Good afternoon. Welcome to another Score liveblog. Granted, it’s not the most glamorous early fixture today – the most one-dimensional team in the Premier League against the side that are probably the worst. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t grounds for entertainment. For a start, there’ll be a degree of desperation as Stoke have lost their last four while Blackburn haven’t won in five. Second, both teams’ particular styles would appear to offer a contrast that could lend itself to a lot of goals…

The teams:

Stoke Sorensen; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson; Pennant, Whelan, Delap, Etherington; Walters, Crouch.
Subs: Begovic, Higginbotham, Jones, Fuller, Whitehead, Upson, Jerome.

Blackburn Robinson; Lowe, Hanley, Dann, Givet; Formica, Nzonzi, Pedersen; Rochina, Yakubu, Hoilett.
Subs: Bunn, Petrovic, Blackman, Goodwillie, Vukcevic, Roberts, Henley

And we’re off… sorry about the delay. A few gremlins in the system there.

The most notable aspect of the first eight minutes, though, was that Rory Delap ha to opportunity to launch a long throw… and played it short. Same end result though. A deep cross was then swung in and Peter Crouch headed narrowly wide.

Blackburn knocking it about nicely at the minute, with the sort of play that has many feeling they’re not getting the results their performances actually deserve.

And Nzonzi lucky there because he swung an arm out an caught Glenn Whelan square onn the nose. He’s escaped censure though.

Blackburn are playing OK but we may have oversold this in our intro. Not much happening now.

On the evidence of this, Blackburn and Stoke are to the Premier League what the-four-who-aren’t-Harry-Styles are to One Direction, what Howard and the other one are to Take That… a necessary irrelevance there to prop up numbers while more attractive acts hog the headlines.

GOAL! Stoke City 1-0 Blackburn Rovers

You couldn’t say that was an untypical Stoke goal. Free-kick by Pennant, crossed for Delap, headed in.

It was a stupid foul by Nzonzi to give away the free in such a dangerous position… kicking out at Crouch who dispossessed him.

Pedersen. Never really relived the glory days of 2005-07 has he? Used to score a screamer every three weeks.

A delightful counter-attack from Blackburn – replete with flowing flick – ends with Formica thrashing a deflected shot wide for a corner. Still wasteful though.

That’s half-time. A typically Stoke/Blackburn game really. Rovers have put together some decent football and looked better than their position… only for Nzonzi and defensive openness to let them down as Stoke converted from a set-piece. As you were.

Nzonzi has elbowed two Stoke players in the face, looks like on purpose: Shawcross and Whelan.

And the second half is under way

Oh! Should have been 1-1 there! Very lively start to the sec0nd half for Blackburn as Rochina dribbles his way into the box before backheeling into space superbly, only for Formica air-kicking and Yakubu missing.

Worth noting, of course, that there are four Irishmen on the pitch for Stoke: Wilson, Whelan, Delap and Walters. All solid six-out-of-10 performances.This is Stoke after all.

Almost another for Stoke. You can probably have a bit of fun with this one and arrange these words into an appropriate sentence.

Cross. Etherington. Huth. Big header. Air. Just wide. Industrial.

GOAL! Stoke City 2-0 Blackburn

Two Irishmen link up as Walters lays off Etherington’s cross, allowing Glenn WHelan to drive a deflected strike home from outside the box. The second Irishman of the day to score.

Jason Roberts on for Blackburn. It’s hard not to think this game is over though. It’s not far off unwatchable now.

GOAL! And another classic Stoke goal. A long ball from left-back bounces in the Blackburn box allowing Peter Crouch to then slide the ball home.

Walters flashes wide after – oh – a diagonal ball from Stoke. Snide comments aside, they have been passing with a bit of quality since going 3-0 up though.

Kenwyne Jones coming on for Crouch.

GOAL! Stoke City 3-1 Blackburn

Rochina hammers a superb strike into the top corner to at least keep up Blackburn’s record of scoring in every away game this season.

All getting a bit tasty at the Brittania as Nzonzi gets himself into another scuffle. At least he didn’t elbow anyone in the face this time. Just shouldered Sorenson.

And that’s that then. Stoke win their first game in five, ending a four-game losing run. Blackburn continue to plummet despite not looking all that bad. But, then, they did succumb to the most stereotypical of Stoke goals. As you were in every sense.