Thread: Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur

Originally Posted by woody08

i've a mate who lives in australia and he says most pubs show PL games on different channels, so if you want a bit of craic with your mates and a good pint, head down to your local!!

i dont have any mates lol but also the tottenham game isn't being repeated at all otherwise i would of been down the local 'sports' club watching it today. I will have to make do with highlights on 101goals in some foreign language :/

Tony's View:





Tony Pulis paid tribute to the way his Stoke side kept pushing forward with 10 men as we ran out 2-1 winners at the Britannia Stadium.

Eidur Gudjohnsen scored a fine opener just 20 seconds into the second half and Stoke were reduced to 10 men when Dean Whitehead picked up a second yellow card four minutes later.

We were on top at that point but didn't add to our 1-0 lead and the home side got a way back into the game when Benoit Assou-Ekotto was penalised for a foul on Dave Kitson and Matthew Etherington levelled from the penalty spot.

Ricardo Fuller then missed a golden chance before we took a foothold in the game again and scored a cracking winner when Gudjohnsen dummied for Niko Kranjcar to smash home.

Pulis said: "It was disappointing that within four minutes we had conceded a goal and had a player sent off. It's always an uphill battle from there but the lads kept going and created more chances."

[QUOTE=THFC6061;185090]STOKE CITY 1-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR





Goals from Eidur Gudjohnsen and Niko Kranjcar secured a memorable 2-1 victory over Stoke City.

The two second half goals, either side of a penalty leveller by Matthew Etherington, were the product of a performance of both graft and guile - a display which makes it six Premier League away wins this season.

Two changes were made by Harry Redknapp for this collision on a wet and windy afternoon at the Britannia Stadium. Peter Crouch and Younes Kaboul were drafted into the side in place of the injured Jermain Defoe and Wilson Palacios, who started on the bench.

There was a Rory Delap sideline launch inside the first 30 seconds just to get his arms working - Michael Dawson dealt with the threat admirably.
The conditions at pitch level were blustery and the opening 15 minutes of the game was very much the same, lots of huff and puff from Stoke in their attempts to ruffle feathers in the early exchanges.

There was another injury scare when Gareth Bale, who appeared to be getting into his stride, slid and had to receive treatment for a knee injury. Thankfully he was quickly back in action.

Thomas Sorensen saw action for the first time on 18 minutes when Niko Kranjcar unleashed a shot from outside the area. The Dane got his body behind the shot but could not hold and only just grabbed second time around before the on-rushing Crouch got a toe to the ball.

Bale was on the receiving end of some robust shackling, with Ricardo Fuller booked for chopping him down - not the first time he was felled in the opening 20 minutes.

Abdoulaye Faye headed narrowly wide from a Dave Kitson flick on in what was probably the first real high alert.

Roman Pavlyuchenko pulled up with what looked like a hamstring problem just after Heurelho Gomes was forced into a sprawling save to thwart a Kitson header. The Russian was replaced by Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Bale came mighty close to sprinting past two defenders just before the break and was only stopped in his tracks deep inside the Stoke area, a few moments before flighting over the bar from a free-kick.

After a fairly torrid first half, the second opened with Crouch lobbing in the direction of Gudjohnsen, who held off the challenge of Faye before smashing past Sorensen to send the travelling thousands into raptures.

Dean Whitehead, who was carded for a nasty challenge on Luka Modric in the first half, repeated the offence on the same player moments after the goal. A red card was duly issued for a spiteful raised foot.

Modric then exchanged passes with Gudjohnsen before sprinting through and firing in a shot that Sorensen did well to hold on to.

Danny Higginbotham threw his body in the way of goalbound Kranjcar effort after more fine work from Gudjohnsen, who was clearly in the mood for more goals - he was inches away from nodding home a Kaboul centre minutes later. Bale also just failed to connect with a devilish second cross from Kaboul.

After such a period of pressure it was a severe blow to see the scores level on 63 minutes - Benoit Assou-Ekotto was adjudged to have climbed over Kitson in the area. Former Spur Etherington finished calmly from the spot.

Stoke should have taken the lead on 69 minutes when Crouch headed a cross away straight to Delap, who miscued in the direction of Fuller and the big striker then shot wildly over with the goal at his mercy.

Bale was very close to making contact with a Kaboul drilled cross with 15 minutes remaining before the lead was taken again in scintillating fashion.

Bale played in Assou-Ekotto down the left and the full-back pushed on and squared away from goal in the direction of Gudjohnsen. The striker elected to cleverly decline the invitation to shoot and left for the on-coming Kranjcar who made no mistake, smacking past Sorensen to make it 2-1.

Stoke made a couple of changes but the next big chance fell to Bale after a dash down the left, the Welshman drilling across the face of goal.

Gomes came to the rescue when a Kaboul header back came up short and the goalkeeper's legs got there before substitute Mamady Sidibe.

The boys were having to brave it out as we entered stoppage time and even Sorensen was joining the attack. The outcome was a hard fought and a richly-deserved three points.

















I was at the game on sat, and i thaught i was brilliant!! There were high's and lows, and the main thing was that although stoke tried to bog us down with their style (lack) and took a lifetime with their throws it was a HUGE 3 POINTS and a big step in the right direction.

I was at the game, and thaugh us away fans there were outstanding, and over about 90mins they only outsung us for not even 10mins (60-70th min). An even my cousin (potter) So credit to all who made the trip up there.
I was situated right behind the goal in row 2 and i didnt see the krankjar goal until it litrelly smashed passed the Sorenson and u can actually see me in wearin a white cap right above the ball on the krankjar finish photo above!! Haha brilliant day out for sure!! Wel done lads.

Hahahaha, GTGio!

Maybe Niko used you as his 'sighter'? He probably thought: "I'll aim, as if I was going to hit the guy in the white hat!"

I was a bit further back than you (right behind the lower tier of seating) and more to your left.

HARRY ON GUDJOHNSEN:

Eidur Gudjohnsen won the praise of Harry Redknapp after opening his account in Saturday's fine win at Stoke City.

It was a goal to remember as Eidur chested the ball into Peter Crouch, got onto the return pass and held off Abdoulaye Faye before firing into the top corner.

The Icelandic striker entered the fray in the first half after Roman Pavlyuchenko picked up a hamstring injury and he was key to our second half performance.

As well as his goal, Eidur was involved in most of our attacking play and played a key role in the winning goal as he stepped over Benoit Assou-Ekotto's cross for Niko Kranjcar to blast home.

"Every day in training he's worth watching, believe me, he is a fantastic footballer," said Harry. "He really turned the game around with that goal. It was a fantastic goal.

"You don't play for Chelsea and Barcelona if you are not a great player.
"He is a fantastic footballer in my opinion and he has just been unlucky that Jermain Defoe has been scoring and Pavlyuchenko has come in and scored and Peter (Crouch) has done a great job.

"The lads like playing with him, the likes of Modric, Kranjcar, they all play in a similar way. Technically he is top, top drawer."