Thorne quite rightly will capture the headlines after blagging a superb hat-trick against his previous club and doing a ’Christian Roberts’ by not celebrating any of his goals. No worries Thorney, we did it all for you!
City were professional rather than spectacular, deserved and fairly comfortable winners but conceded two sloppy goals to make the game unnecessarily close at the demoralised Britannia Stadium, more like a Pussycat‘s Playground than Lion‘s Den at present. The only quality football came from Cardiff. Although far from their best, it was too much for a desperately poor Potters outfit, the final score flatters them. City fans rejoiced by chanting “going down, going down, going down” to the home fans, Stoke definitely had look, feel and atmosphere of a relegation side. Shame eh?
Well documented past problems meant it was compulsory coach travel but, even so, over 1,300 Bluebirds set off in coaches of varying standards and quality, a far cry from the turnout of less than 400 Stoke could muster at Parc Nin last month. Our coach wasn’t the quickest or the best but the radio, video and toilet worked - although it was high tide in that toilet coming back. The coaches all met at Stafford Services where ridiculous amounts of police were present to swap coach vouchers for match tickets and escort us to the stadium. The Lord Sam Hammam who left his Audi joined us there
in the services car park and hopped on a coach for the journey’s remainder after his car was trashed last time he took it to Britannia.
Question - If Sam’s Audi is C4 RDF, who owns the black Mercedes C1 RDF that passed us on the M50?
I don’t know the answer to that but one I do have has the answer at the end of this report. Before Thorney today, who was the last City player other than Earnie to grab a hat-trick?
Last time I visited Britannia Stadium, I thought it was an impressive Division Two stadium and with any luck, that’s what it will be again next May! It stands out built on high ground overlooking its dreary city, the police escort took us on a scenic route around it before we reached the away pen. I’m still trying to work out why stewards allowed City fans in through one turnstile unsearched if they showed their passes but searched through others if, like me, you didn’t bring it.
Once inside, the atmosphere under the away stand is best described as’ buoyant’, everyone in good spirits, most laced with spirits including a contender for the most drunken City fan ever seen inside a ground. Barely able to stand with lopsided shoulders, he was regaled with Pinnochio’s ‘I’ve Got No Strings’. How did that genius get inside?
The drink of choice was Kronenbourg on offer at £3.50 for two plastic bottles. “We f**king hate the West Country” was adapted to “We f**king hate the Potteries” and there was a 10 minute Sound of Music singalong of Doh Re Mi. With hundred of green plastic bottles around, there was an inevitability that someone would eventually knock them all of a wall which started a Formula 1 style celebration as plastic bottles, some empty some half full were flying through the air. Great banter but I think the non-appreciate police and stewards missed the point. By half-time, a lesson was learned as drinks were dispensed in plastic glasses - they lost their bottle!
Five to three, time to get inside and as far as Stoke fans were concerned, apathy rules ok? “Where were you at Ninian Park?2 chanted City but they could just as easily have chanted “Where were you at Britannia?“ as little more than 10,000 bothered to watch their side in a 12,208 crowd. The stands, normal pretty full, were all more than half empty and extremely sparse in places. The “10 boys“ they used to have to our left now numbering closer to 5.
As far as their singing went, there was a half-hearted airing of that nauseous ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ (Stoke being such a rugby hotbed of course!), one rendition of Delilah and the predictable but quite ironic “you’re not singing anymore” and that was it. Almost half of them left before final whistle, walking out on their side trying to get a late equaliser. No Great Britannia then.
City made one change with Willie Boland stepping in for Mark Bonner in central midfield, Bonns was one of several below par performers against Ipswich last weekend but his place was always the one most under threat. So they lined up Alexander, Croft-Vidmar(Capt)-Gabbidon-Barker, Robinson-Langley-Boland-Gray, Earnie-Thorne.
Stoke came into the game having dropped into the bottom three after midweek results and just one clean sheet in 17 matches. Away form is their major problem, the Potters having just lost their 8th successive game on the road. Home form is good, the club had collected only 2 points fewer at Britannia than City at Ninian Park although they lost their last home ground fixture to Crystal Palace 11 days previously.
Their line-up were Ed De Goey, Aussie Johnson making his Stoke debut-Thomas-Clarke-Halls, midfield of Halls-Eustace-Johnson-Hoekstra and physical but slow challenge of Gifton Noel-Willams and Carl Asaba. A pleasing omission for City was youngster Krissy Commons who scored and caused so many problems to Cardiff at Ninian but he had to take his place on the bench, a decision which annoys Potters fans too.
