Stoke City 0-1 Blackburn Rovers: Brighton loan man Reda Khadra nets winner to beat Potters

Reda Khadra scored his second goal in four games having also netted against Sheffield United

Reda Khadra got the only goal of the game at the bet365 Stadium as Blackburn Rovers handed Stoke City their second home defeat of the season.

The on-loan Brighton midfielder took possession of the ball when Stoke defender Ben Wilmot's attempted clearance ballooned off John Buckley into his path on 52 minutes before he powered forward, evaded two challenges and drilled a superb right-foot shot into the bottom left corner from 20 yards.

Four minutes later, Blackburn lost keeper Thomas Kaminski with a stomach muscle injury. But the visitors hung on to climb from seventh to fourth in the Championship, the highest they have been under Tony Mowbray.

Since losing 7-0 at home to leaders Fulham at the start of November, Rovers have now taken 10 points out of a possible 12.

Weakened Stoke, who began the day in sixth, drop out of the play-off places to seventh after their second 1-0 defeat in four days, following the midweek reverse at Bristol City., which also cost them a suspension to Wales midfield general Joe Allen.

Blackburn nearly doubled their lead when Darragh Lenihan flashed a volley just wide at the far post from Joe Rothwell's whipped-in free-kick from the right.

Stoke then almost made them pay in injury time when Danny Batth's goalbound flick was brilliantly saved by reserve keeper Aynsley Pears, who had come on for the injured Kaminski.

The hosts had reason to complain about the winning goal, which originated from a goal-kick that clearly should have been a Stoke corner after Mario Vrancic's long-distance effort was deflected around the post off two Blackburn defenders. But the Potters then won back possession, only to then lose it again, allowing the pacy Khadra to take his chance with almost clinical efficiency.

Blackburn now face a Lancashire derby next Saturday at home to Preston, while the Potters are back in action the following day at sixth-placed QPR.

Potters boss Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Stoke:

"The conditions made it difficult. It was hard for the forwards in particular trying to deal with the ball and we didn't create as much as we'd have liked.

"In fact, we created as little as we have done here all season and their goal came when we had to defend their goal-kick when we should have been making them defend a corner.

"We've been in the top six all season, so a little positivity wouldn't go amiss. We had eight players unavailable to us. But we're coming into a schedule that is now a little more forgiving - and we will have Joe Allen available again after his suspension next week."

Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We deserved to win. We created the best opportunities over the 90 minutes and generally controlled things.

"I was a bit frustrated at half-time playing against that wind. But we had it at our backs second half - and the orders were to get some shots away.

"Reda Khedra has some amazing attributes, with that blistering pace and a rocket of a right-foot shot and I'm delighted he did the job for us.

"We will have to get Thomas Kaminski scanned and let's hope it's not a muscle tear and Joe Rothwell had to come off too but I'm sure he'll be fine."