Peter Crouch rolled back the years to finish off a hat-trick with a scissor kick. Phil Bardsley cut in from right back and sent a 30-yard left-footed effort soaring into the top left corner.
Joe Allen, only 5ft 6ins, popped up to win a back post header to set Crouch up for his first competitive goal in eight months. It was that kind of match, as Stoke produced some extraordinary moments for a very ordinary League Cup victory at League Two Stevenage.
That Bardsley goal in the 32nd minute was only the 14th of the 31-year-old’s career, spanning more than 250 matches, and none have been as spectacular.