When was the pivotal moment of our season?

[joeymoose]

For most of this season I could not really believe that we would avoid relegation from the best league in the world. After watching the Potters for several decades I had begun to think that such wonderful things only happen to other clubs. I have suffered more heart-wrenching disappointments than I would care to remember. So when did this old pessimist start to believe that we could do it? The last 5 minutes at Villa.

Not only did I start to believe it, the players did too. Apart from the first half at Everton we have played with massive belief since then.

Just think back over the recent past. We seemed to lose most tight games 0-1. Now we win them. This side has more bottle than any Stoke team I've ever seen. And I've seen plenty.

[grayscfc]

signing Beattie & etho while those around us did fuck all.

[StokeOnTour]

Man city 1-0 win with 10men, unbeaten at home since then.

[y_oh_y_delilah]

You're probably going to get some daft replies Joey, even though the schools have reopened, but for me it was BT scoring against Citeh after going down to 10 men and then never really being threatened by c£60 million worth of so-called 'talent' after that.

[barmystokie1]

Man city home was huge!!!! but I do agree that the pivotal moment was villa as they have just taken that momentum through becuase as the time Villa were fighting for champions league place and were expected to win (especially 2-0 up with not long to go) and now they believe they can beat anyone....MASSIVE

COME ON STOKE

[barmystokie1]

Man city home was huge!!!! but I do agree that the pivotal moment was villa as they have just taken that momentum through becuase as the time Villa were fighting for champions league place and were expected to win (especially 2-0 up with not long to go) and now they believe they can beat anyone....MASSIVE

COME ON STOKE

[knowles]

Manchester City. The win brought together any rifts there were in the camp after what happened at Upton Park. To win when everything was stacked against us was absolutely remarkable. Since then, we have lost twice.

Equally though, the Villa Park 5 minutes helped give the momentum a kick up the backside.

[liamscfc]

Has to be Man City game for me was a massive win with 10 men.

[cr4zyd4ve]

I think that's fairly unanimous then. For the record I agree, that win was massive, especially playing with 10 men for so long. I also enjoyed all the stick that Robinho got in that game, even though it would appear he was innocent, can’t get them all right can we!?!

[stantheman]

Seeing Robiniho do a foul throw ;D
Oh, the £120,000 paid to him that week was money well spent!.
STM

[roylandstoke]

Beattie's goal against Man City, and The Roar when we all recognised that all of us pulling together could really make a difference.

[carverdoone]

Without a doubt Man City. It was 31st January and our last win was WBA on 22nd Nov. After a run of hard matches it was the first of my earmarked 'winnable' matches. For me a defeat against City would have been very, very serious.

[cr4zyd4ve]

It was a great cross and a great header aswell. Hart had no chance!

[assessornum1]

WBA away made me think we were staying up

[Irish Stokie]

Im going to go with the City one as well as the last minute collapse at Stamford Bridge absolutely killed me and im sure the players took alot of motivating to get over it and went off to Dubai and came back and got spanked against Spurs and i taught that unless we beat Citeh we could have been in the middle of a season ending form crisis. We got the goal, made by our 2 new signings and it was just an unbelievable game to be at

[snapotter]

For me too - Man City at home......that goal.......that roar.......that WIN!

(There was a quite a spell when I thought we'd changed our name to "Ten Man Stoke". After the Man City game I thought "well, we only need ten men.";-

[jord]

i think man city game was massive it bought us out of our slump and its been all up since then

[nick_stoke]

Final whistle man city. If we'd gone down that game the run of bad form would have continued for god knows how long. it also just about made up for the most heartbreaking event of my life (chelsea game) not only that it really showed everyone that the home atmosphere could really have a genuine impact on the game. So important that game. really shows how such a small change in events could have completley changed what state we are in now. god bless james beattie!

[s8to]

The Newcastle or the Villa away match 2 0 down... 2 2 draw.. Those results keep you in the league!!

[salopstick]

i have banged on all season about the fixtures

we all new we woulds struggle at times but we all believed there could be three worse teams than us

looking at the fixtures in september and then late december january it showed than instead of getting hammered every other week we could get lots of mini runs going particulary at home leading to feb/march/april with a very easy (realatively speaking) run in compared to other teams expected to be in or around the bottom with us.

by getting all the top four fixtures out the way early and our impressive home form there has not been much need for tony pulis to have to lift the players after a defeat most weeks somthing happening regualry at west brom, boro newcastle etc

so for me its when the fixtures were released

i always believed

[Deleted]

when we beat bolton 2-0 is my opinion,but i must admit , that was a magnificent effort against man city, rounded off with a fantastic goal by james.

[moortownpotter]

Defo Man City at home. But a best supporting oscar would go to Villa away.

I remember seeing us get beat at Sunderland and being very, very worried. More fool me!

[PickSCFC]

aston villa away

[mermaidsal]

Might sound a weird choice for the pivot but I'd say West Ham away. We saw how it could all go wrong if we lost our unity and really it's all been on the up since that day.

[march4]

The roar with 10 mins left against Man City was a very special moment. Fans and players seemed to realise we could beat some of the Premiership 'fancy Dans'.

I think the game at the Hawthorns was the moment when we KNEW we were going to stay up. A little bit like Coventry away last year.

[Beardy200]

The Baggies away for me. If we'd gone there and lost then things could have been very different i think.

[Bick]

For me, the 2-2 at Villa. Just think it gave us a HUGE lift

[Trubritt]

i agree with all who say man city,momentous day and live on tv too

[edouardlapaglie]

I'll agree also, when i saw the title of this thread i thought 'Man City' - up until then we were in the poop, 19th in the table following a terrible December and January up until that fantastic result and performance, and since then, from strength to strength away from the relegation zone.

[Nobby's scrotum]

last 20 minutes aston villa away. that was the turning point for stoke.