Stubborn Stoke boast top-six quality defence

Ashley Phillips is experiencing a second season on loan from Tottenham

These are the kind of victories that secure a team a top six place come May.

Wins over Wrexham always require a side to battle and work hard and defend well and so far this season Stoke City have been excellent at all of those things.

They have the best defensive record in the division over the first 10 games and this game again highlighted the great foundation for success that provides.

Bosun Lawal is out for a few weeks but Ashley Phillips has stepped in and performed brilliantly. He won countless headers and alongside Ben Wilmot stood up to the physical challenge of Phil Parkinson's side and their giant centre forward Kieffer Moore.

England Under-21 defender Phillips was the best player on the pitch by a distance.

Stoke defend well as a team though and few clubs will find them easy to beat this season. They're a top-six side defensively and stubborn, competitive and tenacious enough to turn those qualities into plenty of wins of their own.

But that brings us back to a familiar conclusion, something that has been inescapable for weeks now.

Whether they are legitimate contenders for promotion this season will depend on whether or not they can get better in front of goal.

Sorba Thomas has been magnificent this season but ironically scored with what may have been a cross. He missed a good chance late on as did Million Manhoef when he hit the bar when he should have found the net.

The win could have been more comfortable than it was, even had Wrexham converted their own best chance when Ryan Longman missed an open goal at 0-0.

At least the chances are coming. Perhaps someone is about to be on the receiving end of one of those games where everything for Stoke flies in.