It proved to be a tough night for our Under-21s as they went down to a disappointing defeat at the hands of an experienced Stoke side.
In what was our first game of 2024, Brian Barry-Murphy‘s youngsters fell behind to an early header from Will Smith.
Nathan Lowe then doubled the hosts’ advantage early after the restart before a superb Kane Taylor chip 12 minutes from time prompted hopes of a late fightback.
However, Lowe then struck again to extend Stoke’s lead before City’s frustration continued as Mahamadou Susoho picked up a second yellow card.
And a disappointing night was then compounded in injury time as the hosts added two late goals from Liam McCarron and Lowe who sealed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
Play the video to watch extended highlights from St George’s Park...
