Stoke 0 – 0 Boro

Stoke City Boro
Possession
Shots
On target
Corners
Fouls
62%
13
1
7
8
Possession
Shots
On target
Corners
Fouls
38%
11
4
2
10

Goalless in the Potteries

Redcar Red reports on the stalemate at Stoke…

Boro’s tea-time trip to the Potteries had a bit of extra edge with the return of Tony Pulis to the club where he spent nearly ten years as the Manager who last guided them to the Premiership. Boro’s resolute defiance against Palace mid-week I’m sure will have resonated with Gary Rowett on what his side have to do to try and get one over TP. Creativity and the lack of it seems to be something that his Stoke side have been criticised for lately. It’s also something that has been levelled at TP’s Boro side this season as blank sheets became the norm for his strike force in October.

Stoke had conceded just two goals in their last five games so low scoring Boro on paper were unlikely to cause much consternation for Jack Butland. Like Boro their defence is the foundation that Rowett is building his side upon and again like Boro they have been in for some stick for being too slow in getting the ball out from the back to attack with any tempo. On Wednesday night it has been much debated on social media that perhaps TP’s solution to the lack of goals and creativity was staring at him out on the pitch. After such a strong case it will be interesting to see who makes the starting eleven and who makes the bench considering that Ayala is suspended for this one and both McQueen and Shotton are out injured so there should be at least two spare seats on the subs bench and with it a feasible reasoning for inclusion of our young talent.

As we had hoped there were indeed two seats reserved on the bench for Tav and Wing. Batth was filling in for Ayala and Fry covered the RB slot with McNair on the Bench. TP received a warm welcome from the home fans as expected as the two sides assembled for the minutes silence just before Kick Off on a very windy (is it ever not windy at the Bet365?) evening.

The game started at a “testing” tempo with both sides resolute, keeping their powder dry in the opening ten minutes with nothing of any major note happening. Maybe it was the timing of the match or it simply being selected for TV but the ground seemed sparsely populated despite the claimed 24,500 crowd and if it wasn’t for the wind cutting in from the exposed corners there wouldn’t have been any atmosphere at all. On fifteen minutes Afobe had a chance but was superbly marshalled by Batth and his effort didn’t trouble Randolph. At the other end Hugill was battling alone and making things difficult for Shawcross which the duel saw plenty of pushing and shoving but more of which I’ll come to later.

Stoke had most of the possession and were pushing Boro but we didn’t look seriously troubled. The back line of Friend, Flint, Batth and Fry dealt with everything hurled into the box from a few Stoke free kicks and corners. Being honest at this stage it was so predictable I think I could have written the match report last week as both sides didn’t look like scoring and as a contest it must have been pretty dry to watch for any neutrals. The Hugill/Shawcross battle saw Hugill get the better of him on a break only to be fouled which meant Shawcross entered the Ref’s book. Up until this point challenges on Hugill seemed to be fair in the eyes of the officials despite one high attempt, yet if a Boro player so much as breathed on Afobe or Berahino the Ref Rob Jones immediately blew. My bias is obvious but I did get a feeling that tonight’s Ref wasn’t as even-handed as he perhaps could and should have been when it came to Strikers being manhandled. Perhaps Hugill’s recent history had caught up with him like the boy who cried Wolf.

Four minutes after booking Shawcross, Rob Jones then blew for a foul in Boro’s favour after a scrappy battle which continued in the heat of the moment with Clayts sliding in on Etebo. Despite play already stopped for the earlier infringement, Jones decided to book Clayts for his lunging challenge for which the ante had been upped in the earlier scrap for the free kick. Arguably Clayts should have kept a cooler head but the Ref should have been stronger and quicker in my mind in blowing for the original foul. So the yellow card count was now 1-1 and things were back level again. That spark however fired a bit of life into Boro with Braithwaite hitting a dipping shot over Butland but it was directly at him and was easily collected out of the air. Downing then cut inside and fired a shot from outside the box which again required Butland to be alert in dealing with it.

Shawcross was then guilty of a “svelte” block on Howson as he ran into the Stoke box but the Ref bottled the decision as it was either a foul and a sending off for Shawcross for a second yellow or a booking for Howson for simulation. Had it been at the other end, I think we would have seen a second yellow and it occurred to me that Ayala wasn’t playing tonight and maybe that was a disguised blessing of sorts. For the silly yellow card, Clayts then made amends of sorts with the most entertaining bit of skill on the night, he dummied a ball cleared out of the Stoke defence, made a faux attempt to play the ball, let it drop, shielded it, spun around leaving his opponent dizzy and chasing his shadow putting Boro back on the attack.

