Tony Pulis’s Stoke reign began 300 games ago with a 4-2 defeat at Walsall and chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing”. These days, he is worshipped from the stands at the Britannia and here he maintained a happy knack of picking up points just when they are needed. Pressure had been building after one league win in nine, but Danny Higginbotham, Mamady Sidibe and a hugely popular goal from the outstanding Matthew Etherington ensured Pulis celebrated his latest landmark with a timely victory.
A tussle between the Premier League’s 11th and 12th-placed sides, overseen by two managers who favour substance over style and who between them in their 46 games this season had mustered 44 goals, hardly augured well for a thrilling contest. Yet Higginbotham, with his first goal since October 2008, gave the game the perfect start after nine minutes. Rovers failed to clear Liam Lawrence’s inswinging corner and Higginbotham, lurking on the outskirts of the area, swung a foot at the dropping ball, catching it sweetly enough to send it through the crowded six-yard box and past Paul Robinson.
The rest of the half was something of a long-throw fest, with Rory Delap’s exocets causing marginally more problems than Morten Gamst Pedersen’s doodlebugs. And, indirectly, it was a Delap throw that prompted City’s second. Etherington picked up the pieces of a missile sent too deep and swung it back in for Sidibe to bundle home on the line.
City twice came close to extending their lead by the hour mark. Robinson produced a superb save to deny Ryan Shawcross from an Etherington corner and from a similar set piece Martin Olsson cleared off the line to deny Higginbotham a second. Sandwiched between those headers, Chris Samba was sent off for a second bookable offence, bang to rights after pulling back Ricardo Fuller. And Blackburn had scarcely looked like getting back into the game with 11 men.
Robinson produced another excellent save from another Etherington corner, this time via a header from Fuller, and the winger finally took matters into his own hands, swapping passes with Lawrence before curling home the best goal of the day, and the most popular given the player’s recent off-field worries. In the end, the scoreline flattered the visitors.
Premier LeagueStoke CityBlackburn RoversJohn Ashdownguardian.co.uk
