Daily Mail

Stoke take big stride in safety bid

- BY DAVID KENT

STOKE eased their relegation worries with a comfortabl­e victory over fellow strugglers Birmingham. Danny Batth and Sam Clucas scored during an impressive first-half display as the Potters climbed above the Blues in the Championsh­ip table. It could have been an even more empathic half-time lead, with Sam Vokes and James McClean hitting the woodwork and visiting keeper Lee Camp pulling off a fine reflex save. Birmingham enjoyed plenty of the ball in a low-key second half but lacked the cutting edge needed as Stoke easily saw the game out. The win gave Stoke back-to-back home victories and a four-point cushion from relegation. ‘It was a very good performanc­e,’ said Stoke manager Michael O’Neill. ‘In the first half we were terrific, there was excellent intensity to our play. ‘We had to compete because they brought a physical presence.’ Stoke’s early pressure paid off when Batth beat his man to bundle home from a yard after 12 minutes for his third goal of the season. Vokes had an acrobatic bicycle kick blocked by Harlee Dean, before Camp pulled off a brilliant save to tip a McClean shot over the bar. Clucas doubled Stoke’s lead on the stroke of half-time with a curling effort into the top-right corner. James Chester was inches away from giving Stoke a third goal when he nearly turned Jude Bellingham’s cross into his own net with the final kick of the half. The visitors enjoyed a good spell of pressure in the opening 15 minutes after the restart but lacked penetratio­n as Stoke sat back to protect their lead. Birmingham’s Jeremie Bela headed over from a Marc Roberts long throw after 64 minutes, before having a powerful long-range effort deflected wide.

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