Stoke City player ratings vs Portsmouth as players shamed after capitulation
Adrian Segecic had given Portsmouth a half-time lead by taking their only chance and Stoke should have been snatched the chance to turn things around when Lamine Cisse equalised right at the start of the second half.
It was not to be. Segecic got the wrong side of Stoke’s defence to restore the visitors’ advantage and then had a free run through the Stoke half to seal victory. It sparked a furious reaction from the home stands, many of whom upped and left.
This was a third insipid defeat in eight days and the second one in five days at home. The Potters are marooned in 17th with one game remaining – away at Bristol City – of a season that can’t end fast enough.
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Mark Robins had made four changes to his starting XI, including replacing injured Gavin Bazunu with Tommy Simkin. Viktor Johansson wasn’t ready to be thrown back after returning to training on Thursday but was out warming up with the keepers.
Ben Pearson returned in central midfield and was given the captain’s armband while Cisse and Sam Gallagher were in the forward line. Gallagher started wide on the right while Cisse was next to Robert Bozenik in the middle.
Syd Agina got to the by-line in the first minute and swung in a front post cross that Cisse couldn’t control – but somehow resulted in an injury to former Stoke keeper Joe Bursik, who was making his first appearance since October. That was the end of his afternoon.
There was little to involve either Simkin or Bursik’s replacement Ben Killip through the first half-hour until Stoke inexplicably gifted the visitors a lead. Tatsuki Seko had a shot deflected over and hit another high into the south stand when well placed at the back following a half-cleared corner.
Eric Bocat couldn’t cut out a pass from Harvey Blair to Segecic and then ran behind Simkin as Segecic picked his spot for the opener. “How bad must you be, we’re winning away?” sang the away end.
It might have been 2-0 to Pompey if Colby Bishop had been able to get a better touch on a cross after Cisse had lost possession down the left wing.
Stoke had a chance to equalise before half-time when Cisse met a Thomas cross and, when that was blocked, had another chance when Ashley Phillips prodded it back towards goal – but couldn’t steer it through a scramble. Bozenik might have done better, too, from Gallagher lay-off in the Portsmouth box.
Bocat was injured in the last play of the half and was replaced by Ben Gibson at the break. Jesurun Rak-Sakyi came on instead of Gallagher too.
Stoke were almost immediately level once play resumed. Thomas won a corner, which he took himself and pinged a cross into the six-yard box. Cisse was completely unmarked and leapt to head home from close range.
The Potters scuppered any chance to build a little momentum with some poor decision making or sloppy control over the next few minutes. Hayden Matthews was fortunate to only see a yellow card for a flying foul on Seko.
Jordan Williams might have added a third when Segecic had plenty of space to pick out the full-back with an underlapping run into the area.
There was little love for Pearson when he was hauled off to be replaced by Steven Nzonzi and groans grew as Stoke resorted to passing it sideways and backwards. Injured Otegbayo was replaced by Million Manhoef. There was still a chance when Bozenik stole the ball from Killip and teed it back for Manhoef – but Manhoef took a touch too many and the keeper stole it back.
Portsmouth made it three when Stoke lost possession in the middle of the pitch and Segecic had a free run at the Stoke defence to pick his spot from the edge of the box past Simkin. It sparked an exodus from the home stands and an embarrassing end to the home campaign as groans turned to outright boos. Any planned lap of appreciation turned into a walk of shame.
Here are the player ratings from the bet365 Stadium.
Agina: A bit of enterprise down the right wing and a willing worker. 6
Phillips: Last home game in a Stoke shirt. Tried to be on the front foot and looked embarrassed to be part of the mess. 5
Otegbayo: Some promise as well as a couple of raw moments, including not dealing with cross for Portsmouth’s second. 5
Pearson: Surprise choice as captain. Unfit. Poor decision making, poor passing, poor defensive work. 2.5
Seko: A trier but limited. A couple of rushed shots in first half. Not enough presence in a defensive sense. 3.5
Gallagher: Limited impact. Started on the right and shifted to the middle before being hooked at half-time. 4
Thomas: Corner set up goal for Cisse and swung in a couple of decent crosses but missing the all-out blood and thunder aggression that Stoke need. 5
Cisse: A free header to equalise at start of second half. Might have scored in scramble at end of first half. 5
Bozenik: Not enough service and a little rusty in terms of decision making. Goal disallowed for handball. Did well to set up Manhoef chance. 5
Gibson (for Bocat, 46): Run ragged by Segecic on return from injury, initially at left-back before switching to middle. 3
Rak-Sakyi (for Gallagher, 46): Barely involved on the right wing and switched to right-back after Otegbayo injury. 3
Tchamadeu (for Agina, 64): Rusty on return from hamstring injury. 4
Nzonzi (for Pearson, 71): A limp way to make 150th Stoke appearance. 4.5
Manhoef (for Otegbayo, 79): Should have scored when teed up by Bozenik. 4.5
Not used: Fielding, Baker, Junho, Smit.
Referee: David Webb (Lancashire) 4
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