Sorba Thomas' deflected cross earned Stoke City a narrow 1-0 victory over Wrexham, ending the hosts' run of four Championship games without a win and lifting them up to third in the table. The Wales international's 36th-minute delivery, credited as his fourth goal of the season, proved enough to settle a scrappy encounter in which Wrexham's failure to take their chances loomed large.
For Wrexham, beaten for the first time in five league matches after three successive 1-1 draws, this was a harsh lesson in Championship ruthlessness. Phil Parkinson's side created several clear openings, including a glaring first-half miss, but were punished for one lapse in concentration and left Stoke's home ground still 18th, only three points above the bottom three.
Wasteful Wrexham let early chances slip away
Despite later being accused of lethargy, Wrexham fashioned the afternoon's first meaningful opportunities. From Ben Sheaf's early corner, Kieffer Moore rose well but could only direct a tame header into the gloves of Viktor Johansson. It served as an early warning of the visitors' aerial threat rather than a serious test for the Stoke goalkeeper.