Dwight Gayle ended his 50-match goal drought to help Stoke produce one of the most comfortable football results of the weekend in the Championship. The Potters earned their first victory at home since early November thanks to Will Smallbone’s deft early finish. Before Jacob Brown scored a late third, Tyrese Campbell doubled the lead in the second half to tighten the hosts’ hold. And Gayle, who scored his first goal since December 2020 under fortunate circumstances, capped off a strong Stoke display. The Potters improved to 18th while achieving their largest Championship victory since July 2020.
The visiting Royals, who lost their fourth league game without a victory, provided little fight in the meantime. The absence of Nick Powell and reputed Leicester target Harry Souttar due to injuries created a selection conundrum for manager Alex Neil. The hosts got off to a strong start in their attempt to snap a three-match losing record in the second tier despite the forced personnel changes. In just 11 minutes, Southampton loanee Smallbone netted his second goal in red and white to cap off a quick start for the Potters. Andy Yiadom was deposed by Gayle before Campbell set up the youngster to score with a refined attempt.
But his perseverance paid off as a curling shot deflected off Tom Holmes and went beyond a caught-off guard Lumley. Shane Long and Lucas Joao were added by Paul Ince in an attempt to spark a late comeback, but their efforts were unsuccessful. When Brown bundled home an alluring Josh Tymon delivery, Stoke made their superiority count and the game ended strongly. A long-range Josh Laurent shot that was deflected off Gayle and curled into the far corner concluded the memorable afternoon for the hosts. The team led by Neil secured their first league victory in more than a month and their first clean sheet in eight Championship games.
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