QPR Lose at Stoke

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PA Sport/Mark Bowering POST MATCH COMMENTS
PULIS THRILLED WITH FIRST-HALF DISPLAY

Stoke manager Tony Pulis praised his side's ruthless first-half display after sweeping aside Coca-Cola Championship strugglers QPR to secure a first home win in four attempts.

Richard Cresswell and Liam Lawrence both netted inside the opening 20 minutes to pave the way for a comfortable 3-1 victory at the Britannia Stadium. The woodwork also denied Ricardo Fuller, back in the Stoke starting line-up after returning from suspension.

The Hoops had Dexter Blackstock sent off for scything down Ryan Shawcross but pulled a goal back through Rowan Vine before defender Leon Cort wrapped up the points late on. Victory lifts promotion-hopefuls Stoke up to eighth while Luigi De Canio's Rangers remain third bottom.

"I'm very pleased with the result," beamed Pulis.

"The first goal settled us down and I thought in the first half we played really well.

"We passed the ball really well and I thought it was a fantastic strike from Liam. Ric has hit the post as well and we've had numerous opportunities but it has not dropped for us.

"I was very pleased with the first-half performance but disappointed with the second half. When they went down to 10 men I didn't think it would suit us because the expectation then is us to romp away with it.

"What happens with 10 men is the pressure actually comes off you and you put the 11 opposition players under pressure. We gave the ball away too many times and it was like we were playing 11 versus 11.

"It's nothing more than a mind set. But it was a tough game and I'm very pleased with the result."

Successive home defeats going into the game at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry and Sheffield United had hampered recent progress and Pulis was understandably delighted to get the club's promotion push back on track.

"The three games that we lost I don't think we deserved to lose so it's nice to get back to winning ways," said Pulis. "We've got Norwich on Saturday at home and that's going to be a difficult game and now it becomes a bigger game for us."

Pulis expressed sympathy over Blackstock's second-half dismissal.

He added: "I don't like seeing players sent off to be honest and I don't like seeing players booked. It's a game of challenge and we are taking that challenge out of the game.

Rangers performance manager Joe Dunbar, deputising for the ill De Canio at the post-match press conference, questioned some of the decisions made by referee Uriah Rennie.

Dunbar said: "I think both management teams are disappointed with some of the decisions. There were some odd ones.

"Some 50/50s you always think go in your favour and it seemed not too many went in our favour in the first half."

On the sending off of Blackstock, Dunbar admitted: "It's difficult to see the incident from where we were but when the opposition dugout is saying to you that it seemed a bit harsh and when the opposition players are telling the referee it was a harsh decision you start to draw your own conclusion."

Bizarrely, Rangers only came to life after losing the services of Blackstock shortly after half-time and Dunbar was quick to praise the side's resolve.

"I think one of the things about our season in the last five or six games is we have been finishing games strongly," he added. "We've got some very attack-minded players within the squad who have pace and we knew we would get chances.

"We knew it be a tough game and we knew we would be coming up against a strong physical side." Sporting Life

QPR Official Site
A brave second half display from the visitors proved immaterial, as ten-man Rangers succumbed to a 3-1 defeat at The Britannia Stadium.

In a first half dominated by the Potters, goals from Richard Cresswell (5) and Liam Lawrence (20) put the hosts firmly in the driving seat.

Cresswell opened the scoring with a simple far post tap-in from a Rory Delap long throw-in, before Lawrence stunned the travelling R's faithful with a set-piece special from fully 20-yards after 20 minutes.

Bad turned to worse for Rangers inside the opening two minutes of the second half, when Blackstock was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Ryan Shawcross.

And although Rowan Vine provided brief hope when he lashed a stunning strike past Steve Simonsen from range, Stoke soon restored their two-goal buffer when Leon Cort headed home the hosts third 14 minutes from time.

Buoyed by Saturday's impressive display in the goalless draw against Sheffield Wednesday, Luigi De Canio made just a solitary change to the starting XI.

Finnish international Sampsa Timoska returned to the side at the expense of Bob Malcolm, while the fit-again Blackstock partnered Vine in attack.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis selected an attacking line-up, which included the returning Lawrence and Ricardo Fuller.

There was an early scare for the Potters, when Cresswell suffered a nose injury after an aerial tussle with Martin Rowlands.

The old cotton wool trick did the job though, stemming the steady flow of blood from the striker's nose and he soon had his say.

Rory Delap's long throw-in from the right flank evaded everyone, until Fuller hooked the ball back goalwards and the unmarked Cresswell fired home with aplomb.

The goal stung the R's into action and when Vine teed up Akos Buzsaky four minutes later, only a well-timed block denied the Hungarian international midfielder.

