Match Reports

Nationwide League Division 1

23 Oct 2002: Sheffield Utd 2 Stoke City 1 Att: 15,163

LUCKLESS POTTERS HOPES SLASHED BY BLADES AND REF by AndyP

Well this was an eventful outing to South Yorkshire, with plenty to talk about. Our carfull of Leeds Stokies set off about 6:15pm a little later than hoped, and having heard of trouble and tailbacks on the M1 between junctions 37 and 39 on Radio Five Live, we took the "scenic" route via Wakefield and Barnsley along the A61 until we found a clear stretch of motorway! As a result we arrived 15 minutes into the first half, which was pretty good going considering some of the horror stories being told by those on the official coaches.

After the Wolves display I hadn't held much hope of Stoke getting anything at Sheffield Utd, and feared a bit of a drubbing. However Stoke actually played very well in this game and deserved something from it. Dave Kevan made a change to the starting line-up, bringing Mooney back into the front two after serving his suspension, and dropped Vanduerzen to put Hoekstra out on the left flank. Summer signing Greenacre had a place on the bench again as he continued his recovery.

According to some owd fella behind us Stoke played well in the first 15 minutes, but we wouldn't know, we were trying to find somewhere to park! However as we finally took our seats the tide seemed to have turned and Sheffield started to create some chances and put us under pressure. We arrived in time to see Tonge hit an 18 yard shot wide, and 2 minutes later Allison blasted a 10 yard shot wide from an angle on the right. On 19 minutes Thomas was skinned on the right and the cross in was chipped goalwards towards Allison at the far post, but he couldn't head home. A minute later Cutler was down to smother a weak 20 yards effort after the midfield had opened up. On 24 minutes Cutler made a fine save with his legs as a fine move opened up Stoke and Asaba got in a shot from 15 yards looking odds on to score.

Stoke gained a little composure and for a short spell began to pass the ball with purpose and got forward for the first time since we'd arrived. Still on 30 minutes Cutler had to smother a hard low cross at his near post after another decent Sheffield move had got in down the wing. Two minutes later Mooney headed over from 16 yards after a deep cross from Gudjonsson on the right. On 33 minutes O'Connor had a shot deflected for a corner, and they won another a minute later when Gudjonsson's cross had to be turned behind. From the resulting panic clearance Hoekstra put in a low cross which Mooney hit just wide. Then the game swung back to the other end as first Culter smothered a 20 yard effort, and on 36 minutes Allison was guilty of an awful miss heading wide when free from 8 yards, a chance that should have been in the back of the net.

Stoke bounced back again as a fine move released Mooney and he slipped a geat ball inside to Cooke who could only shoot wide from an angle 10 yards out. Stoke still seemed capable of pressing the self-destruct button, and Gunnarsson was booked for foul giving the home side a freekick 23 yards out on the right side. The cross was headed out by Mooney and Hoekstra was able to beak and run upfield. However we'd soon given away possession again and Cutler had to be down sharp to his right to smother a 25 yard shot made possible by our midfield being opened up. On 41 minutes Thomas conceeded a silly freekick on the edge of the box that was close to a foul inside, but luckily the set-piece was curled over. Just before half-time Gunnarsson made an excellent challenge in the box to prevent an effort on goal, giving away a corner in the process. It was fruitless and it was all evens at the whistle.

Half-time entertainment was provided by some horseplay admist the Stokies in the upper tier of the stand, and in the melee someone's shoe was thrown on to the asphalt below! The unlucky victim then had to ask the steward nicely if he could go and retrieve it! What Dave Kevan said in the dressing room obviously worked because Stoke came out on fire in the opening stages of the second half forcing 3 corners early on. Great play from Mooney set up Hoekstra and his shot was blocked. Two minutes in, good work from Thomas won a corner and from the resulting period of play, Hoekstra got in another low shot. On 51 minutes Clarke put in a decent cross and Cooke met it only for it to be saved well by Kenny near his post. Two minutes later Mooney picked out Gudjonsson who whipped in a cross and Hoekstra was there to head it and force another good save. The rebound fell to O'Connor whose shot appeared to be handled on the line, but despite being close to the incident referee Graham Poll refused to award what looked a definite penalty.

Sheffield went down the other end and headed over from 10 yards from a corner on 55 minutes. On 57 minutes a cross from the right caused Cutler terrible trouble, and he flapped and missed, and luckily the ball fell to a Sheffield forward who put wide when a goal looked likely. In the same minute Stoke went down the other end and good play by Cooke put in Hoekstra who danced past a couple of defenders, made room for the shot, and seemed certain to score, only for his 8 yard effort to be brilliantly saved again by Kenny, looping it over for a corner.

