Stoke City player ratings vs Luton as curse strikes again and scrap deepens
Stoke City were stung again in injury time as they let a lead slip to draw 1-1 with Luton Town.
This was a vital match, with only four points separating the two teams at kick-off. It remains the same at full-time after a tense, nerve-filled evening, and only five matches left now to sort out who is going to finish on the wrong side of that dreaded dotted line. Lewis Baker had given Stoke the lead in the 74th minute when his free-kick was deflected into the net and Stoke were forced deeper and deeper, with a little bit of panic, as they tried to hold onto what would have been a vital win.
They were breached in the 90th minute when Jordan Clark’s cross from the right found its way to Millenic Alli and he beat his man to drill a shot past Viktor Johansson. It is the third time in six games when Stoke have let in a game-changing goal with so little time left on the clock and those goals have cost them four points, which would put them in a very different position in the table.
The home stands sank and there was a horrible noise of disbelief at full-time before players were applauded for their work rate. They now move on to third-bottom Cardiff, who scrambled a 2-2 draw at Preston, and another huge match in this dramatic relegation scrap.
Stoke’s efforts in the first-half were limited to a couple of Sam Gallagher headers and a cross-shot from Bae Junho that looped over the bar. Luton’s best effort came through a wobble-legged volley from Thelo Aasgaard after a couple of pinball bounces teed him up from 25 yards, sending an effort over the bar.
The second half might have started with a red card. Carlton Morris, on a booking, was asking for trouble needlessly when he grabbed Ashley Phillips around the neck off the ball and hauled him to the ground. Referee Dean Whitestone gave Stoke the free-kick after being alerted by his assistant – and Stoke fans were not impressed when he booked Junior Tchamadeu, for dissent, rather than show a second yellow to the forward.
But the game was on a knife edge and Millenic Alli beat Tchamadeu all too easily to get towards the six-yard box, where his shot was deflected over by Wilmot. Mark McGuinness headed inches wide from the resultant corner. Thomas Kaminski was almost caught out wondering off his line when Million Manhoef slipped a pass to Sam Gallagher and Gallagher pushed the ball past a keeper in no man’s land and just past the far post.
The breakthrough came when Gallagher when he was wrestled to the ground by Lamine Fanne to win a free-kick dead central, about 10 yards outside the box. Baker stepped up and Wouter Burger and Ashley Phillips, positioned in front of the Luton wall, ducked as he struck it. The ball immediately cannoned into the head of Jordan Clark and fizzed inside the right post while Kaminski was diving the other way. The stadium erupted.
Luton had nothing to lose by going for broke at that point and Stoke were pushed back. Johansson had to make a big save to stop Alli but the equaliser came as the board was held up to show five minutes of added time. A cross from the right was flicked over to Alli in far too much space and he eased past Tchamadeu to whack a shot past Johansson at his near post.
Here are the player ratings from the bet365 Stadium:
Johansson: Home fans didn’t appreciate his persistence to play short. Desperate to come and take responsibility. Beaten at near post by equaliser. 5.5
Tchamadeu: Can make things happen with bluster going foward. Beaten too easily by Alli’s dribble through the area and again for equaliser. 5.5
Bocat: A little nervy in his defending. Quick to get forward and can be dangerous but inconsistent in his passing. 6
Phillips: Challenged for headers defensively but it was a vital duck in front of the Luton wall that helped make the opener for Baker. 6
Wilmot: Didn’t seem to like being asked to play around with the ball in his own third. 6
Thompson: Couldn’t help Stoke get to grips enough with midfield and they were pushed back too much in the second half. 6
Burger: A quieter game in midfield in terms of what he did in possession but was committed and popped up in important positions. 6.5
Baker: Got stuck a little bit too close to Gallagher through the first 45 minutes to provide the all-important link between midfield and attack. 7
Manhoef: A little too one dimensional in the first half. Slipped in pass for Gallagher to steer shot past Kaminski in second. 6.5
Junho: Tried to make things happen but was missing the final ball going forward. Worked his socks off. 6.5
Gallagher: Put in another big shift. Couple of first half headers, touched shot past Kaminski and just past post, won free-kick for Baker goal. Threw his body in the way defensively and deserved standing ovation he received. 7.5
Substitutes
Al-Hamadi (for Manhoef, 62): Gave Stoke a different option down the middle and helped to get off the back foot. 6.5
Pearson (for Thompson, 62): Back from illness and tasked with trying to steady things in midfield through the last half hour. 6
Koumas (for Gallagher, 86): Fresh legs for the final few minutes but has to make them count. 6
Not used: Bonham, Gooch, Seko, Mmaee, Gibson, Moran.
Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire) 3
Match rating: 5.5
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