Reaction from Hillsborough as Stoke City make it two wins out of two in the Championship
17:02, 16 Aug 2025Updated 17:09, 16 Aug 2025
Peter has reported on Stoke City for The Sentinel and StokeonTrentLive since 2013, following the club in the Premier League, Championship and beyond, including trips to Singapore, Germany, France, Croatia and Switzerland. He has been watching Stoke since 1990.
Stoke City’s Divin Mubama celebrates scoring against Sheffield Wednesday(Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire.)
Stoke City made it two wins out of two as they kept their heads amid Hillsborough protests to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0.
Million Manhoef opened the scoring in the opening minute when he ducked in from the right wing and Divin Mubama put the Potters in command when he headed home a Sorba Thomas cross in the opening minute of the second half.
The three points were secured – and Stoke’s first back-to-back opening wins to start a season since they started a promotion campaign in 2007 – when Manhoef ran in to scramble in his second from another excellent Thomas cross.
Stoke still needed a cameo from Viktor Johansson, who made three outstanding saves around the hour mark that might have otherwise led to a more dramatic finale.
Instead, the closing stages were played out in an increasingly empty stadium barring the 2,361 fans in the away end who were singing about being in Mark Robins’ barmy army and sitting on top of the league. Only 44 games to go.
There had been major protests from home supporters in the build-up to kick-off, including a mock funeral in Hillsborough Park and there was sustained collective whistling when the game got underway. In fact, a voice came over the Tannoy to warn fans that the game was in danger of being paused in the first minute when Stoke broke through the noise to take the lead. Bae Junho slipped a pass to Manhoef coming in from the right and the winger shoved a low shot past Pierce Charles.
Stoke thought they had doubled their lead on the half-hour mark. Thomas did brilliantly to wriggle free of defenders and advance down the left and feed Divin Mubama on the corner of the six-yard box. Mubama dinked a shot over Charles but Liam Palmer cleared off the line. Lewis Baker was lurking to pounce on the rebound from the edge of the box and his shot went past Charles but clipped the bar.
Stoke got their second right at the start of the second half when Thomas belted down on the area and lifted the ball over advancing Charles for Mubama to sprint in and hold off centre-backs to head home from close range.
Johansson came to the fore to make sure it stayed 2-0 just before the hour mark. Max Lowe set up Svante Ingelsson for a low shot which the keeper did well to keep out – and Johansson was straight back up to get straight back down and stop the follow up from Palmer.
If those were good, the save just after the hour mark was even better. Valery kept the ball in play with a header across for Barry Bannan to try his luck with an overhead kick. It was heading towards the corner from close range but Johansson sprang across to tip it around the post. It was a stunning moment that earned applause from around the stadium.
That gave Stoke the platform to put the game beyond doubt in the 70th minute when Thomas broke away down the left and had the presence of mind to pick out his unmarked pal Manhoef bombing in at the far post. It was put on a plate, albeit then rather bundled home by Manhoef.
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Here are the player ratings from Hillsborough:
Johansson: Three fabulous saves around the hour, including an instinctive spring to push Bannan overhead kick wide from close range. 8.5
Tchamadeu: Has to be careful not to undo good work with lackadaisical moments in or out of possession. Daft booking for dissent. 6.5
Cresswell: Some useful set piece deliveries and a mostly steady presence on the left of the back four. 7
Wilmot: Senior centre-back is keeping the captain’s armband in the opening weeks. Had a lot of touches and tried to keep Stoke on the front foot. 6.5
Lawal: Daft early challenge put him on a yellow card. Prepared to stand up to challenges and shifted into midfield for closing stages. 6.5
Seko: A big shift in central midfield. Caught chasing a couple of times but never hides and always an option to take the ball. 6.5
Baker: Unlucky with first-half shot that clipped the crossbar. Largely quite disciplined in central midfield. 7
Junho: First assist of the season as he gave ball to Manhoef. Some encouraging movement in space as a number 10 but can be more ruthless. 6.5
Manhoef: Well-taken goal to give Stoke an early lead and in the right place to bundle in his second and Stoke’s third. 7.5
Thomas: Some excellent play down the wing to wriggle free of defenders and has a knack of making things happen. Superb assists for Mubama and Manhoef. 8.5
Mubama: Deft little chip was cleared off the line in first half. Good run to finish at the start of the second half. 8
Substitutes
Donley (for Junho, 67): Might have scored when picked out for volley by Cresswell corner. 6.5
Phillips (for Seko, 67): More useful minutes through the closing stages. 6.5
Bocat (for Manhoef, 70): A chance to play in front of Cresswell on the left wing. 6.5
Bozenik (for Mubama, 89): A late run out for the summer signing and chance for Mubama to get individual ovation. 6
Not used: Bonham, Gibson, Smith, Fawunmi, Mears.
Referee: Lewis Smith (Lancashire) 5
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