Nine-man Stoke City crash at home to Tony Pulis’s West Bromwich Albion
Stoke 0 - 1 West BromJose Salomon Rondon 45 +2:45
At least one man who reserves a place in his heart for Stoke could savour this. Tony Pulis, City’s manager for 464 games, saw his West Bromwich Albion side chalk up their first win of the season and elevate themselves from the foot of the table thanks to a first goal from his, and their, record signing Salomón Rondón. Pulis had been afforded a rapturous reception by the Stoke supporters and, with rapid rethinks, he played a part in a welcome win for Albion. Yet while the Welshman profited with his opportunism, his triumph owed rather more to the ridiculous indiscipline of his former club.
Stoke’s self-destructive streak surfaced in twin instances of needless petulance as two midfielders were sent off within the first 31 minutes. While the referee, Michael Oliver, made a convenient scapegoat for many at the Britannia Stadium, Ibrahim Afellay and Charlie Adam were the architects of Stoke’s undoing. They had looked the superior side with 11 men and still seemed the more progressive with 10. They stood no chance with nine.
It had seemed another landmark occasion in Stoke’s progress as, for the first time, Xherdan Shaqiri and Afellay, the flagship signings from Inter Milan and Barcelona, started together at the Britannia Stadium. If it was supposed to herald a new era, Stoke found themselves in the familiar position of mounting a backs-against-the-wall operation for two-thirds of the game after their creative contingent of three was reduced to one by similarly silly sendings off.
Afellay was the first to go. He was fouled and goaded by Craig Gardner but responded by slapping the Albion midfielder’s face. It qualified as violent conduct and Oliver decided it warranted the maximum punishment.
Remarkably, Stoke lost a second player in equally needless fashion six minutes later. As Adam tackled Craig Dawson, the West Brom right-back went to ground. Amid a tangle of legs, the Scot stamped on Dawson’s thigh. The observant Oliver spotted it and expelled Adam.
Stoke’s immediate response to being reduced to 10 men had been positive. Mame Biram Diouf latched on to Gareth McAuley’s poor header and lobbed Boaz Myhill. But, with McAuley putting him under pressure, he headed over the unguarded goal.
When Stoke were down to nine, however, Albion took the attacking step. Off came defensive midfielder Claudio Yacob, rendered surplus to requirements by the dismissals of Afellay and Adam, and on came striker Rickie Lambert. If Albion’s initial 4-1-4-1 formation seemed unambitious, they were now confronted by a Stoke side playing 4-4-0.
The merits of a strike pairing soon became clear. Lambert’s fine goalscoring record for Bristol Rovers and Southampton often obscured the reality that he is also an excellent crosser. He picked out his fellow forward Rondón and the Venezuelan angled his header back across goal to find the far corner of the net. Jack Butland, who had saved well from James Morrison earlier, was given no chance.
It was the first repayment on the £12m investment Albion made in their biggest buy. The travelling Baggies launched into a rendition of “Da Doo Rondón”, the Crystals-inspired addition to their songbook, while the Stoke supporters concentrated on booing Oliver.
The proactive Pulis promptly removed Gardner, who had been booked when Afellay was dismissed. Albion ought to have ensured victory, with Rondón and Darren Fletcher coming close to scoring a second goal. Yet their failure to double their lead offered Stoke’s nine remaining men hope.
To their credit, they never gave up, but Albion never needed last season’s top scorer. Pulis had again omitted the Tottenham target Saido Berahino, despite the chairman Jeremy Peace’s declaration that he is not for sale at any price, while there was no place in Stoke’s 18 for the unsettled Jonathan Walters. That had seemed a sign of Mark Hughes’ enviable attacking options. As Afellay and Adam made their exits, he may soon have wished he had picked a player with the Liverpudlian’s calmer temperament.
Guardian
