Zian Flemming scored the only goal of the game to help Millwall produce one of the narrow football results of the weekend in the Championship. The former Potters manager, who was in charge for seven months in 2018/19, oversaw a comfortable win at the bet365 Stadium. Zian Flemming scored his 11th league goal of the season, and his early strike was decisive. Stoke had their chances, but a Jacob Brown strike was ruled out for offside, ending their four-game unbeaten home run. The visitors cruised to a fifth victory in their ninth league game of 2023, as they continue to fight for promotion. Millwall seized the lead in the ninth minute, igniting the contest. Flemming, a Dutchman, received the ball on the halfway line and went forward unopposed before calmly slotting home beyond Matija Sarkic.
However, the Potters responded strongly to their early setback, with an in-form Josh Laurent aiming to orchestrate a comeback. Laurent threatened again after scoring twice in their midweek win over Swansea, but his ferocious drive from range was off-target. When Brown buried a close-range strike in the 17th minute, the hosts thought they had found their equalizer. Nevertheless, the Scotland international was ruled to have been offside when converting from Dwight Gayle’s miscued shot. Gayle, who had overcome a 50-match goal drought in January, then missed two wonderful chances to equalize before the break.
The 33-year-old attacker started the game with a poor header straight at George Long. Laurent came close to equalizing again, but his goal-bound effort took a deflection and whistled wide of the post. After the restart, Tom Bradshaw seemed set to score on his return to the starting lineup, but Ben Wilmot’s desperation block denied him. Bersant Celina, making his second league start, tried his luck from a distance as Stoke struggled to find a way through. The Potters had scored ten goals in their previous four home games, but they were repeatedly thwarted in the second half. Millwall, who have conceded the fourth-fewest goals in the league, were resilient as they sealed the victory.
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