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We progressed to the Third Round of the EFL Cup last night with a victory over Championship side Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium. It was a slop served up by both sides and we had to wait for penalties to see us over the line. Fair play to those 1,250 travelling fans who made the journey on a Tuesday night. I did not go, but watched it from my living room, where I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Yes, we controlled the game and looked strong, but the performance was no match to the game against Manchester United. It was slow and uneventful, but a fantastic strike from Dowell in the first half and a flawless showing from the penalty spot was enough to seal the victory. Sergej made eleven changes from the victory on Saturday; in a 4-1-4-1 formation, we lined up as follows: Phillips, in goal; Targett, McNair, Herrington and Drameh as the back four; Douath as defensive midfielder; Dahl and Dowell in midfield, with Omur and Millar on the wings; and Akintola leading the line. The gaffer was obviously prioritising the match against Coventry on Saturday as some main starters did not even make the bench, including McBurnie. Still, it was a strong side, and it gave the new signings a chance to settle into the system. They all did well in the opening stages of the game. We controlled the ball and were tight at the back. Our structure was strong and we made it difficult for the home side to break through us. We were quick on the counterattack, and this is how we earned our first real chance in the 7th-minute. Starting with a smart run from Kieran Dowell on the right, he played a smart ball in behind their backline to Akintola. One on one with the keeper, and with Millar arriving to his left, he wasted his chance by shooting straight into the keeper’s hands. We had another opportunity after this. Millar’s threatening run on the left allowed him to play a low ball into the box, which was collected by Dahl. He turned and curled the ball towards the far corner, forcing a strong save from Griffiths, their keeper. After working hard to keep most of the possession, we ruined this in the 39th-minute by allowing the opponent to take an unexpected lead. Some space opened in our backline and Stoke were able to capitalise on the gaps. The ball was moved nicely to Thomas on the left channel, who had time and space to whip in a lovely ball. Bozenik, their number 9, easily moved away from his man and had a free header, which crashed into the back of the net. This was self-inflicted and should have been prevented. It’s a shame because our defence had been our strong point all game. We responded well to this set-back by working well to draw level just six minutes later. It was an excellent move created by Liam Millar on the left-wing. He collected the ball from Dahl on the halfway point of the half and drove down the pitch towards the edge of the box. He beat his men, before putting a low ball across the box, which was finished first time by Dowell, firing it into the top left-corner of the net. A fantastic move, finished off by a majestic strike. That’s more like it. All level at the break. I won’t dwell on the details of the second half because it was woeful and dull. I can say that we should have scored once or twice. But Akintola squandered every chance he got. The 59th-minute was the most crucial moment of the second half. Millar had the ball in the middle of the park and played a ball through their backline, releasing Akintola. One on one, he took the ball around the keeper leaving an empty net. But his miscued effort hit the side netting. Another opportunity came his way in the 66th minute. Drameh’s through ball to him was missed left and wide of the goal from the centre of the box. Finally, in the 78th-minute, his right footed shot from the centre of the box was too tame and was easily saved by Griffiths. It clearly was not his day, but it demonstrated how we need more quality at the top of the pitch. This game could have been dead and buried. Stoke did not have a punt at goal, and the match fizzled out as the seconds ticked. The closer to the 90th-minute, the chances of us of sealing the win became lower. A penalty shootout loomed, which I was very pessimistic about given our composure in-front of goal already in this match. To my surprise, it was the best shootout I have witnessed. Every penalty was put into the corners, giving their keeper little chance. Phillips was the hero as he saved their fourth penalty. They made us wait until our fifth penalty to seal the win, and Belloumi easily fired the ball into the back of the net. Not the most exciting game to watch, but a win is a win. A Third Round match awaits.