In a quick opening, both sides carved clear cut chances in the opening three minutes from which they should have scored. The first threat from Stoke as Peter Hoekstra (the Dutchman who played with Tony Vidmar at Rangers) took a ball on the left and fired a low ball behind City’s defence to meet Noel-Williams coming in at the near post but he hashed his shot and sent it harmlessly a few yards wide. Two minutes later it was City’s turn when Julian Gray won a challenge just inside the area and cleverly flicked the ball into the middle to present Earnie with a point-blank 6 yard header. Earnie made a rare cock-up by heading lamely straight at De Goey who was relieved to palm the ball away, just tow foot either side and he would have been helpless.
Stoke made a spirited start and tried taking the game to Cardiff, they caused problems but they looked pretty limited. Their style was very much huff and puff than imagination and craft. Cardiff were the only team playing football and able to sweep the ball around so it was a contrast of styles.
Cardiff had more chances in the opening half hour as Langley and Thorne both fired over from distance, Thorney’s effort having more venom and going closest. Stoke had another good shooting opportunity but Russell laughably hit his effort into the ground and dragged the ball a few yards wide. More laughable though was Gifton Noel-Williams spotting Neil Alexander off his line and trying to chip him from 35 yards. His sand wedge effort never had the legs and looked more like a back-pass, easily being taken by Alexander outside his 6 yard box to cries of “ee-awww” and “what the f**king hell was that?”.
City were slowly cranking things up and opened the scoring on 33 minutes. Richard Langley lined up a free-kick just outside the area, his effort looked to be on its way to goal but caught a defender’s head and deflected for a corner. From that, Langley’s corner was weakly cleared to John Robinson with a clear edge of area shooting opportunity. He found the power but not the accuracy in sending the ball across goal but it turned out to be the perfect assist running to PETER THORNE who steered it back across goal leaving De Goey helpless. City and ten players, celebrated wildly, Thorne showed few emotions having scored in front of the Stokies. As it was the opposite end of the field and shot from amongst a crowd of players, some rang home to find out the scorer so chants of “Peter Thorne is Magic” did not echo around, we didn’t really know he had netted for a little while.
Sloppiness however meant that the lead was only held for 6 minutes. Stoke broke on the left, City had things well covered and Noel-Williams cross missed everyone in the middle but Barker was slow to react to chase the ball and then close EUSTACE running in. Unchallenged, he hit a great low shot back across goal which tucked right inside Alexander’s far post but it asked questions, it was a giveaway.
Stoke fans loved it, some even started singing and getting passionate, but it was short-lived as little over 90 seconds later, City were back in front with the third goal in 8 minutes. Moving the ball quickly, John Robinson took possession wide and swept from his marker. What followed was a gem as Robbo cut in, looked up and hit a peach of a ball towards the penalty spot where PETER THORNE got goalside of his marker and planted a firm downward header past De Goey. Classic, quality football.
Stoke looked second best in most aspects in most areas and you felt that as long as Cardiff stayed focussed, three points would be the only acceptable outcome. Back to the bars to celebrate.
H/T: Stoke 1 City 2
Referee Alan Leake must have suffered half-time PMT as a good first half showing in which he let the game flow and rarely made a fuss suddenly saw him become whistle happy and stroppy. Within the opening ten minutes of the second half, Robbo and Earnie were booked, Robbo for protesting a bad decision and Earnie for shooting a fraction after the ref whistled spotting an offside flag. Not content with awarding harsh yellow cards, Leake also brought the ball forward 10 yards for Stoke although what difference is moving a free-kick from 80 to 70 yards of City’s goal, only the ref will know.
They were City’s only cards though but Stoke saw 4 booked, none for anything too serious and most because the ref had set precedents with his 2nd half bookings that he had to maintain although Akinbiyi could have seen red, not yellow, for a cynical hit on Chris Barker.
Stoke tried to apply pressure but never had sight of City’s goal as our defence were watertight, Gary Croft playing particularly well and Willie Boland effective in front of them. Ten minutes into the half, Stoke brought on Commons who livened them up but Cardiff’s defence were generally bossing things and also coping as Ade Akinibiyi was introduced for the final quarter but there was a surprise when Earnie was removed with 22 minutes left for Andy Campbell. Earnie was having a quiet afternoon and didn’t appear to be injured but it raised an eyebrow to see him go with so long left and the game not won.
