Stoke City secured their first Championship win under new head coach Narcis Pelach with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Portsmouth, as Tom Cannon stole the spotlight with a sensational four-goal performance. The Potters were in fine form at the Bet365 Stadium, producing a blistering attacking display that saw them overwhelm a struggling Portsmouth side, who are still winless after eight league games.
Cannon’s Early Impact
From the very first whistle, Stoke City looked eager to make a statement. Within just 30 seconds, Ben Wilmot rattled the crossbar with a powerful strike from outside the box, setting the tone for the relentless pressure that would follow. The home side’s intensity paid off early when Tom Cannon, who joined Stoke this season, delivered a stunning free-kick in the 13th minute. The 25-yard effort dipped and swerved, bouncing just in front of Pompey goalkeeper Will Norris, who managed to get a hand to the shot but couldn’t keep it out. It was Cannon’s first goal for Stoke, and it gave the hosts a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
Portsmouth responded positively to going behind, and they found an equalizer in the 29th minute after a swift counter-attack. Norris quickly claimed a free-kick and launched the ball to Josh Murphy, who burst down the wing before playing a perfect pass across the box for Mark O’Mahony. The Irish forward slotted the ball home from 12 yards, leveling the score at 1-1 and momentarily halting Stoke’s momentum.
Stoke’s Quickfire Response
Despite the setback, Stoke regained control of the match almost immediately. Just before half-time, they scored twice in the space of three minutes to put themselves firmly in the driver’s seat. Cannon was at the heart of both goals, displaying his poacher’s instinct to restore Stoke’s lead. After some clever link-up play on the edge of the box, Cannon pounced on a loose ball in the area and calmly finished to make it 2-1.
Moments later, Sam Gallagher got in on the action, finishing a well-worked team move with a powerful strike to extend Stoke’s lead to 3-1 just before the interval. Portsmouth, shell-shocked by the quickfire double, struggled to regroup, and the hosts went into halftime full of confidence and control.
Cannon’s Second-Half Brilliance
Stoke came out in the second half with the same energy and determination that had defined their first 45 minutes. Tom Cannon, was in unstoppable form, and it didn’t take long for him to complete his hat-trick. In the 51st minute, he found himself in space inside the box and fired a clinical low shot past Norris to make it 4-1, securing his third goal of the afternoon and putting the result beyond any doubt.
But Cannon wasn’t finished. Just minutes later, the striker added a fourth goal to his tally, taking full advantage of some poor Portsmouth defending to tap home from close range. His four-goal haul was a testament to his lethal finishing and intelligent movement, and it marked a remarkable individual performance that Portsmouth simply couldn’t contain.
Moran Completes the Rout
As the match wore on, Stoke continued to dominate possession, and their relentless attacking play eventually led to a fifth goal. This time it was Andrew Moran who got on the scoresheet, capitalizing on some more hesitant defending from Portsmouth. Moran calmly slotted the ball past the beleaguered Norris in the 67th minute, sealing a comprehensive victory for Stoke and capping off an outstanding team performance.
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