Stoke topple U's

Yet again the Potters continue to march on.

In front of a mere 12,000 Stoke fans (with 300 or so Colchester followers), the Potters continue to do the business, this time with an impressive 2-1 victory. Yet another headed goal from the tall Ryan Shawcross after only eight minutes and a great chip over the keeper from Liam Lawrence with fifteen minutes remaining saw the Potters lift all three points.

Contrary to some U's reports, this was not a close game, Steve Simonsen had little to do and the saves he did have to make were good as usual. Stoke could have made it comfortable before half time, but the team sat back yet again and allowed Colchester a glimmer of a chance, which they took on a very rare breakaway with Clive Platt scoring their goal against the run of play. But it was the alarm bell that the team needed and brought them back onto the attack before Liam Lawrence's chip from the edge of the penalty area, after a neat pass from Ricardo Fuller, gave the keeper no chance.

So the run goes on - seven games this season without defeat or ten games with only one defeat all season or, to look at it yet another way - only one defeat since we lost to Norwich at Carrow Road way back on Saturday March 17th. However you look at it, Tony Pulis and his team are doing the business for all Stoke fans.

Stoke City: Simonsen, Wright, Shawcross, Matteo, Wilkinson (Dickinson 42), Cresswell, Delap, Eustace, Lawrence (Sweeney 90), Fuller, Sidibe (Parkin 67)
Subs not used: Hoult, Pericard

Booked: Lawrence
Goals: Shawcross 8, Lawrence 73

Colchester: Gerken, Duguid (Balogh 33), Baldwin, Virgo, Elokobi, Granville (Guy 77), Jackson, Izzet, Yeates, Lisbie, Platt
Subs not used: Davison, Guttridge, Connolly
Booked: Balogh, Guy
Goals: Platt 58

The official man of the match went to Richard Cresswell who had his best game in a Stoke short with many good runs down the wing. But in my opinion, the MOTM award should have gone to John Eustace. At last, we seemed to have a midfield that showed some composure, for which he must take the main credit.

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