Rare double for Big Mama

Stoke City secured a 2-0 victory over Notts County thanks to a first half brace from Mamady Sidibe.

You can never say that Sidibe is one of Stoke’s most prolific strikers with only four goals last season, but he does seem to like to get more than one at a time when he has the opportunity as in the vital 2-1 win over Bristol City in the latter stages of the season. We must hope that he’s not using up his goalscoring credits too soon and that he’s still got plenty in reserve for the start of the season proper in just over two weeks.

Tony Pulis rested several players for Tuesday night’s run-out at Meadow Lane as the pre-season injury niggles set in after a heavy week long workout at their Austrian training camp last week.

Liam Lawrence, Leon Cort and Dominic Matteo were rested along with Ricardo Fuller who is still fighting back to full fitness after undergoing a knee operation while competing in Jamaica’s World Cup Qualifiers during the summer.

Dave Kitson had his second run-out in a Stoke shirt since becoming the Potters biggest ever signing just 10 days ago and Steve Simonsen continued to hold the fort between the sticks ahead of the expected arrival of Thomas Sorensen, who had been touted as a possible starter but in the end was absent, as he continues an impressive week long trial at the Brit.

Stoke City: Simonsen, Griffin (c), Shawcross, Diao (Dickinson 46), Pugh, Pulis, Delap, Whelan (Shotton 65), Cresswell (De Laet 71), Sidibe (Pericard 46), Kitson (Parkin 46)