Jack McGlynn earns high praise from Stoke boss Mark Robins as free-kick pays off
The only goal of the first half was ultimately pivotal.
Mark Robins praised Jack McGlynn’s ‘absolutely fantastic’ free-kick as Stoke moved level on points with second place after beating Blackburn 2-1.
McGlynn broke the deadlock in a game Rovers had edged with a remarkable free-kick, catching out Balazs Toth who was expecting a cross to register his fourth of the campaign.
They deservedly doubled the advantage in the second half after a well-worked move ended with Moussa Baradji’s own goal, but they were given a scare after Andri Gudjohnsen scored late on and thought he had equalised only to see his header ruled out for a push on Ben Wilmot.
After making it four successive away wins, Robins lauded McGlynn’s ‘incredible’ goal.
He said: “You look for quality in the game and the first goal was that. Honestly, I saw the goalkeeper, where he was stood and I’m thinking ‘go on, please see it’.
“He (McGlynn) moved to his right a little bit more to open his stance up and I thought ‘go on’, and he did it and honestly, he’s the only one who could do it out of our team on the pitch. I think (Todd) Cantwell may try that. He’s got the audacity to do that, and the ability to do that. I also think there’s a couple of others on our team who could do that, who are that good.
“But for Jack, that’s incredible. To see it, to spot it, to try it – but to execute it is absolutely fantastic.
“We manage to hold on after the goal was disallowed but rightly so, picked the three points up. Support was absolutely brilliant.”
Blackburn’s three-match Ewood winning run was ended but Tony Mowbray labelled the decision to disallow Gudjohnsen’s late header as ‘embarrassing.’
He said: “Having watched it back, it’s embarrassing really. People come to watch football to see entertainment and goals.
“Listen, I can’t understand it really. I’ve watched it back. Does he put his hands up? Yes because the guy is going to back into him, to protect himself and hold him off. Is it a forward motion and a push? No. Does the guy throw his arms up in the air? Yes. I think the referee gets it hugely wrong. Hugely wrong.
“What hurts a little bit more is the inconsistency of the officials, I suppose.
“Thinking back a few weeks to West Brom away when Gudjohnsen gets blatantly pushed with two hands. Play on, they go down the other end, get a penalty, get back to two each and then win the game late on. Just the inconsistency of it.
“I thought ultimately we played pretty well tonight. We’ve played probably not as well and won football matches. There you go, that’s the game.”