Stoke City 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday: Hosts take big step towards survival

Stoke took a significant step towards retaining their Championship status with a 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the bet365 Stadium.

Dutch winger Million Manhoef opened the scoring in the first half before defender Ben Wilmot added a second after the break following a terrible error from Owls goalkeeper Pierce Charles.

Victory extends the Potters' unbeaten run to five matches - made up of three wins and two draws - and moves them seven points clear of the relegation zone with just three matches of the season remaining.

Wednesday, meanwhile, have now gone six games without a win and drop one place to 15th - just above Stoke who are 16th.

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The first chance of note was fashioned by Stoke as Junior Tchamadeu's ball into the box was headed just over the crossbar by Ashley Phillips.

The hosts continued to look the brighter of the two teams in the opening exchanges and deservedly took the lead in the 21st minute, when Manhoef slotted home at the back post after Bae Jun-ho's pull back was diverted to him by Jordan Thompson - an early substitute for the injured Eric Bocat.

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They came close to doubling their advantage seven minutes before half-time, with Manhoef's wayward shot being deflected onto the crossbar by Dominic Iorfa before the visitors cleared their lines.

Wednesday's first opportunity of the match came in the 55th minute as Callum Paterson headed Svante Ingelsson's cross into the ground and over the crossbar.

Moments later, Djeidi Gassama's close-range effort was brilliantly blocked by Phillips and deflected out for a corner.

But just as it appeared as though Danny Rohl's side might find a way back into the game, goalkeeper Charles inexplicably fired a goal kick out of his hands straight into the back of Wilmot before the ball ricocheted goalwards and over the line just beyond the hour mark.

Wednesday nearly halved the deficit in the 81st minute through Michael Smith, whose curled attempt hit the inside of the post.

Stoke were good value for the three points, though, and the final whistle was greeted with a huge roar from the home fans.

The managers

Stoke's Mark Robins:

"There's a bit of breathing space, but certainly until it's mathematically done, then we don't take anything for granted, that's for sure," Robins said.

"To be how we want to be, you have to be brave, and they (the players) have showed that courage and taken the ball.

"But not only that, they've shown real quality as well.

"I'm really pleased with them and I'm really pleased for them. And not least the owner (John Coates) because he's put a lot of time, work and money into this club that he loves and I'm pleased that things are starting to move in the right direction for him.

"I'm not saying this is the end of our season now because it really isn't."

Sheffield Wednesday's Danny Rohl:

"I think my feeling is disappointment, but two things - first, we have to separate the last four or five results from the previous 18 months," he added. "At the moment, we're damaging our good work a little bit.

"And on the other side, the last couple of weeks, some players showed that they're not able to play my football. We speak about quality, decision-making.

"If you want to improve as a club, you have to do a lot of things right in the summer, otherwise - and this is what I tell you - next season will be a big, big fight to stay in this league because we have a group of players that are not able to play at this level - not my football. I must say this today very directly.

"I think I protect all my players again and again, I take all the responsibility, I give chances now to players to see what they can do, but the results at the moment are not what they should be.

"And I demand, at the moment, not special things. For me, it's about basics."

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