Jack McGlynn’s clever free-kick helps Stoke beat Blackburn

Jack McGlynn scored an audacious free-kick as Stoke held off a late Blackburn comeback to win 2-1 in the Championship.

After weathering early Blackburn pressure, McGlynn caught everyone off guard in the 43rd minute, finding the net with a spectacular set piece from the left instead of the expected cross to notch his fourth of the campaign.

Substitute Moussa Baradji’s own goal in the 68th minute gave the Potters a deserved cushion as they seemed set for a comfortable victory.

But Andri Gudjohnsen’s tap-in halved the deficit in the 87th minute and the Icelandic forward thought he had equalised three minutes later when skilfully steering a header into the far corner but referee Andrew Kitchen penalised the striker for a push, much to the fury of the Rovers fans and coaching staff.

Despite the late scare, Stoke held on to make it eight wins in 11 and move level on goal difference with second-placed Birmingham.

Stoke’s victory here last season owed much to Viktor Johansson’s heroics and he was at it again within four minutes when he produced a stunning stop to tip Todd Cantwell’s rasping 18-yard drive behind.

Johansson was needed again close to the half hour when Hayden Carter pounced on a loose ball and strode forward into the space to unleash a low drive that the Swede pushed wide for a corner.

Despite their dominance, Rovers fell behind just before the break thanks to an outrageous free-kick from McGlynn. Wide on the left, the American went for goal rather than sending in a cross everyone was expecting and while Balazs Toth got a hand to it, the referee checked his watch to indicate it was over the line.

Dapo Afolayan planted a header wide of the far post after meeting Jayden Fevrier’s right-wing cross, as Rovers tried to respond.

Robert Bozenik spurned a glorious chance just after the hour when played through by Million Manhoef, but he could not slot beyond the outstretched Toth.

Stoke recycled possession, the ball fell to Ben Johnson on the edge of the area and his venomous strike deflected wide with Toth well beaten.

The visitors’ pressure finally told in the 68th minute when Manhoef was given time and space to race through Blackburn’s defence and though Toth pulled off a sharp save down to his left, substitute Yuri Ribeiro’s attempted clearance hit fellow replacement Baradji and rebounded into the empty net.

Gudjohnsen handed Rovers a lifeline three minutes from time when Johansson failed to hold Sam Morsy’s shot, pouncing for his ninth of the season and he thought he had helped Rovers to a great escape with a towering header three minutes later from Gady Beyuku’s cross but it was controversially ruled out and Stoke held on.