POTENT POTTERS READY TO ROLL
Turning point for us - Jones
STOKE boss Nathan Jones feels that the win over Nottingham Forest can be a turning point for his side.
Peter Etebo and Benik Afobe were both on target as Jones’ men returned to winning ways after a six-game winless run in the Championship. And the Welshman was delighted with the performance.
Jones said: “That was probably our most complete performance in terms of starting a game, the football we played at times.
“We had more cutting edge. We were more of a threat.
“Defensively we were very strong and really did limit them and, once we got the second goal, we could have got a third or a fourth.
“Everything is a process. We are building here.
“We can become a much more potent team and we showed that, and, as soon as we got our second goal, we became a much more potent team, we passed with more confidence, and that’s a mentality, and goals and wins do that to a team.
“We haven’t been good enough at home at times. The players haven’t been used to winning games, seeing out games and being on the front foot and taking a game away from a team, but that comes, and it will come with confidence and work.”
Stoke were in front after 15 minutes when Etebo collected Tom Ince’s pass to drive towards goal before guiding a low right-footed effort past Forest goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon into the bottom-right corner. After the break, home goalkeeper Jack Butland was forced to keep out Jack Robinson’s effort from distance before tipping Joao Carvalho’s strike over the crossbar.
The Potters’ second goal came after 74 minutes as Afobe raced on to Ince’s through ball to thump right-footed from the right side of the penalty area into the bottom-left corner.
Forest boss Martin O’Neill said: “Stoke proved as tough as I thought. They have some very, very decent players.
“It was no surprise to me how strong they were, but I was hoping that we would be ready for it. I didn’t think that there was an incredible amount between the teams.
“I thought that Stoke played strongly, it may well be their best, but I’m aware of their ability and I just thought we looked a bit leggy.”
Stoke had started brightly and created their first chance inside three minutes.
Joe Allen weaved in to the box to find Ince, but the former Forest loanee saw his low strike impressively tipped around a post by Pantilimon. Up the other end, Butland had to spread himself well to thwart an effort from Ryan Yates.
After going one down, Forest pushed forward and Ben Osbourn and Joe Lolley both had strikes from distance charged down. Forest kept trying to test the home stopper, but Stoke made the points safe when Afobe doubled their lead.
Having set up two, Ince was looking to get on the goalscoring act himself but saw his low rasping drive across goal pushed away.