--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-09-08T21:35:43.679Z last_updated: 2026-09-08T20:44:19+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/stoke-city/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3Rva2VzZW50aW5lbC5jby51ay9zcG9ydC9mb290YmFsbC9mb290YmFsbC1uZXdzL3N0b2tlLWNpdHktY2FyZGlmZi1wbGF5ZXItcmF0aW5ncy0xMTE0ODMyNg --- # Stoke player ratings vs Cardiff as summer signing helps end 'honking' away run - **Source:** - **Published:** 8 Sept - **Club:** Stoke City - **Original URL:** https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-cardiff-player-ratings-11148326 Ben Johnson had put Stoke ahead – the seventh time in eight matches this season they have taken the lead – but Cardiff pinned them back as the game went on and hit the post three times as well as finding an equaliser through Joel Colwill. There were chances for Stoke on the break, most notably a one-on-one for George Hirst early in the second half, but most of the action was in their own half and it took some backs to the wall defending and some deep breaths to get a point over the line. Stoke are still searching for their first away win since January but Mark Robins will be relieved to end an away run - nine losses in a row - that he had labelled “honking” going into this fixture – and get his team ready to go again at Watford on Saturday. FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest Stoke City news, analysis and more via the Sentinel Robins had made three changes to the starting XI that had beaten Charlton so handsomely. Sam Gallagher and Bosun Lawal missed out through injury while Eric Bocat dropped to the bench as he was managed through an avalanche of fixtures. In came Robert Bozenik, Maksym Talovierov and, for his full debut at left wing-back, Luca Bombino. Cardiff were looking for their first win of the season and Ollie Tanner had two decent chances within half a minute of each other in the opening stages. The first was set up by Yousef Salech when Stoke couldn’t get a tackle in on the edge of the box and Tanner clipped a low shot onto the post from 20 yards with Viktor Johansson diving at full stretch. The second came via a big kick forward from keeper Nathan Trott that Johansson tried to sweep up at left-back. Johansson only managed to pass it up the touchline for Tanner, who tried to act quickly and find the unguarded goal – but a poor shot drifted off target. Bozenik had a shot blocked, hit volley wide when found by a Bombino cross – and he set up the breakthrough goal for Johnson. Johnson charged forward to chase his flick into the penalty area and was in place to take advantage of indecisive defending from Joel Bagan and cushion a neat shot into the net with his left foot for his first Stoke goal. It might have been two when Bozenik won the ball back in the final third and set up George Hirst to have a shot from space 25 yards which Trott tipped around the post. Stoke were putting in some important defensive work, including Justin Devenny blocking a shot from Chris Willock and Hirst hammering the length of the pitch back to block a cross when Cardiff broke following a Stoke corner. Bombino was celebrating when he made a sliding tackle on Jack Moylan in his own area. Hirst should have made it 2-0 at the start of the second half when Gabriel Osho slipped as he challenged Bozenik for a big Johansson kick forward. Ethan Galbraith seized the moment and slipped a lovely pass in for Hirst to go one-on-one. Trott came out quickly and committed himself. Hirst tried to slip it under him and hit it into the keeper’s belly. Bocat, thrown on to try to get a handle on Tanner, had a chance evaporate when he took a touch too many after being fed into the area by fellow sub Bae Junho – and Stoke were punished for their profligacy. Willock’s cross from the left picked out Colwill surrounded by defenders at close range to place a header past Johansson. Colwill almost put his side in front almost immediately from another Willock cross when he got in front of Bocat – but this time his diving header hit the post. Selach might have done it too when he was played in behind the Stoke back line by Alex Robertson but he scuffed a shot wide. Cardiff dominated the ball and, although Stoke sniffed openings on the counter, the hosts had another chance to win it when Robertson slipped a pass behind Wilmot for Selach, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Johansson and an outstretched arm. Then Moylan, in added time, had a shot deflect off Lamine Cisse onto the post. Here are the player ratings from the Cardiff City Stadium: Johansson: Almost caught out when he ran out to left-back to deal with long kick forward. Decent save from Bagan and brilliant stop vs Selach. 7 Johnson: Brilliant run off the ball to chase Bozenik flick and advantage of indecisive defending with strength and lovely finish. 7 Bombino: Full debut at left wing-back. Had hands full with Tanner and didn’t always come out on top. Celebrated sliding tackle in area. 6 Wilmot: One 60-yard dash up the pitch with the ball if only he could have completed pass at the end of it. Lived on a bit of a knife edge after yellow card. 6 Talovierov: A couple of important touches early in second half including header from cross and touch across his own goal. Big man Colwill started to get too many chances as game went on. 6 Graham: Tasked with keeping a handle on Selach and there was some skin of the teeth defending along the way. 6 Soumare: Will want to develop so he can keeper a tighter control of games like this one. 6 Galbraith: Lovely pass through to Hirst for big chance at start of second half. Brilliant quick feet and acceleration at times. 6.5 Devenny: Willing to work for the team defensively including an important block on Willock. 6 Bozenik: First league start of the season. Worked defenders and made breakthrough goal for Johnson. 6.5 Hirst: Putting in a big shift, tracking back when needed. That final touch still a little rusty. Should have buried one-on-one. 6 Bocat (for Bombino, 58): Had to take opening quicker when he was slipped into area by Junho. 6 Junho (for Hirst, 58): Sent on to try to help Stoke in transitions. Won the ball without being able to use it. 6 Cisse (for Bozenik, 69): Offered Stoke something on the counter although could have done with more composure. 6 McGlynn (for Devenny, 69): Put himself about to try to turn the tide. 6 Not used: Griffiths, Anderson, Pearson, Rigo, Manhoef. What do you think? Click HERE to join the debate Get the best Stoke City news and analysis straight to your Inbox courtesy of The Sentinel! To get it, it's a quick and easy one-two: