SIMPLE TAP-IN LEAVES CITY LICKING WOUNDS FROM COSTLY DEFEAT

A LUCA Kjerrumgaard set-piece tap-in condemned Stoke City to defeat on the road at Watford.

- Peter Smith

KEEN BATTLE: Sorba Thomas competes with former Stoke player Tom Ince. Picture: Jasper Wax/ Getty Images

(Jasper Wax Getty Images)

Sam Gallagher had a header ruled out for offside in a game of very few chances that seemed destined for a 0-0 draw unless a team found a moment of magic or, more likely, were punished for a mistake.

Watford found that breakthrough with just over quarter of an hour to play when Stoke conceded a soft free-kick and then couldn't defend it, with Kjerrumgaard free at the back to poke past Viktor Johansson amid claims of offside.

This season is going to be defined by how many tight games Stoke can force in their favour and matches like this will be ones they will look back on as costly.

Neither team offered enough but Stoke found a way to lose.

They have to bounce back quickly and emphatically with a home double header to see out the year.

Mark Robins had made four changes to his starting XI, bringing in Maksym Talovierov at right-back for Junior Tchamadeu (Africa Cup of Nations) and Aaron Cresswell at left-back for injured Eric Bocat.

Bosun Lawal and Steven Nzonzi returned in central midfield.

There was more probing than action in a first half which ended without a shot of note.