Two minutes after Boro’s purple patch, Berahino was put through, fired a shot that fortunately was anticipated with a wonderful reflex reaction again from Batth in blocking the attempt to keep Randolph safe. Next up was Dael Fry to head away an Edwards cross destined to find Afobe as the half was closing in on the forty-five minute mark. One minute of added time drained away as the sides went in for the break with both Managers probably comfortable with their defences.

There was a lot of passing and grafting in the first half but little real quality on show. Besic had a few moments but nothing spectacular except for an over-hit ball, which rankled the away fans huddled in the opposite corner. Braithwaite also saw plenty of the ball but never really looked like he knew what he was going to do next with it.

The sides recommenced the second half with the same individuals as had finished the first half. A moment of genius or madness depending upon your half-full or half-empty perspective came from Mo when he played a 30 yard ball back to Randolph who unable to handle it had the presence of mind to head it clear for a throw in. Moments later Batth again saved the day to the point where TP will be hard pushed to find a reason to drop him after Ayala has sat this one out serving his one game suspension.

The game went into a slightly more entertaining phase as both sides attacked and left some openings at the other end but in truth it was looking very unlikely that either would score any time soon. Afobe was irked at the linesman on the far side as he flagged him offside when he felt he had sprung the trap. That was as about as riveting as the game had become as it entered the last thirty minutes. TP clearly thought the same and hooked the disappointing Dane for Tavernier.

A cutting incisive ball through to Hugill saw him charge past Shawcross, who couldn’t foul him for fear of a sending off, for a one-on-one with Butland. Jordan went for the keepers near post and the tightest angle to which the spreading Butland was equal to it and with it went the best chance of the night.

Tav was covering the left side but his pace was now a different challenge for Stoke to deal with. Five minutes after Tav had come on it was Lewis Wing’s turn to take to the Championship stage after almost a two month absence. Surprisingly it was Downing who came off with Howson going wide right and Wing playing just behind Hugill. A hustle in the Stoke box saw Wing scrapping and although he lost his tussle the ball broke from the hassled Stoke defender to Howson who was Jonny on the spot (well edge on the six yard box anyway) but Butland made his second close range save this time courtesy of his outstretched legs. Those two opportunities could have won it for Boro and were the best chances of the night but it wasn’t to be.

The most interesting aspect of the game for me came when we were repelling Stokes late desperation to clinch a winner. A cleared ball out found Hugill who held the ball up then laid it off for Wing who played a ball out to Tav to run onto, which was the move of the night in terms of no slow predictable passing, just a series of quick intuitive gut instincts which would have been perfect for those of us to yell from the rooftops to TP “see we told you” but excitement got the better of Tav and he lashed his shot high, wide and handsome. Whilst it didn’t come off, allied to the Palace game, there does seem to be an understanding, awareness and appreciation between the trinity.

That breakaway may have factored into Rowett’s thinking so much so that he made a triple last ditch substitution with boo-boy McLean, Crouch and Bojan coming on for the last ten minutes. Almost immediately Stoke hoofed balls towards Crouch but Batth, Randolph and Flint were unfazed and cleared everything thrown at them. A bloody and battered George was planned to make an exit after being on the receiving end of a forearm smash with Saville and then McNair stripped to replace him but our Captain wasn’t giving up any time soon and indicated his determination to carry on right until the end.

The final few minutes saw a Corner for Boro from which we failed to capitalise on with a poorly hit lofted ball easily dealt with by Butland. It ended 0-0, which wasn’t exactly the surprise result of the weekend and kept Boro in third spot at least until Leeds play on Sunday. MOM was between Friend, Clayts and Batth for me but it has to be Batth who was making his first Boro Championship appearance. He was cool as a cucumber all evening and can rightly consider himself harshly treated if Ayala reclaims his place on the basis of this evening’s performance.

If only we can sort out the sharp end of this side but how many times have we said that. I do feel however that there is something between Hugill, Wing and Tavernier if given the chance and persevered with. Fast, crisp and different qualities between the three of them, Hugill may not be the 25 goal a season Striker we want but his bustling disruptive style seems a good foil for the other two.

If you wish to leave a comment about Redcar Red’s match report please return to the Week 14 discussion page