by Michael Baggaley
michael.baggaley@thesentinel.co.uk

STOKE City’s sister club Austin Aztex claimed family bragging rights as Gareth Evans’s header gave them a 1-0 win over the Potters at Nantwich Town last night.

Evans struck with five minutes remaining of an entertaining game against a Stoke side made up of the club’s youth team.

The result was a small slice of history for the Aztex who were meeting Stoke for the first time since being set up in Texas by Stoke City director Phil Rawlins a year ago.

Aztex manager Adrian Heath, below, said playing English opposition was a valuable learning experience for his young side.

He said: “I said to my players Stoke would be getting stuck in because, under Tony Pulis, they play at full tilt every time they play. After the first two tackles Stoke put in, I thought ‘welcome to England’.

“I was hoping we could do ourselves justice and one or two did quite well.”

Among the Aztex to shine were Brazilian right winger Sullivan Silva, former Bradford and Coventry striker Eddie Johnson, Haiti international midfielder Jean Alexandre and goalscoring defender Evans, who hails from Wrexham.

But it was their Mexican keeper Miguel Gallardo who had to deal with long-range strikes from Louis Moult and Tom Urwin as Stoke’s youth side set off at a cracking pace to test the legs of their visitors.

The Aztex responded determinedly, even if they couldn’t find a final ball to match the skills of Silva and Vaniel Siren on the wings.

Eddie Johnson’s shot was blocked by Matt Cohen six yards from the line as the Aztex pressed for an opener, but Urwin scooped a shot just over at the back post on 45 minutes.

Parton came to Stoke’s rescue at the start of the second half as he flew from his line to bravely save at the feet of Alexandre after the midfielder played a clever one-two with Johnson.

Moult’s 20-yard strike was touched wide by substitute keeper Nick Noble on 70 minutes, but Alexandre came desperately close to an opener for the Aztex after lining up a 25-yard-free kick just to the right of the area.

He struck the ball thunderously, but saw his shot fly inches over the left-hand angle of post and bar.

Stoke came just as close 80 minutes when Adam Vickers flicked on Ryan Connor’s inswinging free-kick. The ball was destined for the goal, but Evans produced a superb goal-line block.

Evans grabbed the winner five minutes later after Eddie Johnson pulled away to head the ball back across goal. Evans was first to the ball at the back post, sending his header past the helpless Parton.

Stoke left-back Zak Foster drilled just over after a fine run behind the defence as the Aztex held on for a victory which must have impressed the Potters.

Manager Tony Pulis kept a careful eye on proceedings while, along the row at the impressive Weaver Stadium, sacked Crewe boss Gudjon Thordarson was deep in jovial conversation with his former Alex assistant Steve Davis.

However, performance of the night came from the club’s broadcaster Nigel Johnson who was sending live internet commentary to both sides of the Atlantic, while bravely competing with Nantwich’s fearsomely powerful PA speaker inches above the press box.

With the sound system perched like a malevolent parrot on his shoulder, Johnson remained unflustered even when the speaker regularly erupted with pronouncements so loud they must have been pulling their Stetsons over their ears in Texas.

STOKE CITY: Parton, Hedley (Sinclair, 90) Cohen, McDonald, Foster, Urwin, Nicholls (Stockhall, 65), Connor, Lund, Alexander (Stockhall, 65), Moult.

AUSTIN AZTEX: Gallardo (Noble), Sakuda (Diao-Jimenez, 62) , Evans, Bernard, Rayman (Gilbert, 62), Silva (Holmes, 71), McMahen (Watson, 45), Callaghan (Patterson, 45), Siren (Stair, 62) Alexandre, Johnson.
Attendance: 554.