March 15 2006

Jobi McAnuff

There are some things in life that you can always rely on. Your train to work will always be the one delayed, that it is grim up north and to add to this list, that more often than not, Jobi McAnuff will play a blinder, by Simon Pophale.

Thankfully on a freezing night in Stoke, all three of the above were true as we ran out comfortable 3-1 winners.

Although it did not always look like we were going to take the 3 points. Stoke started brightly and Bangoura had a close range header saved on 3 minutes.

Stoke then had a few corners which they did not take anything from, while on 16 minutes, Marlon Broomes hit a 20 yard effort which Kiraly did well to tip over.

We had our chances too with McAnuff being the dangerman, After 4 minutes he hit a shot wide after good work from Johnson and Hughes, while he had another effort on 17 minutes that ended with Simonsen being forced into a save.

With the game in dead lock, there had to be a defining moment when on 22 minutes, Gary Borrowdale tackled Carl Hoefkens, which put the Belgian out of the game.

Lewis Buxton replaced him and 5 minutes after this, we put our noses in front. Emmerson Boyce, who was given space on the right, sent a dangerous cross into the box which Mamady Sidibe turned into his own net. Stoke attempted to rally but we finished the half ahead.

Although Stoke were first out of the blocks in the 2nd half and with not 90 seconds of the half on the clock they equalised. Josip Skoko lobbing the ball over Kiraly from close range, after Sidibe headed on a Broomes throw.

Yet a team is never more vulnerable just after they have scored and 60 seconds later, we were back in front again and once again, McAnuff was at the heart of it.

Micheal Hughes broke into the area and with 2 defenders around him, passed the ball back to the onrushing McAnuff and his shot deflected off Clint Hill into the back of the net. 2-1 and order was restored.

Stoke then rallied and the action packed opening to the half continued as on 53 minutes, Kiraly made a stunning double save. First, he denied Bangoura with his legs and the follow up from Daryl Russell ended up safely in his arms.

A let off and we made Stoke pay for not taking their chances as on 57 minutes as AJ broke free and outpacing Clint Hill, squeezed the ball past Simonsen to make the game safe.

The rest of the half was made up of some lacklustre football with AJ lobbing the ball inches over the bar and right at the death, the England hopeful broke free on the right and after running 30 yards, cut the ball across the box for Micheal Hughes to tap in from 3 yards.

Hughes clearly had taken his eye off the ball as he stabbed the ball onto the bar and over. Red-faced, he comically asked to be substituted, but with the final whistle coming moments later, it will be forgotten as we tightened our grip in the playoffs.