At his Tuesday unveiling, Paul Lambert said he did not care if he was ‘fifteenth or fiftieth’ choice for the Stoke City job. After a rousing second-half performance secured an instant impact for the Glaswegian, the Potters supporters who slated his appointment may well share those emotions.
The bet365 stadium on a freezing January afternoon did not seem like an obvious place for a party, especially after a turgid opening stanza best forgotten.
But goals from Joe Allen and Mame Diouf – and a clean sheet rarer than rocking horse droppings in these parts – had them dancing in its aisles. Not that Lambert, whose side clambered out of the relegation zone, until Sunday afternoon at least, was in the mood for hitting the town.
Paul Lambert made a winning start to life as Stoke manager after his side registered a comfortable win against Huddersfield
The Stoke manager leaped in the air and pumped his fists in celebration after his side doubled their advantage
Mame Biram Diouf tidily finished into the corner of the net from insisde the penalty area to score Stoke’s second goal
The Senegalese forward celebrated his strike by getting on his knees and kissing the turf at the Bet365 Stadium
Stoke had taken the lead early into the second half after midfielder Joe Allen finished off a lovely flowing team move
MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE
Stoke City (4-1-4-1): Butland 6; Bauer 7, Shawcross 7, Zouma 6.5, Pieters 7; Fletcher 7; Shaqiri 7.5, Allen 8, Adam 7.5 (Cameron 71, 6) Choupo-Moting 7.5 (Ramadan 90); Diouf 7 (Crouch 77, 6);
Subs not used: Ireland, Martins Indi, Sobhi, Grant, Edwards;
Goalscorers: Allen (53), Diouf (69)
Booked: Bauer
Manager: Paul Lambert 7
Huddersfield Town: (4-2-3-1): Lossl 6; Hadergjonaj 6, Jorgensen 6, Schindler 6, Malone 5.5; Hogg 6 (Depoitre 79, 5), Mooy 6; Van La Parra 5.5, Ince 5 (Quaner 56, 5.5), Pritchard 5.5 (Sabiri 60, 5.5); Mounie 5.5
Subs not used: Smith, Kongolo, Coleman, Williams;
Goalscorers: NONE
Booked: Hogg
Manager: David Wagner 6
Star Man: Joe Allen
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 29,785
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Joe Allen finished off a lovely team move to give Stoke the lead against Huddersfield. CLICK HERE to see more from Sportsmail’s brilliant MATCH ZONE feature.
Mame Biram Diouf scored from inside the area to seal the victory for Stoke. CLICK HERE to see more from Sportsmail’s brilliant MATCH ZONE feature.
‘Tired,’ said Lambert when asked how he felt, before a nod to the atmosphere. ‘I’m delighted for the players and supporters. They were my main concern – I wanted them to bounce off each other. At times you can’t here yourself shout out there.’
Lambert, who replaced Mark Hughes, brought injury-hit Ryan Shawcross back into the side as captain and planted his wily compatriot, Charlie Adam in midfield.
But in an opening scrappier than Scooby-Doo’s nephew, Diouf clattering into a linesman raised the biggest cheer. The only real action came when the superb Maxim Choupo-Moting lobbed a ball over a Terriers high line for Xherdan Shaqiri.
Paul Lambert acknowledges the Stoke City supporters as he prepares to take charge of his first game as manager there
The Scot shakes the hand of Huddersfield counterpart David Wagner before kick-off on Saturday afternoon
Before the match both teams paid their respects to West Brom legend Cyrille Regis who sadly died this week
Regis, who is widely recognised as being a pioneer for black players in football, died age 59
The Stoke man was in the clear but his dink was met by the outstretched arm of an onrushing Jonas Lossl. It was a brilliant reflex save from the Dane which prevented a goal in 45 minutes of football not worthy of one.
That high line continued to fail and on 53 minutes it did so with fatal consequences when Adam’s cunning lob released Choupo-Moting.
The Cameroon international’s low cross appeared to have evaded everyone but Allen was at the far post to sidefoot home, although Huddersfield full back Scott Malone, on the line, may well have done better.
Immediately, cries of Delilah filled the air from the majority of the 29,785 present – a stadium record. Lift off for Lambert, who celebrated accordingly, leaping into the air on the touchline.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (right) battles for the ball with Rajiv van La Parra during the opening encounters
Mame Biram Diouf (left) tries to get to grips with the visitors as the match begins on an even-keel
Christian Schlinder (right) tries to get Huddersfield on the front foot as they look to break the deadlock
Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl produced a smart save to deny Stoke midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri from close range
Choupo-Moting shows great strength to shrug off the challenge of Jonathan Hogg and start a counter attack
Stoke forward Diouf collides into the linesman after desperately trying to keep the ball in play during the first half
With the Potters on top the second, which arrived on 69 minutes, came as no surprise. Choupo-Moting picked up the ball on halfway, played it forwards to Shaqiri whose first time backheel to Diouf was a work of art.
‘What a player he is by the way,’ beamed Lambert. Diouf, all alone, finished off Lossl’s post. Forget Delilah – ‘Paul Lambert’s Barmy Army’ was belted out from the Boothen End.
Huddersfield created few real chances on an afternoon which hinted that they may have been found out.
‘Everybody knows they play a high press,’ said Lambert. ‘The first goal was something we worked on because they play with a high line.’
Lambert was almost as happy with the clean sheet as the victory. Stoke had conceded 50 goals already this season and had not blanked an opponent in their last 14 attempts.
He will look at a favourable schedule and feel safety is well within reach. His injury time wave, in response to those on the terraces who demanded it, saluted a decent start. David Wagner had different emotions.
‘If I have be honest that this was a deserved defeat,’ he said. ’We tried our best – I was pleased with the attitude.’
The proof of the Premier League pudding for newly-promoted sides can often come in the beating and, based on the evidence here, Huddersfield’s best may not be good enough to keep them up.
Ryan Shawcross intelligently uses his body to shepherd the ball out of play under pressure from Steve Mounie
Choupo-Moting and Diouf celebrate together after the latter doubled Stoke’s advantage with a neat finish inside the area
Stoke forward Choupo-Moting fires a speculative volley at goal but Aaron Mooy does well to block his effort
Huddersfield players Abdelhamid Sabiri and Schindler battle with Stoke substitute to win the header