Stoke City U23s beat Fulham U23s 2-0 at Craven Cottage courtesy of goals from William Forrester and Scott Hogan, moving third in Premier League 2 Division 2 in the process.
The Potters were generally the better side over the 90 minutes, but Fulham did create a number of good chances, with a combination of good defending and poor finishing preventing them from scoring.
Below, we have rated how the Stoke City players got on.
Goalkeeper: Blondy Nna Noukeu – 6
Made some good saves but also had two errors that very easily could have cost his side. In particular, passing the ball straight to Martell Taylor-Crossdale in his own area was a mistake he was lucky to get away with. Nonetheless, showed great agility to keep out Sylvester Jaspar and showed potential in amongst a couple of shaky moments.
Right wing back: Tre Pemberton – 8
One of the better players for Stoke, Pemberton was a consistent threat in attack and defended well against the dangerous Jaspar. Was involved in a fracas that saw him yellowed and sat back more in the second half as Stoke looked to protect their lead, but was generally very good.
Centre-back: Scott Wara – 8
Another strong performer in the Stoke defence, Wara was solid in the air and dealt with the threat of number 10 Fabio Carvalho. Wara also showed his dribbling ability with some nice runs into the Fulham half and made up an important part of an impressive Stoke backline.
Centre-back: William Forrester – 9
Man of the match, Forrester proved the difference at both ends of the pitch. His goal may have been scrappy, but it was a finish that embodied the determination and attitude that was evident throughout his performance. Aged just 18, he is someone the first team should be monitoring closely.
Centre-back: Josh Tymon – 6
The most senior of Stoke’s back three but also the least impressive. Tymon was rarely involved as a ball progressor but was also rarely showed up when defending. A decent, if unflashy performance.
Left wing back: Ryan Corrigan: 7
Put in some outstanding deliveries, firstly for Hogan from which he should have scored and secondly for Forrester’s opener. A tough defender who stood up well to the challenge of marking Kalvin Lumbomba-Kalala, was also booked for his fracas with Cody Drameh.
Central midfield: Lasse Sorensen: 6
Another steady performer for Stoke, Sorensen did little to stand out but was also tidy in possession and provided a decent screen for the defence. Could have been helped out more by the players ahead of him, but nonetheless nothing to write home about.
Central midfield: Jake Dunwoody: 6
Similar to his midfield partner, this was not a game where the midfielders stood out for great passing. Solid in his distribution and tackling, he did have one shot that tested the Fulham keeper, but otherwise an unspectacular outing.
Attacking midfield: Mark Duffy – 4
A poor display from someone with Duffy’s experience, it is not hard to see why his involvement with the first team has been so limited. Looks slightly off the pace and not the same player that excelled with Sheffield United last season, which is a shame for a player of genuine ability.
Forward: Mohamed Sankoh – 6
A willing runner who perhaps looked in behind a little too often, he showed some promise but also lacked quality in front of goal. Had one good chance to score but blazed over.
Forward: Scott Hogan – 6
We all know Hogan can play but this was disappointing from the former Brentford man. Goal aside, he was anonymous and also missed a very good chance in the first half. Having said all that, it was a great finish for his goal and a timely reminder of his quality.