Stoke & Staffordshire

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  2. A man with long hair, a beard and wearing a black hoody, holds a plate with a massive oatcake on it full of food. He has a shocked expression on his face.

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  5. 🎧 'A massive three points for Stoke'

    "I thought that was a good performance from Stoke. It was similar in terms of that aggression we saw at Coventry. They just kept Blackburn at arm's length all game.

    "That's a massive three points. It keeps you at least enough of a distance away from the bottom three. Massive, massive three points for Stoke."

    Those are the thoughts of George Weaver (aka Potterlytics), who joined Lucas Yeomans to discuss Stoke's 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night.

    The victory leaves the Potters in 19th, four points above the bottom three with nine games of the season remaining.

    You can listen to the full episode of A Cold Wet Tuesday Night podcast on BBC Sounds.

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  7. Robins 'delighted' with hard fought win

    Mark Robins at his side's match against BlackburnGetty Images

    Stoke have won three of Mark Robins' 12 league games in charge

    Stoke City manager Mark Robins acknowledges there is room for improvement in his side but was delighted to pick up a vital win on Wednesday.

    The 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers moved Stoke four points clear of the relegation zone and ended a run of four games without a win.

    But it was vital with four of the other sides in the bottom seven all winning in this midweek round of fixtures.

    "It was really hard fought," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "They were a tough nut to crack. The support was fantastic, cheering every tackle, every foray forward, and they stayed with us until the end.

    "We started brightly, we scored a brilliant goal, and it was sharp. We played in spells, really well, but at some point we make a mistake and shoot ourselves in the foot.

    "Inevitably, the other side puts you under pressure, but we had Viktor behind us who kept us in it and made a couple of brilliant saves.

    "I'm really pleased. The endeavour was there, commitment was there, the desire was there. We were focused on what we were trying to do.

    "There is room for improvement, and that's a good thing. We are in a good position in terms of the physicality and mental side of it, and we have some really good players here. I'm delighted with those three points."

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  20. Stoke City Ali Al-Hamadi

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  22. Pick of the stats: Stoke City v Blackburn Rovers

    Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers club badges

    Stoke City are without a win from their past four Championship matches with Saturday's 3-2 defeat by Coventry their third loss in that run.

    The Potters are four points clear of the relegation zone as they prepare to host Blackburn on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

    Rovers are three points outside the play-off places but yet to win under new head coach Valerien Ismael.

    • Stoke City have won four of their past six league games against Blackburn Rovers (L2), keeping a clean sheet in three of those wins.

    • Blackburn Rovers have won four of their past six away league games against Stoke City (L2), winning this exact fixture 3-0 last season which is their joint-biggest away league victory over the Potters alongside another 3-0 win in December 1889.

    • Stoke have only lost one of their past six home league games (W2 D3), keeping four clean sheets in that time, as many as in their previous 17 league matches on home soil.

    • Blackburn have only lost two of their past eight midweek league games (W4 D2), though those two defeats have come in their past three such games (0-2 v Coventry, 1-2 v QPR).

    • Stoke boss Mark Robins is unbeaten in his last eight Championship games against Blackburn (W3 D5), winning each of his past three at home with Coventry from November 2022 to October 2024.

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  24. I'm trying not to 'throw myself around as much' - Gallagher

    Stoke City's Sam Gallagher has the ball under his arm as he is congratulated by a team-mate after scoring a goalGetty Images

    Fit-again Stoke City striker Sam Gallagher says he is trying to fulfil boss Mark Robins' request to not "throw himself around as much" during games in an attempt to safeguard his fitness for the rest of the season.

    Gallagher, a summer signing from Blackburn, has had a frustrating time with the Potters seeing a succession of injuries limit his game time.

    Saturday's 3-2 defeat by Coventry City was only Gallagher's 13th appearance of the campaign but his two goals underscored his importance to Stoke's attempts to stay clear of relegation trouble.

    "It's been really tough coming into the club and getting injured early on and then working so hard to get back fit and then having another setback which maybe could have been prevented with different kind of management - [by] easing into the game," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "That's what we've done now. I've not pushed too much too soon, which I think has put me in a good spot."

    Gallagher's appearance as a half-time substitute breathed life into the Potters' fortunes against Robins' old club at the CBS Arena as his two goals brought Stoke back from 2-0 down to level with four minutes to go.

    But Brandon Thomas-Asante's stoppage-time winner snatched the points for Frank Lampard's play-off chasers - a result Gallagher called "a kick in the teeth".

    "Personally, for me to have a few more minutes back in the team after a bit of time out is good for my confidence," he said. "But the result in the end is more important."

    With 10 games to go, Stoke are only four points above the relegation zone and face Gallagher's old club Blackburn next up on Wednesday.

    Despite the pressure to stay up mounting, Gallagher, 29, says he needs to be sensible over managing his body - something Robins has highlighted.

    "[He said] just not to just throw myself around as much," Gallagher said.

    "I'm not 20 any more and I can't run my legs off until they fall off every game. But maybe being a bit smarter and trying to manage myself... I feel like I've found a bit of a routine which is working so hopefully it stays that way."