Stoke City head to Ipswich Town for a tough mid-week test in the Championship
George Hirst celebrates scoring for Ipswich against Coventry.
George Hirst celebrates scoring for Ipswich against Coventry.(Image: Joe Toth/Shutterstock)
Ashley Phillips and George Hirst will both serve one-match suspensions as Stoke City take on Ipswich Town on Wednesday night.
Stoke centre-half Phillips picked up his fifth booking of the season – and fifth in six matches – as Stoke lost at Sheffield United on Saturday. Full-time in that game was the amnesty for a five-yellow ban. Players will now face a two-game suspension if they collect 10 yellows before the end of the 37th match.
That is a relief for Sorba Thomas, who is on four yellows, while Ben Pearson and Bosun Lawal have both been cautioned three times in the league so far this season.
Junior Tchamadeu, however, is now on nine and has to get to mid-March without another to avoid spending two games in the stands.
Right-back Tchamadeu is scheduled to meet up with Cameroon for the African Cup of Nations on Monday, after Stoke have played Ipswich and Swansea (at home, Saturday, 12.30pm). A booking in either of the next two games could mean at least part of his ban is served while he is away.
Ipswich striker Hirst picked up his fifth booking of the term during a 3-0 win over Coventry at the weekend. There was talk that he should have been shown a second yellow in the first half of that game, too, because he kicked the ball away long after the whistle had been blown.
Coventry manager Frank Lampard said: “I don’t love yellows for kicking the ball away, but clearly if Josh Eccles deserves one (for doing the same earlier in the game), then Hirst unfortunately deserves one.
“This is nothing personal on Hirst, but it’s the rules. And if anyone’s going to speak about the timing of it, it was whistle, stop a little bit, look, shoot wide, just like Josh did.”
EADT columnist Karl Fuller said: “I do feel that George Hirst was a lucky man not to receive a red card – not necessarily for the offence, but in the interest of consistency. What I will say, as I usually do, is that we have been on the end of enough wrong decisions over recent years. We must accept them either way.
“After George had missed a one-on-one, it was a huge relief to see him tuck away a second opportunity. It is a shame that he is suspended for Wednesday night’s game against Stoke as his confidence will have been lifted. He will be itching to get back out there again.”
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