Stoke City player ratings vs Blackburn as two men get stadium rocking in vital win

Stoke City player ratings vs Blackburn as two men get stadium rocking in vital win

Ali Al-Hamadi and Viktor Johansson helped Stoke City to a massive 1-0 home win over Blackburn Rovers.

Stoke took a first-half lead through tireless Al-Hamadi, rushing in at the back post to tap home a pass from Lewis Baker.

Johansson was only called upon twice in anger but they were vital moments. He made an outstanding save to stop Todd Cantwell in the first half and then again at the end of the second when he flew backwards to keep out a shot from Joe Rankin-Costello.

It was an important night for Stoke particularly on the back of wins for Luton and Derby County on Tuesday evening and now they are a back up to 19th, with a four-point gap on the bottom three, crucially leapfrogging Oxford United on the way.

There was frantic defending at times but by hook or by crook, Stoke found a way to get it over the line. One more game now, away at Alex Neil’s Millwall, before a two-week international break.

Stoke took the lead in the 19th minute. Dom Hyam tried to play a pass out from left centre-half to the right and Junho read it, seized his moment and sprinted forward. He slipped in Baker on the inside left and Baker kissed a pass through the six-yard box for Al-Hamadi at the back post, timing his run beyond Hyam perfectly to get his first home goal.

A moment to forget for Hyam, had been signed by Robins in 2017, playing nearly 200 games for him at Coventry, including in two promotion campaigns. And it was the first time that Stoke had scored the opening goal in a match since January 18, all the way back against West Bromwich Albion and Nathan Lowe.

It took a superb intervention from Viktor Johansson to keep it at 1-0, however. Makhtar Gueye slid a pass between defenders for Tyrhys Dolan to get to the by-line and cut back for Cantwell, who thought he had scored in the far corner. Instead, Johansson got a fingertip to nudge it onto the post, spinning back across goal and out the other side.

Cantwell was actually circling away in celebration and Blackburn were cursing Johansson, who they recalled had such a blinder in the reverse fixture back in November.

Stoke started the second half surprisingly open and Callum Brittain went close with an ambitious 30-yard volley. But they had a penalty claim when Thompson teased a pass between defenders for Manhoef to cut in, again, to try to work space on his left foot. Cantwell dived in and the ball had gone by the time he caught the winger on the shin.

Enda Stevens was sent on to calm things down but then he had to be helped off with an injury as eight minutes was added on at the end. Blackburn thought they had levelled when Joe Rankin-Costello got goalside of Ashley Phillips to touch a cross towards the bottom right corner but Johansson dived backwards to claw it out and spark a wave of noise around the home stands.

Koumas almost grabbed a second for Stoke with a mazy run in the box but players were surrounding the referee as time carried on and on into an 11th added minute, collapsing when the whistle finally went.

Here are the player ratings from the bet365 Stadium

Johansson: Superb first-half fingertip save to deny Cantwell and then again late in second-half to stop Rankin-Costello. 8.5

Tchamadeu: Early spat with Cantwell amid off-the-ball scuffling. More conservative in his galivanting down the line. 7

Bocat: First start since December 21 and showed desire to join in forward moves and get crosses into the box. Suffering from cramp when he made way. 7

Phillips: Up against his first club and put himself in the way of things. Lost Rankin-Costello in added time and had keep to thank. 6.5

Wilmot: Limited Blackburn’s efforts on target although Stoke were sucked too deep at times. 7

Thompson: Important job in Pearson’s absence although Stoke were a little too open when they lost possession. Drove up the pitch at times, linking play or earning a foul. 7