'Stoke never looked like losing despite red card'published at 16:28 BST 11 October

Image source, ShutterstockWhen Stoke went down to 10 men with 70 minutes left on the clock at Bolton, it looked as though their unbeaten run was in real danger of coming to an abrupt end.
But in truth, the biggest compliment they can be given is that even a man down they never really looked likely to lose once they'd taken the lead against the run of play just before half-time.
Lamine Cisse worked relentlessly hard, held the ball up brilliantly at times and took his goal well - and in the second half his team-mates managed the game excellently.
Ben Wilmot's header from a set piece was the perfect goal for a shorthanded team to score to double the lead and Cisse and Luca Bombino could have added another.
They defended well after giving up two very good early chances, one of which was superbly saved by Viktor Johansson and were rightly roared on by a raucous away following throughout.
Stoke entertain Middlesbrough in midweek as an equal at the right end of the Championship table.
It will be another stiff test of this new team's credentials but if the evidence of the past six games is anything to go by, they have the quality to get another positive result.





































