Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Jack ace in Stoke pack
haven’t played to our best yet.”
The pick of Butland’s saves came three minutes from time with the Potters under heavy bombardment.
He threw himself to his left on his line to claw out a Niclas Eliasson shot with an outstretched left glove.
The Bristol City winger was left with head in hands.
Butland had also performed heroics to keep out Jamie Paterson’s 72nd-minute shot, leaving the Robins with nothing to show for their second-half dominance.
The game was decided after 33 minutes when the home defence failed to deal with a cross into their box from the left.
Joe Allen’s header sent the ball looping into the path of Darren Fletcher, who had time to control it on his chest before lashing a left-foot volley past Max O’Leary from 10 yards.
Fletcher had to go off with a dead leg before the break – but it wasn’t the hosts’ day.
Famara Diedhiou hit the bar twice with headers, and relentless pressure in the final half-hour failed to produce an equaliser.
Robins head coach Lee Johnson moaned: “We took too long to get going and I made two changes at halftime because we were not getting anything from our left side.
“The substitutes have played really well.
“Jack Butland has made some unbelievable saves,
“But the quality of our finishing could have been better.”