STOKE CITY: SEASIDE SUCCESS FOR POTTERS
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17:36 - 15 December 2007
Blackpool 2, Stoke City 3
Ricardo Fuller is back among the goals after bagging two to catapult Stoke towards a terrific away win at a chilly Bloomfield Road this afternoon.
Fuller netted in either half as City raced into a 3-1 lead just after the hour following a terrific first-half offensive against their gallant hosts.
But victory was far from certain by the end as Blackpool deservedly pulled it back to 3-2 during a late assault on Stoke's nervous rearguard.
And Ryan Shawcross was a lucky young boy to stay on the pitch after almost decapitating Andy Morrell late on when already sitting on a yellow card.
Shawcross, together with John Eustace, predictably returned from suspension at the start of the day as Stoke began the afternoon protecting a five-match unbeaten sequence.
Danny Pugh reverted to left-back from central midfield, while Andy Wilkinson was preferred to Gabriel Zakuani at right-back to combat the much-trumpeted threat of Wes Hoolahan on his return to Blackpool's left wing after injury.
The game was barely 20 seconds old when Stoke were very nearly caught cold as a right-wing ball left Ben Burgess swinging goalwards and forcing Steve Simonsen to fingertip round his right-hand post.
A swift break by Richard Cresswell down the Stoke left was aborted soon after as he missed the opportunity to cross earlier for the unmarked Liam Lawrence, who was screaming for the ball down the opposite wing.
Lawrence was soon taking matters into his own hands, however, cutting in from the left and seeing a low shot saved by Paul Rachubka after Ricardo Fuller chose to dummy the effort in front of the keeper.
City were back on the offensive as Fuller rounded Ian Evatt out wide and then saw his low cross smuggled behind for a corner at the near post as Lawrence again bellowed in vain.
Mama Sidibe and then Shawcross won important headers to clear in front of their own goal, but, by and large, it was Blackpool looking the more dominant aerially in the opening stages.
And it was Stoke's failure to adequately clear another high ball into their area that left Michael Flynn shooting from just outside the area - more in hope than expectation it seemed - but the ball evaded a thicket of legs and beat Simonsen's dive to his right.
That shook Stoke to the core and Blackpool's aerial power was evident again shortly afterwards when Cresswell was floored by a powerful challenge warranting extended treatment.
A penalty shout against Wilkinson's challenge on Claus Jorgensen was hopeful - as was Taylor-Fletcher's wayward effort 20 seconds later.
Stoke's growing frustration with the officiating was justified in the 22nd minute when a goal-kick was incredibly awarded after the Blackpool goalkeeper had narrowed the angle to superbly deflect Fuller's turn and shot off target.
The visitors then exerted a concerted period of pressure in the Blackpool third that was to climax with Shawcross hooking inches wide of the far post after latching quickly on to a half-cleared right-wing corner.
And there were more groans among the Stoke ranks as Sidibe flicked on to release Cresswell for a run and cross-cum-shot that was to infuriatingly bisect the far post and the waiting Sidibe.
Sidibe did make contact with the ball a minute later, but his header, from Delap's long throw, lacked the venom to perturb Rachubka.
Stoke remained the livelier of the two outfits past the half-hour mark - and a fine headed clearance in front of the Blackpool goal was needed to prevent a Shawcross header setting up a close-range finish.
City were creating yet another opening when Wilkinson combined well with Lawrence down the right before being granted a shooting chance that dipped beyond the keeper and just over his bar.
Stoke's deserved equaliser duly arrived in the 36th minute - and every Stoke fan would surely have nominated Fuller for the honour as he claimed his first in 10 appearances.
Sidibe won a free-kick on the right-hand edge of the area to leave Lawrence dinking into a crowded area for the keeper to only partially clear with a feeble palm to beyond his far post.
The ball dropped temptingly for Fuller and, with a sweet finish from a tight angle, he rocketed one across the face of goal and inside the far post.
City might even have edged in front within a minute, but Jorgensen fell into the path of a Sidibe strike to prevent the keeper being called into action.
The visitors maintained their unrelenting pressure as another Tangerine shirt threw itself in front of Pugh's angled drive from within the area in the 41st minute.
But the subsequent left-wing corner from Lawrence left Stoke's capacity 1,844 following in raptures again as Leon Cort rose unchallenged to nod in from six yards to spark joy in the temporary seating opposite the main stand.
Blackpool suddenly responded with their best spell for a long while as Simonsen saved a weak header, and then fisted away a far more threatening corner just yards from his own goal-line, but Stoke's half-time lead was more than justified.
