Stoke fail against the Dale

Rochdale 2 - Stoke City 2 AET (4-2 on penalties)

Stoke City went out of the League Cup first round against lower league opposition for the third consecutive season.

The annual humiliation is now becoming very predictable, after being kicked out by Darlington two years ago and Mansfield last season and it is not the end of the world, but one has to wonder why the Potters cannot turn on just an everage performance in the only cup competition that we've ever won?

The only bright spots of the game at Spotland on Tuesday night were a second goal in two games for loan signing, Ryan Shawcross and a late, late equaliser and debut goal from new signing, Richard Cresswell. The resulting penalty shoot-out was definitely not one to remember with only Anthony Pulis and Liam Lawrence finding the back of the net.

Oh well, back to the Championship.....

Rochdale: Spencer, Ramsden, McArdle, D'Laryea, Kennedy, Muirhead, Jones, Perkins, Rundle (Prendergast 76), Murray, Dagnall (Le Fondre 64)

Subs not used: Rigby, Crooks, Thompson.


Goals: Perkins 83, Prendergast 101

Stoke City: Hoult, Wright, Higginbotham (Wilkinson 46), Shawcross, Dickinson, Delap (Sweeney 54), Pulis, Eustace, Lawrence, Sidibe, Parkin (Cresswell 59)

Subs not used: Simonsen, Buxton

Goals: Shawcross 4, Cresswell 120

Attendance: 2,369

Join the Vital Fantasy Football League - its Free!