In a thrilling Carabao Cup encounter, James Bree rescued Southampton from a potential upset with a late decisive strike, securing a 3-2 victory over a resilient Stoke City at St Mary’s. The Premier League strugglers survived a scare after blowing a two-goal lead that almost led to a penalty shootout.
Stoke’s Ashley Phillips and Tom Cannon had threatened the Saints’ lead with their goals, following Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ header and Adam Armstrong’s spot-kick. However, Southampton avoided a disastrous outcome when Bree unleashed a powerful shot from distance in the 88th minute, clinching a crucial win that manager Russell Martin described as their “most important” of the season.
The Saints had a stroke of luck when Yukinari Sugawara cleared the ball off the line to deny a potential equalizer from Stoke’s Million Manhoef, who almost completed a remarkable comeback.
Stoke fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the match, acknowledging a tale of two halves in their team’s performance and offering feedback to head coach Narcis Pelach:
@James_David20: “Woeful start but a great second half. Seko impressed, Junior too. Cannon and Koumas must start. Vidigal’s level seems lower, and Manhoef needs a break.”
@Mackenz62847350: “Unlucky overall. Second-half improvement was promising. Let’s carry this into the weekend.”
@SCFCLEWIS: “Better after the break but that first half was unacceptable. Vidigal shouldn’t have stayed when Koumas was on.”
Despite the loss, Stoke fans found positives and expressed hope for the upcoming games:
@JackRutter: “Positive takeaways despite the defeat. Saturday is crucial.”
@potteries1863: “Unlucky not to force extra time. Let’s keep up the second-half effort against Derby. UTMP!”
@samthompsonscfc: “The potential was evident in the second half. Must win on Saturday.”
In conclusion, the match demonstrated both the potential and challenges for both teams, sparking discussions among fans about key players and strategies for future games.