The respite was brief though, with a succession of Delap throw-in's asking yet more questions of a startled Rangers back-line.

The hosts were unfortunate not to be two goals to the good in the 15th minute.

Fuller cut a hole through the R's defence with ease, but - just as in the opening exchanges on Saturday - the woodwork came to the Hoops rescue, as his shot fired off the foot of Lee Camp's right hand post.

There was to be no reprieve though and moments after Michael Mancienne limped off with a hamstring injury, Lawrence lashed an unstoppable free-kick into the top right hand corner, giving Camp absolutely no chance.

Rangers looked totally shell-shocked, with the normally unflustered midfield quartet failing to assert any sort of dominance on proceedings.

Scott Sinclair provided some hope when he was freed by Vine, but as the Chelsea loanee bore down on goal, a superb covering tackle from Cort thwarted the visitors' efforts.

As the clock ticked down to the break, Rangers - with one eye on the half-time whistle perhaps - reverted to a cautious 4-5-1 formation, with Blackstock ploughing a lone furrow up-front.

Four minutes of first half stoppage time produced little action of note, although Fuller should have perhaps done better from an acute angle, blasting wide with strike partner Mamady Sidibe unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box.

Disaster struck on the resumption for the R's, when Blackstock was given his marching orders for a late challenge on Shawcross.

Referee Uriah Rennie was particularly rash in brandishing the red card, which was hardly surprising given his whistle-happy performance during a stop-start first period.

Undeterred, it was ten-man Rangers who created the first chance of the second half, when Buzsaky's right footed free-kick flew inches wide of Shawcross' right hand post.

And to their credit, it was the visitors who continued to pose the greater threat, with Sinclair seeing his shot blocked by Stephen Wright.

De Canio's bullish approach to stick with two up-front following the dismissal of Blackstock paid dividends in the 62nd minute, after a sustained period of QPR pressure.

Rowlands found Vine on the edge of the 18-yard box and the Birmingham loanee cut inside before drilling the ball past Steve Simonsen.

Buoyed by only his second goal since his loan switch from St Andrews, Vine went on the prowl for his second of the match in the 69th minute.

After robbing the otherwise exceptional Shawcross inside the Stoke half, Vine took two touches to get the ball out of his feet, before firing a low drive on target, which Danny Pugh diverted to safety.

Fuller should've put the result beyond all doubt moments later, only to inexplicably shoot over from little more than eight yards, with the goal at his mercy.

Just when it appeared as though Rangers would mount a grandstand finish, they were caught napping at the back and Cort made amends, heading home his first goal in Stoke colours to all but clinch the three points.

The sight of Buzsaky limping off in added time only served to compound the R's woes, ahead of another tough trip North to Blackpool on Saturday afternoon.

Stoke City: Simonsen, Wright (Wilkinson 82), Cort, Shawcross, Pugh, Lawrence, Delap, Eustace, Cresswell, Sidibe (Parkin 77), Fuller (Phillips 86).

Subs: Hoult, Zakuani.

Scorers: Cresswell 5, Lawrence 20, Cort 76

Bookings: Delap 90

Red Cards:

QPR: Camp, Barker, Stewart, Mancienne (Malcolm 19), Blackstock, Buzsaky, Rowlands (Bolder 82), Vine (Nygaard 78), Timoska, Leigertwood, Sinclair.

Subs: Cole, Ainsworth.

Scorers: Vine 62

Bookings:

Red Cards: Blackstock 47

Referee: Mr U Rennie

Attendance: 11, 147 QPR

STOKE OFFICIAL


City got back to winning ways at the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday night ousting Queens Park Rangers 3-1.

Goals from Richard Cresswell, Liam Lawrence and Leon Cort saw Tony Pulis' side move to within four points of the second automatic promotion spot.

Ahead of the game the City boss made two changes with both Ricardo Fuller and Lawrence returning to the starting eleven.

Fuller was absent from Saturday's goalless draw at Turf Moor through suspension, while Lawrence was ruled out with a leg injury.

Demar Phillips was also included in the squad after returning from international duty over the weekend.

City started the match in explosive fashion, taking the lead after less than five minutes.

A trademark Rory Dealap long throw in was brilliantly flicked back across the box by Fuller, and Cresswell headed home in to an empty net from two yards.

City immediately set about doubling their lead, and a series of throw-ins from the former Sunderland man had the opposition defence in a panic.

Firstly Cort flicked the ball on across the box before being cleared away, then just moments later he rose and headed just over the bar from six yards.

City were on fire, and John Eustace went agonisingly close when he volleyed inches over from 25-yards.

The Potters went even closer just after the quarter of an hour mark, when Fuller latched on to Mamady Sidibe's brilliant through ball and rifled his shot beyond the palms of Lee Camp, but the ball cannoned back of the post.

