Article body analysed
Football
Stoke City
vs Wrexham. Sky Bet Championship.
3: 00pm, Saturday 18th October 2025.
Bet365 Stadium Attendance: Attendance27, 254.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Wrexham at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday; Sorba Thomas scores only goal as Mark Robins' Potters claim victory. Saturday 18 October 2025 18: 37, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sorba Thomas was the matchwinner as Stoke beat Wrexham 1-0 to end a run of four Championship games without a victory and moved up to third in the league table. Wales international Thomas settled the contest in the 36th minute when his cross from the left found its way into the net, taking his goal tally for the season to four since signing from Huddersfield in the summer. Having followed up a loss to QPR with three consecutive draws, the win was an important one for Mark Robins' side and leaves them three points outside the automatic promotion places. Defeat for Wrexham, meanwhile, sees them remain in 18th spot and now on a four-match winless run having drawn their previous three games 1-1. Wrexham had the first meaningful attempt on goal, but Kieffer Moore's header from Ben Sheaf's corner was comfortably saved by Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson. Johansson was called into action again in the 21st minute, getting down low to push away Issa Kabore's drilled shot before Ryan Longman hit the rebound into the side netting with the goal gaping. Despite the growing pressure from the visitors, it was Stoke who took the lead around 10 minutes before half-time when Thomas' cross evaded everyone and nestled into the far corner of the net past a helpless Arthur Okonkwo.
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Having gone into the break 1-0 up, Stoke threatened to double their advantage early in the second half with Divin Mubama seeing his effort tipped away from danger by Okonkwo. It was not long before Mubama got off another shot after latching onto Million Manhoef's pass, but he fired the ball into the side netting from an acute angle. The hosts continued to push forward and Manhoef came agonisingly close to making it 2-0 in the 67th minute with his curling left-footed attempt coming back off the crossbar. Sam Smith's header late on forced Johansson into an easy save, but that was as near as Wrexham came in their search for an equaliser. And the scoreline could have looked slightly worse for the Red Dragons had Okonkwo not denied Thomas from close range in the dying moments. Stoke's Mark Robins: "The goal probably typified the game because it was a bit scruffy at times, but we don't care, Sorba won't care. I think it's just reward for his performance again. I'm really pleased with the three points. "Giving up that chance in the first half, where they missed it, it makes you feel a little bit relieved that they didn't take that because it was gilt edged - an open goal really, but they missed. "So that was a let off and I thought we were good value for a win. I think that you're playing against a side that's obviously got a lot of momentum behind them, a lot of support and some good players. "They're managed well. Phil (Parkinson) has done incredibly well with the promotions he's had and continues to do well. So they're a tough team to play against. They've got some really good players. " Wrexham's Phil Parkinson: "We had some great moments, but obviously we didn't take them. And with the goal we conceded, I think if you freeze frame it when Sorba Thomas has got the ball in that position, and you say three seconds later the ball was in the back of the net, you probably wouldn't have believed it. "We should have dealt with it. I felt at half-time, that if we kept playing the same way that more opportunities would come, but I felt we didn't show enough consistency in our quality to make it in that second period. " "I don't think it (the second-half performance) came from a bad place…but I felt it was a game we should have got something out of. " The £250, 000 is up for grabs with Super 6, and as always it is completely free to play. Entries by 3pm Saturday.
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