Stoke City 2 Fleetwood Town 1: Harry Souttar haunts Cod Army with Carabao Cup winner
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This first-ever meeting between the two clubs was a scrappy affair, but the Cod Army failed to really test their Championship hosts on a frustrating evening at the bet365 Stadium
New signing Sam Surridge’s second goal in successive games and a bullet header in the 77th minute by skipper Harry Souttar, the former Fleetwood favourite, did the damage for the Potters as they proved too strong for their League One visitors.
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Hide AdJames Chester scored an unfortunate own goal in the fourth and final minute of injury time but the result was never in doubt.
Town boss Simon Grayson decided to make six changes to his team which narrowly lost 1-0 at home to Portsmouth on the opening day.
Defender Harrison Holgate, midfielders Callum Camps, Jay Matete and Dan Batty, and forwards Anthony Pilkington and Leeds United loanee Ryan Edmondson were all handed starting roles.
That meant Harrison Biggins, Callum Morton, Shayden Morris, Ged Garner and Jordan Rossiter all dropped to the substitutes' bench, while defender Tom Clarke missed the trip altogether.
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Hide AdAnd Stoke manager Michael O’Neill also shuffled his pack, with 10 changes in personnel from his team’s thrilling 3-2 away win over Reading at the weekend.
Northern Irishman O’Neill gave four players first starts and Adam Porter made his senior debut for the Potters.
The visitors were given a scare as early as the fourth minute when striker Jacob Brown headed wide at the back post from Alfie Doughty’s left-wing cross.
Winger Tom Ince tried his luck from distance soon after but his wayward effort flew well wide of the target.
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Hide AdCamps had a great chance to score against the run of play only to see his goal-bound shot blocked in the box by Souttar.
Jordan Thompson went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock with a left-foot thunderbolt of a free-kick which flew just wide.
But the breakthrough came on the stroke of half-time when the visitors’ defence was caught sleeping.
Ince collected a quick throw-in, whipped the ball in from the right and there was Surridge to fire into the roof of the net from close-range.
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Hide AdIt was a bitter pill to swallow for Grayson’s team – and the 178 travelling Fleetwood fans - because the visitors had defended well to limit their Championship hosts to a handful of chances.
Ince had a great chance to double the hosts' lead nine minutes after the break but the former Blackpool man lacked composure and blazed over with a right-foot strike.
Pilkington was on target with a weak left-foot drive but Stoke shot-stopper Adam Davies gathered easily.
Saturday's star man Morris came off the bench to replace Pilkington as boss Grayson freshened his attacking options but the visitors lacked creativity in trying to find an equaliser.
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Hide AdExperienced striker Steven Fletcher replaced goalscorer Surridge and came within a whisker of finishing the tie.
Fleetwood skipper and keeper Alex Cairns produced a fine point-black save to thwart him at his near post and keep the visitors in the contest.
The introduction of West Brom loanee Morton with 20 minutes remaining sparked a little bit of life into the visitors but by then former Town loanee Souttar had won it for the Potters.
The towering Australia international centre-back, just back from the Tokyo Olympics, headed substitute Mario Vrancic’s inswinging corner beyond Cairns to secure a safe passage into the second round.
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Hide AdMorton forced a good low save from Wales keeper Davies with six minutes left and defender Danny Andrew was on-target but his free-kick was tame.
Chester was unlucky to deflect Morton’s cross into his own net with almost the last kick of the game but it was little, too late for the visitors
Stoke: Davies; Chester, Souttar, Ostigard; Doughty, Clucas, Thompson, Porter (Vrancic 70), Ince; Surridge (Fletcher 69), Brown (Norton 76); Subs not used: Bonham, Wilmot, Powell, Jones.
Fleetwood: Cairns; Andrew, Holgate, Hill; Clark, Batty (Biggins 77), Matete, Camps, Halliday; Edmondson (Morton 70), Pilkington (Morris 65); Subs not used: Crellin, Johnson, Rossiter, Garner.
Referee: Anthony Blackhouse
Attendance: 4,694
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