Reedo's Preview: Stoke vs Blackpool
By Danny Reedo
March 21 2008
Saturday will see Tony Pulis’s Stoke City taking on Simon Grayson’s Blackpool Fc at the Britannia Stadium. Both teams will be looking to secure 3 points for different reasons, Stoke to secure promotion and Blackpool to try and reach there safety target and to end their current run of consecutive draws.
Home Side
The hot favourites for promotion went top last week with a 0-0 draw with Watford but this Saturday they will be without 3 key players as Liam Lawrence, Ryan Shawcross and Ricardo Fuller are all out injured and are not available for Saturdays encounter but don’t think this affected Stoke as they are looking to bag all the points they can get and bolster their changes to go up as champions.
Star Man – Whelan
Away Side
Blackpool will be more concentrated on getting points in and reach their 52 point target and have looked at this and brought in Grant Holt from Nottingham Forest to add to the list of strikers and Larry could be after more. Rumours have been silenced over Dickov as Simon has said he should return for Saturday after his injury but he and Gnashers will undergo fitness test. Jacko will not feature as he steps up the road to recovery.
Star Man – Wes Hoolahan
Likely Line Ups
Stoke City
Nash
Griffin Cort Riggot Shawcross
Delap Whelan Pugh Boothroyd
Sidebe Gallagher
Blackpool Fc
Rachubka
Barker Evatt Gorkss Crainey
GTF Flynn Jorgensen Hoolahan
Mcphee Holt
(Southern and Dickov could appear)
Last time they met
In League
Blackpool 2(Flynn, Barker) Stoke City 3(Fuller, 2, Cort)
At The Britannia
Stoke 2 Blackpool 0
Prediction
Stoke 2-1 Blackpool