Stoke City vs Millwall. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Millwall at the bet365 Stadium as Zian Flemming scored early on to seal victory for the Lions on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday 25 February 2023 18:31, UK
Gary Rowett enjoyed a happy return to Stoke as his Millwall side boosted their play-off hopes with a 1-0 win.
The former Potters boss, who was in charge for seven months in 2018/19, oversaw a plain-sailing victory back at the bet365 Stadium.
Zian Flemming notched his 11th league goal of the season as his early strike proved the difference.
Stoke had their fair share of opportunities, with a Jacob Brown strike ruled out for offside as their four-game unbeaten home run came to an end.
The visitors coasted towards a fifth victory in their ninth league outing in 2023 as they continue to mount a promotion push.
The game burst into life in the ninth minute when Millwall took the lead.
Dutchman Flemming collected the ball on the halfway line and advanced forward unchallenged before calmly slotting home beyond Matija Sarkic.
It was an all-too-familiar feeling for the locals as Stoke conceded the first goal for the 19th time in boss Alex Neil's 28 league games in charge.
The Potters did respond positively to their early setback, however, with an in-form Josh Laurent attempting to orchestrate a fightback.
After notching a double in their midweek win at Swansea, Laurent again threatened, but his fierce strike from range was off target.
The hosts thought they had found their leveller in the 17th minute when Brown buried a close-range finish.
However, the Scotland international was adjudged to have strayed into an offside position when he converted from Dwight Gayle's miscued effort.
Gayle, who ended his 50-match goal drought in January, then spurned two glorious opportunities to equalise before the interval.
The 33-year-old forward first nodded a tame header straight at George Long before then misjudging a volley from a dangerous position.
A lively Laurent again came close to equalising, but his goal-bound strike took a deflection before whistling wide of a post.
After the restart, Tom Bradshaw looked destined to mark his return to the starting line-up with a goal, yet Ben Wilmot's despairing block thwarted him.
January arrival Bersant Celina - making his second league start - tried his luck from range as Stoke struggled to force a breakthrough.
The Potters had scored 10 goals in their previous four home matches but were repeatedly repelled in the second half.
Millwall, who have conceded the fourth fewest goals in the division, were characteristically resilient as they closed out victory.
Stoke's Alex Neil:
"We've relived that however many times this season. It's really frustrating and disappointing. Flemming picks up the ball at the halfway line and we don't engage the ball for whatever reason and it ends up in the back of the net. Arguably they're the worst team at this level that you want that to happen against because they're content to stay behind the ball and sit deep. The minute they scored I knew it was the worst thing that could happen to us in the game because it's difficult to break them down.
"But, having said that, we certainly had enough in the first half to score and we should have scored at least one. We had chances there, but we didn't take them and we didn't really test them enough in the second half. We wanted to get the first goal because that's where they're at their weakest. If we'd have done that, I'd have been really confident that we'd have gone on to win. When you don't, you can sense frustration everywhere, both on the pitch and off the pitch. I thought large parts of the game were good, but nobody cares because when you've not won the game, that all gets lost."
Millwall's Gary Rowett:
"It was a difficult game for us. We were short of numbers and energy so it was always going to be tough. They made it difficult for us to get out. We didn't play with enough quality to get out, but it was an excellent goal for us. We know that Zian's got the quality and, when you start backing off him as a defender, he's so clinical and it's a wonderful finish. At that point, I was frustrated with the first half because we didn't get out with the right energy.
"It felt like we had to grind it out today and it was going to be one of those days on the back of a tough week. But this team knows how to grind it out and win games whether it's ugly or in a good way. The three points were really important today and we've had to work really hard for them. I never really felt that Stoke were going to get an equaliser. We're very
good at defending our box and our centre-halves were outstanding. On another day, it might have been a 0-0 but that early goal was important. It's another three points where we've shown another side to our game."
