Stoke are becoming ‘a really enjoyable team to watch’ – boss Mark Robins
Jack McGlynn and Eric Bocat were on target in the win at Watford.
Stoke manager Mark Robins claimed the Potters had “the makings of a really enjoyable team to watch” after ending their 251-day wait for an away win with a deserved 2-1 success at Watford.
United States international Jack McGlynn, signed on deadline day from Houston Dynamo, and £10 million playmaker Ethan Galbraith orchestrated an impressive performance to inflict Watford’s first home league defeat of the season.
A 1-1 draw at Cardiff in midweek had ended a sequence of nine consecutive away defeats and here Stoke were good value for their third win in four Championship games.
Robins said: “It’s been a long time coming. It was a really good performance, but no-one gets carried away. We have to grab hold of it and make sure we are getting better all the time.”
McGlynn and Galbraith called the tune and Robins said: “It’s all about players and their quality. Our players showed they have quality. They have to carry out a game plan and be brave. They were all of those things. They made it work. It’s a testament to them.
“Jack’s a really good lad – very humble and really excited to be in England and playing in the Championship, but he’s under no illusions that we want to do better and better.
“We had a long, long time last season with a lot of players out and we couldn’t find a way of picking up points to keep our season alive.
“We wanted to change that. The owner has been fantastic and backed us incredibly well again. Now we have a decent balance and the makings of a really enjoyable team to watch.
“This team has been put together only very recently, so they deserve a lot of credit for taking information on very quickly – and this isn’t the finished product. We’ve picked up 10 points from 12 after a poor start and it’s a really good step forward and a really good spot to be in.”
Lamine Cisse had already had a goal discounted for offside before McGlynn struck in the last seconds of first-half added time, firing high and handsome beyond Federico Ravaglia from the edge of the box to give the visitors a deserved lead.
Stoke continued to dominate after the break, Cisse rattling the bar before Eric Bocat broke through the inside left channel and fired low across Ravaglia into the far corner after 57 minutes.
Substitute Amin Nabizada’s brilliant 25-yard effort, his third goal of the season, reduced the deficit on the stroke of 90 minutes but Stoke saw out six minutes of stoppage time comfortably.
Watford boss Alessio Dionisi said: “My players are tired – it’s normal when you play every three days for 10 matches, and we are a good team when we have them all (available), but I know our situation.
“If we stick together and we believe in the future, I’m sure the future will be better.
“Amin has scored three goals and I’m very happy for him, but we need other players to help because it is impossible for him to arrive at 10 goals (for the season) – I hope he does, but it will be difficult. The players need to reassert themselves.”
Dionisi, already hampered by a glut of injuries, could be without a single fit full-back for Friday’s trip to Bristol City, and he admitted: “I don’t know how many players will be ready for the last match before the international break.”