WEMBLEY TRIUMPH FOR STOKE
With the score at 1-1, a quickly taken, contentious, free kick left Bristol City`s defence in disarray and allowed Thorne to slide the ball home from close range with just 10 minutes left on the clock.
Stoke had opened the scoring after half an hour when talented midfielder Graham Kavanagh powered home from inside the area - beating Billy Mercer at his near post with a flashing drive.
The Potteries side dominated the first-half with Kavanagh in particular proving that he is one of the most influential figures in the lower leagues.
However, after the break the match appeared to have turned in Bristol City`s favour. With youngster Damian Spencer causing havoc for The Robins as he forayed forward, and the presence of Tony Thorpe putting pressure on the Stoke defence it seemed only a matter of time before an equaliser came.
In fact the Bristol City fans had to wait until the 73rd minute before they got the goal they deserved - Chris Holland powering a header towards goal from a corner and watching the ball take a fortuitous deflection off of the thigh of team-mate Spencer before nestling in the net.
18-year-old Spencer was then guilty of a glaring miss, when in the 78th minute he was found unmarked in the area with just a simple volley needed. However the youngster appeared to freeze under the gaze of 75,000 plus crowd and miscued the shot back up into the air.
With Bristol City looking for a winner Stoke managed a rare break down the left flank. Scott Murray appeared to have made a perfectly legal tackle but was adjudged to have committed a foul.
Kavanagh screamed for a quick free kick and received it, and, with the Bristol City defenders still arguing with the decision looped the ball to the back post where Thorne - ever the predator - was lurking to gleefully slide the ball in to the empty net.