Three minutes later it was two however. Lawrence exquisitely curled home a free kick from 25-yards in to the top left hand corner, to send the Potters faithful wild.

The visitors managed their first assault on the City rearguard after 27 minutes, but City defender Cort brilliantly blocked Rowan Vine's strike.

Long range strikes from Scott Sinclair and Vine went close for the visitors, while Fuller went close shortly after.

City were content to let the half peter out, and took a thoroughly deserved two goal lead in to the half time interval.

Luigi Di Canio's job of turning around the deficit was made even harder following the re-start as his side were reduced to ten men.

Dexter Blackstock horribly lunged in at Ryan Shawcross and referee Uriah Rennie had no hesitation in producing the red card.

Despite City's one man advantage the Hoops dragged themselves back in to the game after an hour through on loan Birmingham man Vine.

The pacy striker danced his way across the 18-yard box before unleashing an unstoppable drive in to the bottom corner, with Simonsen helpless.

With 18 minutes remaining Fuller had the chance to wrap up the points, but after rounding the keeper he somehow fired the ball over the bar with an empty net at his mercy.

Five minutes later though, the Potters restored their two goal advantage thanks to on loan Crystal Palace defender Cort.

The powerful defender rose highest to head home his first goal for the club and ensure City's first home win since beating Colchester last month. SToke

SPORTING LIFE By Mark Bowering, PA Sport
Goals from Richard Cresswell, Liam Lawrence and Leon Cort helped Stoke get their promotion push back on track and left 10-man QPR mired in the bottom three.

The Potters had faltered at the Britannia Stadium on their previous three outings but got back to winning ways with a convincing display.

Cresswell headed the opener, and Lawrence swept home a great free-kick inside the opening 20 minutes to provide the perfect platform for victory.

Rangers, who had Dexter Blackstock sent off for a late tackle on Ryan Shawcross, hit back through Rowan Vine - before Cort completed the scoring late on.

The woodwork also denied Ricardo Fuller, back in the Stoke starting line-up after returning from suspension.

Successive home defeats at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry and Sheffield United had hampered Stoke's progress under boss Tony Pulis - but they started strongly and raced into a fifth-minute lead.

Rory Delap was the provider with a trademark long throw-in that somehow crept through a crowded penalty area - and the unmarked Fuller, lurking at the far post, acrobatically directed the ball back across goal and into the path of Cresswell.

The former Leeds striker stooped to nod past goalkeeper Lee Camp from close range and take his tally for the season to four.

Delap's pin-point throw-ins proved an effective attacking outlet for the hosts as Cort got on the end of another shortly afterwards but put his header wide.

A minute later, Fuller struck the base of the post with a rasping effort from just inside the penalty area after being sent clear by strike partner Mamady Sidibe.

City were dominating proceedings, and their early endeavours were again rewarded after 20 minutes.

The pace and trickery of Fuller proved too much for Damion Stewart, and the strapping defender conceded a free-kick 20 yards out - from which Lawrence expertly curled a shot into the top right corner.

Scott Sinclair came closest to hauling the visitors back in the contest when his goalbound effort was blocked by Cort just before the half-hour.

Any hopes of a possible QPR comeback were dashed two minutes into the second period when Blackstock was shown a straight red card by referee Uriah Rennie, for a reckless lunge on defender Shawcross.

The visitors crafted their best chance of the game minutes later when on-loan Plymouth playmaker Akos Buzsaky put a 25-yard free kick over the wall and just wide.

Blackstock's dismissal bizarrely seemed to galvanise Rangers, who pulled a goal back after 62 minutes as on-loan Birmingham forward Vine unleashed an unstoppable 25-yard drive to hand his side a lifeline.

Fuller then missed a gilt-edged opportunity to put the game beyond doubt after again linking up well with Sidibe.

Mali international Sidibe flicked on Stephen Wright's punted free-kick, and Fuller sneaked in behind three defenders and past the advancing Camp but chipped on to the roof of the net with the goal at his mercy.

It mattered little, however - because Cort added a third 13 minutes from time after meeting Lawrence's near-post centre and planting a firm header past Camp. Sporting Life

BBC - Stoke 3-1 QPR
Stoke cruised to victory as 10-man Queens Park Rangers remained in the Championship's relegation zone.
Richard Cresswell nodded City ahead after just five minutes after Rory Delap's long throw-in was not cleared.
Liam Lawrence's curling free-kick made it 2-0, while QPR's Dexter Blackstock was sent off just after the break for a reckless lunge at Ryan Shawcross.

Rowan Vine's fierce 25-yard drive gave QPR a lifeline before Leon Cort headed Stoke's third from Lawrence's cross BBC