwich and Sheff Utd, teams that nobody expects to get relegated. Of course the reverse also applied: lose and we are back looking over our shoulders, hanging on the results for Portsmouth and Blackburn on Saturday ahead of our clash with the former on Tuesday night. With our opponents without a win in five games and depleted by injuries, but still harbouring play-off ambitions, nobody could call the outcome with any confidence.
Well, we got that massive win. It wasn’t pretty, a tight game in which the first goal if it came would probably be the winner, one that could have gone either way. We dominated the opening spell and had good chances to take the lead, but once Stoke got into the game their passing and movement carried danger and they had a couple of first-half opportunities, both of which fell to Rak-Sakyi. And for much of the second half they looked the more likely to nick one, although from set pieces especially we carried a threat too. Then it was one mistake capitalised on and we took the points. Deserved/not deserved? Doesn’t come into it. We scored, they didn’t. And we needed those points more than them.
Nobody would have been surprised or upset if Jones went with the same team/squad as for the QPR game, but that all hinged on any injuries or tired legs in need of a rest. In the event he opted for just one change, with Godden replacing Kelman up front for his first start of the season.
The opening 15 minutes was all us. Clarke timed his run well to meet Carey’s corner but his header crashed against the underside of the bar and out. A lofted ball forward found Dykes between defenders and able to move towards goal. He chipped the keeper but it seemed to be weighted as one to run on to rather than with enough power to find the net and he was beaten to it by two defenders. Another corner found Jones at the far post, but with the ball at an awkward height he opted to hit it on the volley and sent it just wide. And another cross, this time from right to left, found Ramsay but his header was too close to their keeper.
Four passable chances to take the lead. We were almost running riot. But we failed to actually score and the rest of the game would be markedly different. As if to drive home the point the next opportunity was crafted by Stoke. A one-two outside our box and Jones was for once caught out not tracking/staying goalside of Rak-Sakyi. The ball was slid into his path, Jones was unable to get to the ball (his only option would have been to bundle Rak-Sakyi over and face the consequences, which he wisely opted not to do). But Rak-Sakyi put just a little too much on the shot over Kaminski and it clipped the crossbar.
The rest of the first half was nip and tuck. Their triangles and movement contrasting with our more basic approach – which is no criticism, you play to your strengths. The only further chance of note came late on when Rak-Sakyi was able to advance into our box. Bell showed him the outside and he took that, then sent his shot over the bar.
The stats at the break showed we had only 38% possession but 10 attempts on goal, two on target, against two and zero for them. Pretty much summed things up. Both managers were probably fairly content and urging more of the same, only this time put the ball in the net.
We nearly did that early in the second half. Another ball over the top found Godden with a yard of space. He was still a fair way out, on the right side, but tried to lob their keeper. It may well have gone in had it not taken a slight deflection off their defender and ended up clearing the bar for a corner – another which was to see the ref trying in vain to limit the number of offences being committed by both teams.
On 60 minutes Campbell came off the bench to replace Godden, to operate as the second striker. It offered a different threat, one which with hindsight worked out rather well. Stoke were still a danger, but we usually had the bodies back to prevent anything clear-cut, while the dangerous, driven low crosses from their left which flashed across our goal failed to get the touch they needed (and their manager after the game criticised the inability of their strikers to make the effort to be in position to score from them).
On 69 minutes TC provided his trademark cut inside from the left and shot, this one well saved by their keeper. And after more changes by Stoke to provide fresh legs, just when all the talk was about us running out of gas as against QPR, on 80 minutes the goal came. Kaminski’s kick out was touched on well by Dykes, but there still seemed little danger until their centre-back made a pig’s ear of an interception/clearance. Campbell was through on goal. His first touched seemed to be heavy and I thought their keeper would smother it, but TC still managed to get the first touch to move it around the keeper, then tucked it into an empty net.
On 83 minutes we made our second and final change, Coventry coming on for Carey with the obvious intention of tightening things up and holding what we now had. And there was really only one moment of alarm, as a tired Ramsay was done like the proverbial kipper but their guy failed to make the most of the space created. Four minutes of stoppage time were negotiated and cue celebrations.
It is hard to overestimate the importance of the three points won (our first win since before Xmas which wasn’t assisted by one or more red cards). On Saturday we can relax and hope that Sheff Utd trounce Portsmouth and QPR see off Blackburn – as despite the travails of Leicester and West Brom those two surely still have to be seen as the most likely to take the third relegation place (I know Oxford aren’t done yet) – and prepare for Tuesday night, for what remains a real six-pointer at The Valley against Portsmouth. We obviously owe them one for that ridiculous winner at their place (that point dropped and the extra two for them, plus our failure to beat Blackburn from two up still stick in the throat). That said, the reaction of Portsmouth and their fans to the death of Headphones Norm merits nothing but praise and respect. For that alone I hope they avoid the drop – just not at our expense please.
