Andy Munro watches as Blues beat Stoke 2-0.
It was drinks all round but thankfully only for Blues fans as the mercenary management team returned to their old stomping ground. For once, the curse of returning managers or players didn’t strike us and, as far as BCFC is concerned, there is only one Gary and it’s not the one whose loyalty is only to himself.
To be fair, most Bluenoses would have taken a draw beforehand as even the commentator reading out the Stoke team struck a bit of fear into home hearts not least with the likes of Afobe and Crouch on the bench, such is the Potters. embarrassment of riches…probably even on a par with our ‘considerably richer than yow’ neighbours. In Blues case, Pederson obviously wasn’t fully fit but we had the very able Wes Harding standing in and also welcomed back Jota for a start.
The usual pattern was played out with Stoke having the lion’s share of possession and Blues edging the chances created only to be defied by Butland. This was apart from a couple of purple patches when we survived a couple of goalmouth melees. Yet it was Maghoma who put us in the lead with a (to use the in phrase) ‘worldy’ which, if it had been in the Premier League, would have had Shearer and the rest of the MotD pundits reaching for their incontinent pants.
As the second half progressed an increasingly impotent Stoke side as they couldn’t find their way through the Blues defence with Jota and Maghoma chasing back like their lives depended on it. So a desperate Rowett threw on the kitchen sink in Crouchie and Afobe. which even given the fact that the former is 72 must represent many millions of pounds. However, it was Blues who had the final say when they threw on the somewhat more modest free transfer/loanee Omar Bogle to fulfil a boyhood fan’s dream with what can only be described as an out of the worldy to seal the match.
