BRAD ALL OVER
Tom double helps Rowett silence Stoke’s haters choir!
GARY ROWETT punched the air with delight after Tom Bradshaw’s secondhalf double showed his brand of football is not so ‘s **** ’ after all!
Former Stoke boss Rowett copped an earful from the visiting fans from kick-off.
Their taunts became almost non-stop after West Brom loanee Romaine Sawyers netted his first Potters goal on 20 minutes.
But the Millwall boss had the last laugh as Bradshaw struck twice from inside the six-yard box on 51 and 61 minutes.
Rowett said: “I went to Stoke to get promotion and I didn’t do that – so I have to accept that it wasn’t a success.
“I’ve never bleated about that.
“But we have had good results since I have left so people can keep singing about me. I am not really bothered.
“Bradders is such an honest lad, for him to work hard and get the two goals as well was great.”
The pre-kick-off sight of Stoke players taking the knee was greeted with the customary Den boos, and in turn the PA pumped up the volume on Hey Jude.
In the stands the home fans did their best to overwhelm the Potters’ version of Tom Jones’ Delilah.
But in a first, parts of the Den even applauded when the 1,400 visiting supporters belted out ‘Gary Rowett, Your Football is S **** ’.
Stoke had the better of the opening exchanges, and took the lead with a move of simplicity.
Josh Tymon’s low cross into the box was laid off to Sawyers who found the back of the net with a leftfoot finish from 18 yards.
Sheyi Ojo wasted the Lions’ best chance when he fired wide from the edge of the box from Jed Wallace’s cross. But the half-time jeers were quickly turned to cheers after the break.
Ojo’s low cross into the six-yard box was begging for someone to turn it in and Bradshaw obliged.
The atmosphere and tempo was dialled up and it went through the roof when Bradshaw produced a carbon-copy finish from Ryan Leonard’s cross.
Bartosz Bialkowski tipped away a Steven Fletcher cross to prevent a Tyrese Campbell tap-in and Stoke were furious when penalty appeals for a handball against Scott Malone were turned away.
Unhappy Potters boss Michael O’neill said: “You don’t expect to lose goals in your six-yard box with three centre-halves.”