Mario eyes more glory
MARIO VRANCIC has done it twice for Norwich – now he will try to do it for Stoke.
Bosnian Vrancic, 32, has signed a one-year contract to take this re-shaped and newly motivated Potters into the Premier League.
Boss Michael O’neill has lifted Stoke from the bottom in less than two years – and now he’s charging to promotion.
Twenty-two players left Stoke this summer and eight came in – none more important than Vrancic.
He took Norwich to two promotions and now he’s been hired to make it a hat-trick with Stoke.
Vrancic pulled Stoke round, hitting the corner and Jacob Brown headed Potters level.
Then the Bosnian took on three Huddersfield players before dizzy defender Matty Pearson put the ball in his own net for Stoke’s winner. “Vrancic has tremendous ability and he has shown that in the past,” said O’neill.
“He is bringing that to us now and we feel that he is a key signing for us. The corner he provided for the first goal was very good and his ball control brought about the second.
“You can see from his career that Vrancic knows all about the Championship as a league and what it takes for a team to get promotion out of it.”
This Vrancic-inspired win takes Stoke to third in the table and O’neill finally has the squad he wants, after four transfer windows of wheeling the big earners out and dealing in his men.
Stoke have won all five games at home, including two Carabao Cup victories, and O’neill added: “We weren’t at our best but we are delighted with the win.”
Norwich decided they wouldn’t need Vrancic this season after taking them to the Championship title, giving him two promotions with the Canaries in his four terms.
Their loss is Stoke’s gain because he helped them overcome a Huddersfield team full of confidence after three successive wins.
Huddersfield took the lead two minutes into the second half when Sorba Thomas’ fierce free-kick was turned away.
But the ball was shuffled out by Jonathan Hogg for Harry Toffolo to score.
Three minutes later
Stoke were level.
Vrancic’s left-wing corner had pace as well as height and Brown jumped to net easily.
The second came on the 64th minute by Pearson. Vrancic squared to Sam Surridge and Pearson netted.
STOKE CITY: Bursik 6; Ostigard 6, Souttar 7, Wilmot 7; Smith 6, Sawyers 7 (Allen 67,5),Clucas 6, Vrancic 8 (Doughty 85), Tymon 7; Brown 7, Surridge 6 (Fletcher 80).
Unused subs: Davies, Fox, Thompson, Ince.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Nicholls 6; Pearson 5, Lees 6 (Turton 67, 5), Sarr 7; Thomas 6, O’brien 6, Hogg 6, Toffolo 6; Holmes 5 (Sinani 68, 5), Campbell 5, Koroma 5.
Unused subs: Bilokapic, Vallejo, Odubeko, Ruffels, Colwell.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Mario Vrancic. Caught Huddersfield out twice with his skills.
REFEREE: Joshua Smith 6.