Stoke City 3-1 QPR: Mark Robins sets goal as drop fears ease

By Matt Wright

STOKE CITY 3

Jun-ho 21, Tchamadeu 44, Manhoef 54

QPR 1

Min-hyeok 78

Stoke City manager Mark Robins has urged his players to finish what has been a troubling season on a high after an impressive victory over Queens Park Rangers eased their Championship relegation fears.

Bae Jun-ho met a low-driven cross from attacking full-back Junior Tchamadeu to net the opener for Mark Robins’ side.

Tchamadeu got on the scoresheet himself to double Stoke’s lead before Million Manhoef finished superbly after the break.

Substitute Yang Min-hyeok reduced the deficit late on, but it wasn’t enough for visitors.

ON A HIGH: Bae Jun-ho celebrates scoring the Potters’ first goal
PICTURE: WhiteRosePhotos

Solid

The win over an injury-depleted QPR side, who are not yet safe themselves, was “a solid performance,” according to the Potters’ boss.

“For about 65 minutes, it was really good,” he said.

“From now on, it’s about building performances and not resting on our laurels.”

PUMPED: Stoke’s Junior Tchamadeu

Match action

A long kick by QPR goalkeeper Paul Nardi led to the first glimpse at goal for either side after 11 minutes as Karamoko Dembele got in behind, only to shoot tamely at Potters’ keeper Viktor Johansson.

Stoke almost had a lucky break in the 18th minute when a deflected cross by Manhoef looped over Nardi and hit the bar.

But the home side were ahead after 21 minutes when Manhoef’s pass put Tchamadeu in, and his low ball into the box was finished off by Jun-ho.

The Potters deservedly doubled their lead when Tchamadeu drilled in his first goal for the club from the edge of the area after QPR goalkeeper Nardi had saved from Manhoef.

Second half

Three half-time changes from QPR had little effect as the home side went 3-0 up after 54 minutes and effectively ended the match as a contest.

Star man Manhoef ran onto Lewis Baker’s through ball, rounded Nardi and calmly rolled into an empty net.

It could have been even better for Stoke just after the hour mark when Eric Bocat’s pass put Manhoef through again, but this time, Kenneth Paal got back to make a good last-ditch challenge.

It took Johansson straying from his area to tackle Alfie Lloyd to finally lead to a half-chance for QPR as Jack Colback’s lob from just inside the Stoke half landed on the roof of the net.

A better opportunity to pull one back quickly came the R’s way when Yang’s cross was met by a header from Jimmy Dunne that went just over.

The visitors were belatedly getting their act together, and their pressure paid off after 78 minutes when the Tottenham loanee was able to turn outside the box before his low shot found the bottom corner for his first goal for the club.

But this was a mere consolation that should take nothing away from Stoke’s much-improved attacking performance which allowed them to move four points clear of the drop zone.

Proud

Robins said: “There are seven [games] left now, and I want us to go and win as many games as we possibly can, and it’s there for us.

“Our next opponents are Preston, and we want to go there and deliver a really good away performance.

“The thing I’m most proud of today is that they’ve put on a really good performance.

“We got on top in the game early, we gave them headaches all over the place.

“There was a focus with [Sam] Gallagher and with [Lewis] Baker, and we were really aggressive.”