So despite looking the better of the two teams in the second half, Stoke got a real kick in the teeth on 62 minutes. Sheffield United broke upfield and as one Stoke defender was fouled in trying to clear the ball referee Poll ignored this but immediately blew for a free kick to Sheffield for an incident which quickly followed. From the set-piece the Blades sent the ball into our area and when another cross came over to the back post it was clear for all to see that a Stoke defender attempting to make a headed clearance was shoved under the ball. Of course Poll ignored this blatant foul, allowing Ndlovu to fire in an angled drive which smacked against the far post before rebounding out and hitting an unfortunate Handyside, sending the ball into the net for an own goal! It was terrible luck for Stoke but it was shameful that the referee twice denied Stoke a justifiable free-kick in the lead-up to the goal. This started loud sustained chants of "one-nil to the referee" from the Stokie travelling support.

Stoke tried to bounce straight back and on 67 minutes Gudjonsson's cross from the right was attacked by both Mooney and Hoekstra resulting in them missing it! Two minutes later a brilliant ball looked to have put Mooney in right down the middle but it hit him on the back of the foot when he looked set for a one-on-one with the keeper Kenny. Typically from that incident that might have drawn us level, seconds later Sheffield went up the other end and won a penalty. Thomas hacked down Tonge who was heading towards the line when there was no need for a challenge, and Poll pointed to the spot. Brown dispatched the penalty to make it 2-0 to Sheffield when minutes before they looked on the rack.

To their credit the Stoke players came at the Blades again, roared on by the fans behind the goal they were attacking. On 74 minutes a Clarke free-kick was headed on to the bar by Shtaniuk, and just as the rebound looked to be falling for Mooney to score, it was cleared for a corner. On 76 minutes Stoke won free-kick 25 yards out on the left side, but before it was taken the hardworking Cooke made way for Greenacre in a tactical switch. Hoekstra sadly drove the free-kick well over. In another switch Goodfellow replaced Gudjonsson on 80 minutes, while at the other end Cutler waved at and missed a Sheffield corner, but amazingly so did the waiting forward!

Stoke got back into the game on 84 minutes with a goal from Greenacre, his first for the Potters. A Clarke free-kick was cleverly flicked on by Goodfellow between two defenders, and Greenacre darted in to lash a 10 yard shot in off the underside of the bar. A minute later Goodfellow chose to ignore an unmarked O'Connor's call for a square ball on the edge of the area, and clipped a cross to the far post where it just eluded Mooney. On 86 minutes it took a fine challenge by Handyside to cut out a dangerous low cross which he turned out for a corner. That was headed well wide.

Stoke had one last real chance to rescue a point when on 89 minutes a great counter attack with Clarke and Goodfellow linking well, slipped in Greenacre and he drove an angled 15 yard effort just wide of the far post. Sheffield managed to run down what was left of the clock with some time-wasting and taking the ball up into the corners, and Poll no doubt took great delight in blowing for full-time and a 2-1 victory to the home side.

Team Marks:

GK Cutler (6) Made one good save but flapped at crosses and looked shakey as they came over.

RB Thomas (5) Got forward well once, but passing was largely poor. Gave away a penalty when there was no need to dive in.

LB Clarke (7) Good going forward. Still not tight enough on his man.

CB Shtaniuk (7) Good defending on the whole. Unlucky with header

CB Handyside (7) Again good defending with one vital challenge. Unlucky for goal.

RM Gudjonsson (7) Better than against Wolves. Decent runs and link up play, and some telling crosses. Unlucky to be subbed.

CM O'Connor (7) Super James is back! We looked stretched in midfiled sometimes but he was always there to put in a timely tackle and win it back. Good going forward too. Had a shot that was goalbound until handled on the line [STARMAN].

CM Gunnarsson (6) Looked good going forward. But gave the ball away too often.

LM Hoekstra (7) Good touches in the build up, wons some headers, and tackled back too on occasion. Looked better on the flanks than as a striker. Had enough chances to have scored at least once. Finishing let him down.

CF Mooney (7) Added some bite to our forward line. Also involved in our best build up play. Caused Sheffield some consternation. A welcome return

CF Cooke (6) Worked hard, and looks better with Mooney as partner. Let down by finishing.

SUBS

Goodfellow (7) Came on, and provided clever flick for Greenacre's goal. Also put in cross for late Mooney effort. No real chance to use his pace.

Greenacre (7) A superb finish at the sniff of a chance. Unlucky not to have equalised in last minute.

Conclusion

Stoke played very well for much of this game and deserved something from it. The second half display was excellent, going at Sheffield from the start and it was the unlucky own goal against the run of play that altered the course of the match. Even at 2-0 down they battled on and could have still earnt a point. A great display by the travelling fans who sung loudly (and top work from one lone fan who gave renditions of "When you're smiling" and "Home on the range" on his own, much to the bemusement of the coppers!) Another great chant from the Stokies was "Anybody's barmy army!" The home crowd were very quiet even at 2-0. Terrible. Probably realised they didn't deserve it. Any way we were ultimately let down by some bad luck, poor finishing, and finding their keeper in good form. Overall it was an entertaining end to end match with both sides playing good football, but that is no consolation after two straight defeats. Oh, and one final word about the referee. Tool. That ought to suffice.

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