Center-back Ashley Phillips marked a career milestone by scoring his first professional goal with a brilliantly improvised move for Stoke City in their game against Southampton. Stoke’s new head coach, Narcis Pelach, hadn’t yet had the chance to view a slow-motion replay of the goal when he arrived for his post-match press conference.
Phillips made his debut under Pelach just days earlier in a game against Sheffield United, where he came close to scoring from set pieces on two occasions. However, the opportunity he seized late in the first half at Southampton was hardly a typical scoring chance. As Yukinari Sugawara deflected a header from Michael Rose toward the goal, Phillips stepped in with a clever backheel flick, sliding the ball past Aaron Ramsdale. The unexpected brilliance of the move quickly went viral, with a Spurs fan account dubbing it a “sexy flick goal.” It was a memorable, if surprising, way for the young defender to open his scoring record.
Although Stoke initially trailed 2-0, Phillips’ goal gave them a boost, followed by Tom Cannon’s equalizer in the second half. Million Manhoef nearly clinched a winner before James Bree secured Southampton’s victory with a powerful long-range shot. Still, Phillips’ performance under Pelach’s watchful eye had a positive impact on his standing within the team.
Pelach expressed admiration for Phillips, stating, “He had chances against Sheffield United the other day. I’m impressed with his performance today and the other day, and he needs to continue in this direction because I think he’s a good center-back, and can be very good in the future.”
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