Chico Flores is the man football currently loves to hate. But while West Ham’s Andy Carroll may not be a fully paid-up member of his fan club, the defender at least dragged one notable enemy back onside.
The centre half found himself booed by the home crowd at the Britannia Stadium but shrugged off those barbs to earn himself a few welcome brownie points from inside his own camp.
After all, Flores must have thought he had picked a row with the wrong man when his opponent in a training ground bust-up last month, Garry Monk, turned out to be Michael Laudrup’s replacement.
And while no-one can blame him for trying to avoid Carroll’s recklessly swinging forearm at Upton Park, the manner in which he slumped to the turf endeared him to few. And those in north Staffordshire were certainly not among them.
However, Flores went a long way to making amends for any altercation with his current boss by providing the platform for Monk to build on his status in South Wales, a reputation that was enhanced by the three-goal drubbing handed out to Cardiff City last weekend.
All smiles: Stoke striker Peter Crouch (centre) celebrates after putting the Potters ahead against Swansea
Leveller: Swansea centre back Chico Flores wheels away to celebrate after equalising for Garry Monk's side
MATCH FACTS
Stoke: Begovic 6, Cameron 6, Wilson 5, Shawcross 7, Pieters 6; Odemwingie 6, Adam 6, Whelan 6, (Guidetti 67, 6) Arnautovic 5; (Assaidi 56, 6) Walters 6; (Nzonzi 56, 5) Crouch 7.
Subs not used: Sorensen, Muniesa, Palacios, Ireland.
Scorer: Crouch, 17.
Booked: Crouch, Adam.
Swansea: Vorm 6, Rangel 6, Flores 8, Williams 6, Davies 6; Canas 6, Britton 7 (Amat, 90), Hernandez 7 (De Guzman, 75, 6) Routledge 6, Bony 6, Dyer 7 (Emnes, 82).
Subs not used: Tremmel, Taylor, Vazquez, N’Gog.
Scorer: Chico, 52.
Booked: Williams, Britton.
Attendance: 24,822
Referee: Jon Moss
*Player ratings by Neil Moxley at the Britannia Stadium
And so it was that the defender dragged his team back into a game that appeared to be slipping beyond them after Peter Crouch’s 17th-minute opener.
Swansea had, as Swansea do, darted dangerously hither and thither without landing anything like a killer punch.
But all that changed seven minutes after the interval when Pablo Hernandez’s left-wing corner was cleared back out to the same player who swung over a low cross that Flores diverted into the bottom corner with a deft flick of his pony-tailed head.
It was little more than Swansea deserved if, for nothing more than showing the determination to play their brand of football on the floor, despite conditions which had caused two postponements to matches in the north west.
Under former boss Tony Pulis, Stoke made the Britannia Stadium a sanctuary where they could retreat to collect points in times of trouble.
Quietly, the same has happened under Mark Hughes, with Liverpool emerging as the only victors from the previous nine encounters prior to this match, enabled the club to move away from immediate relegation trouble.
Hughes is trying to put his own stamp on Stoke but has also championed Pulis’s legacy and his players go about their business in a largely unspectacular fashion.
Full stretch: Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic looks on as he is unable to keep out Chico's effort
Tussle: Swansea's Nathan Dyer (left) and Stoke's Jonathan Walters battle for the ball
Fllored: Swansea left back Ben Davies falls to the ground as he challenges Peter Odemwingie for the ball
Therefore, Hughes’s hardy bunch were not likely to be unduly flustered by the blustery conditions. It was difficult but by no means impossible to play.
In fact, Swansea demonstrated that fact within the first five minutes when Nathan Dyer looped the ball in from the right and it bounced onto the crossbar.
For Monk, able to field Wayne Routledge and Dyer either side of Wilfried Bony, there was a significant goal threat.
Yet the first came, predictably on such a windy night, from Crouch. Unpredictably, it was a finish with his right foot.
Flying: Dyer falls to the ground after being dispossessed by Stoke frontman Marko Arnautovic
Stretching: Arnautovic (left) vies for posession with Spanish defender Chico
Not happy: Stoke manager Mark Hughes bemoans a decision during Wednesday night's fixture
Charlie Adam, one who has joined the ranks of Stoke’s uber-professionals, showed his new-found desire by reaching a high ball ahead of a cluster of purple-shirted opponents.
Crouch picked up possession and selflessly fed Peter Odemwingie, on his outside. The shot from the former Nigeria forward smacked into the foot of the post.
It rebounded somewhat kindly to Crouch who sent the ball goalwards once more. It entered the net after taking a fortuitous deflection off Leon Britton.
After Marko Arnautovic stung Michel Vorm’s fingers when the visitors’ defence backed off again, it was time for Swansea to bare their teeth.
Adam sparked a scuffle when Dyer had his ankles tapped twice in quick succession. Ashley Williams took offence on his side’s behalf, rather unhappily receiving a yellow card for his trouble. Adam was far more phlegmatic when Jonathan Moss waved one in his direction.
Caught in the middle: Swansea wideman Pablo Hernandez (centre) is crowded out by Erik Pieters and Oussama Assaidi
Big tackle: Swansea's Leon Britton brings down fellow midfielder Charlie Adam
Dyer had the opportunity shortly afterwards to exact the sweetest of revenge. But, again given too much time by Stoke’s defence, his aim was wayward as he let fly from a good position on the right-hand edge of the area.
With the wind at their backs in the second half, Swansea set about Stoke. Bony saw two chances go begging in the same number of minutes before Flores levelled.
Thereafter, it became an intriguing contest between styles. Stoke’s dogged resilience and determination not to be beaten contrasted with the expansive, passing game that has become Swansea’s hallmark.
Thirteen minutes from time, Swansea appeared to have won it. Dyer played a neat one-two on the right and crossed low into the centre. Bony feigned to shoot, Asmir Begovic just did enough to parry the ball long enough for Ryan Shawcross to recover as it headed towards the net.
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