Re: Stoke blog
SpikeYeah, a complete freak goal really. A lot to do with the conditions. I think in normal conditions that ball bounces through to Etheridge no problem. I'm also still not convinced Campbell touched it, which I also think threw Etheridge.
On the other stuff, yeah - I thought the guy had a lash on the touchline and should have gone. Ref didn't deal with it and it led to another incident a couple of minutes later, fair play to James - he stood up for himself, 17 year old kid against two Stoke "hard men"...the only other unsavoury incident was the junior DVB throwing himself over trying to win a pen.
Otherwise though, I do have to say - I thought fair fecks to both sides. It was a really good game in diabolical conditions. Both teams having a go, inevitable mistakes in those conditions but a lot of good play as well. No bad tackles worth worrying about, both teams had spells on top. Both teams would have felt unlucky if they lost. We made light of a bingo machine back four. It was good. A real antidote to a lot of the turgid shit I see these days.
It was just a shame O'Neill couldn't come out and say that after the game rather than his usual bitter pisshead nonsense. I thought both managers' players we a credit to them and I think both sets of fans enjoyed a rattling match...and I think sometimes, quite often theses days, managers forget that that's what it should be about.
I was in the paddock with the Stoke fans. We all thought Campbell was well off but also he got a flick on the cross that deceived Etheridge. It was well taken