Stoke in general, and Fuller in particular, picked up where they left off as they began the second half with a menacing foray in which Fuller ghosted past a couple of challenges in the Blackpool box before going to ground amid unanswered calls for a penalty.
Evatt's turn and shot won the hosts a left-wing corner that required some uncertain defending before Stoke could shut the alarm bells off.
The play remained pretty even for the opening 10 minutes of the second period in what promised to remain an entertainingly open contest.
Hoolahan was again threatening intermittently with occasional burst into the Stoke third, but fortunately for City continued to either choose the wrong option or have no option at all.
Hoolahan produced his best run shortly afterwards, however, and the ball was exchanged superbly in the Blackpool ranks before a Burgess shot was wonderfully blocked by Cort as he took no chances by throwing himself in front of both the ball and his own goalkeeper.
Simonsen was called upon shortly afterwards, but only to flex his fingers on couple of routine saves from soft shots.
But Blackpool's pressure was a timely reminder that the game was far from won - and worked wonders in enlivening home fans on the two permanent sides of the stadium.
But any stress was immediately lifted at the other end just after the hour when Fuller charged through onto a flick-on before finishing clinically past the advancing Rachubka to make it 3-1.
Eustace was forced to fell Hoolahan after a bold Stoke break had ended and left Blackpool counter-attacking at the other end after Cresswell was caught in possession inside the centre circle. But the subsequent free-kick was blocked by a disciplined wall to leave Stoke counting their blessings after some over-ambitious play.
Blackpool were devoting plenty of energy into their efforts to burrow their way back into the game - and a left-wing ball was only inches too high for Morrell right in front of the Stoke goal.
The appearance from the bench of David Fox, son of former Stoke keeper Peter, left him sitting deep and directing operations for a Blackpool outfit now able to shove Hoolahan into more menacing positions to try to retrieve a cause not yet completely lost.
A stooping header narrowly wide from Michael Flynn was another indication of the number of balls the home side were flinging into promising areas as they refused to give up the ghost approaching the final quarter-of-an-hour.
And Stoke enjoyed an even greater escape shortly after when the ball bobbled freely inside their area to leave Morrell stabbing wide when he should have scored.
City continued to be unnecessarily sloppy in silly areas to further encourage a home side still seizing the initiative approaching the final five minutes.
And Blackpool's lively response to going 3-1 down on 61 was finally rewarded with a goal on 88 when Shaun Barker met a right-wing corner to the far post with a header that Delap could only help into the roof of his own net.
The award of five extra minutes further spurred on the home side and home crowd for what suddenly threatened to be a distinctly uncomfortable finale.
And it wasn't long before a home free-kick out on their left was being dragged back for the unmarked Flynn to skid a low effort only a couple of yards wide.
Shawcross was then lucky to escape a second yellow for a horrid lunge on Morrell down in the right-back slot as Stoke endured more agonising pressure before time was finally called.
Blackpool: 1 Rachubka, 25 Barker, 3 Crainey, 17 Gorkss, 6 Evatt, 12 Taylor-Fletcher, 16 Jorgensen, 28 Flynn, 11 Hoolahan, 27 Burgess, 34 Slusarski. Subs: 14 Fox (for Jorgensen, 67), 9 Morrell (for Slusarski, 67), 20 Welsh (for Taylor-Fletcher, 87). Not used: 5 Jackson, 10 Vernon.
Stoke: 1 Simonsen, 28 Wilkinson, 14 Pugh, 5 Cort, 17 Shawcross, 7 Lawrence, 4 Eustace, 24 Delap, 9 Cresswell, 11 Sidibe, 10 Fuller. Subs: 8 Parkin (for Sidibe, 81), 31 Dickinson (for Fuller, 90). Not used: 25 Hoult, 21 Zakuani, 26 Pulis.
Referee: P Joslin (Nottinghamshire)
Attendance: 9,123.
Cards: Yellow: Blackpool - Burgess (ungentlemanly conduct,79). Stoke - Lawrence (dissent,15), Shawcross (ungentlemanly conduct, 79). Red: None.
Reader comments
I went the game and there was massive amount of stoke fans in the ground you couldn't move. It was on of the best games i have ever been to. Fullers seconed goal was the best goal in the match and Ryan Shawcross played extremely well and so did Andy Wilkinson
Josh Hughes, Chesterton
Another excellent away win which means we are now up to fourth in the table.What a massive game next weeks game is against West Brom who now have gone to the top of the table,what a lovely Xmas we will all have if the Potters can collect 3 points,it will we very tough but not impossible,come on Stoke!
derekb, codsall