We needn’t have worried. 72 minutes, City had a free-kick wide right. I haven’t a clue what happened to Stoke’s defence, no wonder they can’t keep a clean sheet, for as Croftie sent over an outswinging head height ball, City players were queuing up to meet it and take on De Goey. Gabbidon looked certain to score as he launched himself to head but missed but The Magic Man Peter Thorne was behind him and although he hardly got power on the ball, De Goey seemed glued to his line as the ball went across him and inside the far post. I doubt any player has celebrated a hat-trick less than Thorne but if you believe in fate, it was meant to be.
City fans were celebrating madly, those wearing hats for protection against a biting cold wind happy to take them off to wave at Stoke fans and sing THAT Peter Thorne song for a player whose strike rate, 8 goals in his last 9 league games, stands comparison with Earnie. The fans could be forgiven for switching off and celebrating with the game seemingly beyond doubt but the players can’t as complacency allowed a AKINBIYI to win a ball, get past Gabbi and Vidmar and fire home high 30 seconds after the restart. I missed it and I bet half the City fans did too.
There was a panic amongst City fans that we could blow a game where 4-1 would have been a fairer reflection than 3-2 but, to City’s credit, they closed out the final 17 minutes including 3 minutes added time, pretty well.
Cardiff nearly added to their tally twice as Gray then Campbell beautifully carved open Stoke on the left, Campbell found Thorne who was unluckily denied a fourth, his back heel near the far post being scrambled away off De Goey and a defender. Richard Langley came very close too after another quality run, including one-twos, sent him clear inside the area, his shot was too close to De Goey and just pushed away too. Langers’ parents was sat in front of me so I was glad he had a good game. Mind you, even when he hit a poor pass or lost possession, I couldn’t stop myself saying “unlucky Rich, keep at it”. His mum was as passionate as any City fan and a great laugh, his dad doesn’t look like someone to be messed with but he was all smiles and shook my hand at final whistle.
Stoke threw on Chris Greenacre for the final onslaught and with four strikers on the pitch, Lennie responded with an extra defender, Spencer Prior coming on for Julian Gray. But it was an onslaught that never happened, their only real effort at goal flew 25 yards over the bar, Jonny Wilkinson would have been proud of that effort. With the game deep in injury time, Stoke won a corner and sent Do Goey up and 21 players were in City’s area but Neil Alexander took the ball and that was it.
Upto 7th and with a midweek home game where a win could catapult The Bluebirds to 4th or 5th and their highest league standing for 30 years. Special times indeed - but we’ve still beaten nobody in the Top 11. Surely, now is the time to put it right.
The home trip was great if the police decided to escort down the motorway almost until we reached Birmingham. Our coach stopped at our favourite watering hole near the M50 where the Landlord and Landlady love us so much, they even allowed us to take our final pints, glasses and all, back to our coaches to drink going home as an early Xmas prezzie. What a lovely day.
By the way, last City player to score a hat-trick other than Earnie and Thorne today was Andy Campbell at Oldham when we won 7 - 1.
Report from FootyMad
A strong police presence only added to the tension in what is always a grudge match when Stoke and Cardiff go head to head. Pressure was added on the Potters with them slipping into the bottom three for the first time this season due to midweek results.
Early play produced chances for both sides but the crowd had to wait until 34 minutes before a goal was produced.
A poorly cleared corner by Stoke fell to John Robinson 15 yards out who hit a well struck volley but the ball deflected just inside the six yard box allowing ex Stoke forward Peter Thorne to poke home.
An equaliser wasn't far off and four minutes later, a Gifton Noel-Williams cross from the left was pounced upon by John Eustace on the right of the box and his shot was squeezed between defenders and into Neil Alexander's bottom right corner.
The first-half drama didn't stop there and five minutes before half time, the Welsh side resumed the lead.
Robinson assisted again with a pin-point cross from the right finding goal scorer Thorne loosely marked in the middle of the area, allowing him to nod the ball past Ed de Goey and into his bottom left.
The Potters came out looking more positive after the break but that did nothing to stop Thorne grabbing his hat-trick.
A Gary Croft cross from the right missed the diving head of Robert Earnshaw but was neatly finished with the ball being put straight under Ed de Goey at the back post.
Sub Ade Akinbiyi smashed one home in the 74th minute but despite Stoke's best efforts, it was Cardiff who got all three points.
Potters manager Tony Pulis said: "We are disappointed to score two goals at home and still lose, the third goal was such a poor one to let in and at 2-1 we still had a chance especially with the strikers that we have."
External reports
Football Echo
Western Mail
The Oatcake (Stoke City)
The Sentinel (Stoke City)