- Fuller (2), Beattie (49)
- Date:2009-04-04
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:The Hawthorns
- Attendance:26277
- Referee:Atkinson, M
Live Commentary
90mins
Stoke celebrate their first away win of the season while West Brom look doomed to relegation.
90mins
Roman Bednar has a chance but is blocked by Glenn Whelan and there are three minutes of added time.
88mins
Ricardo Fuller is replaced by Seyi Olofinjana.
88mins
West Brom have a corner but the shot is straight at Thomas Sorensen and the whistle has gone for a free-kick.
87mins
The Stoke anthem Delilah is ringing out around the Hawthorns.
86mins
The Baggies fans are streaming out as their winless run looks set to continue.
85mins
Gianni Zuiverloon has a chance to cross towards Filipe Teixeira but sends the ball behind for a goal-kick.
83mins
Stoke are keeping possession well as they look to play down the clock.
81mins
Robert Koren's shot is deflected into the net by Marc-Antoine Fortune but the 'goal' is ruled offside.
80mins
James Morrison drills in a free-kick but it's cleared by Rory Delap.
78mins
James Beattie is replaced by Richard Cresswell.
77mins
Filipe Teixeira puts in a good cross and Marc-Antoine Fortune has a shot which is well saved by Thomas Sorensen.
76mins
Jonas Olsson is booked for pulling back Ricardo Fuller.
75mins
Ricardo Fuller and Jonas Olsson are having a little altercation and Fuller concedes a free-kick.
73mins
Danny Pugh comes on for Liam Lawrence.
71mins
Ricardo Fuller is caught offside.
70mins
Chris Brunt's corner is half cleared by Rory Delap and the ball eventually goes out for a goal-kick.
68mins
Rory Delap wins the ball in midfield and get a cross into the area which is claimed by Scott Carson.
66mins
James Beattie has a free header at the far post but doesn't connect properly and Scott Carson is able to gather the ball.
65mins
West Brom win a corner but it's headed over the bar, and they're starting to press more and more.
64mins
Chris Brunt has an effort from distance which cannons off the crossbar.
62mins
Liam Lawrence tries to head back to Thomas Sorensen but concedes a corner, which is cleared.
60mins
A triple change for West Brom with Jonathan Greening, Paul Robinson and Jay Simpson being replaced by Robert Koren , Roman Bednar and Filipe Teixeira.
59mins
Chris Brunt's cross is intercepted by Danny Higginbotham as Stoke continue to defend impressively.
58mins
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye is booked for a mistimed challenge on Marc-Antoine Fortune.
57mins
Rory Delap's throw almost reaches James Beattie but Scott Carson is able to punch clear.
55mins
Borja Valero's shot is deflected but Thomas Sorensen is able to prevent the corner.
54mins
Jay Simpson has a great chance to pull one back but fluffs his chance after good Baggies build-up play.
52mins
Gianni Zuiverloon defends well to prevent Matthew Etherington going through one-on-one on goal.
51mins
The Stoke fans are on their feet celebrating their lead.
49mins
Matthew Etherington runs into the box and the ball breaks to James Beattie whose left-foot volley beats Scott Carson.
49mins
Chris Brunt sends in a dangerous cross but Thomas Sorensen comes out to make the save.
48mins
James Morrison is allowed some space and shoots but his effort is charged down.
47mins
Marc-Antoine Fortune drills a low ball into the area but Borja Valero's first touch lets him down and it goes out for a goal-kick.
46mins
The second half gets underway.
45mins
Boos ring out around the Hawthorns as the half-time whistle goes.
45mins
Glenn Whelan's shot is deflected and Stoke have a corner.
45mins
There are two minutes of added time.
45mins
Borja Valero puts in a cross but Thomas Sorensen is there again.
43mins
Stoke are starting to sit back and allow West Brom to dictate the play.
41mins
James Morrison tries a long-range shot but it flies well wide.
40mins
Stoke are enjoying a spell of possession but can't find a cutting edge.
38mins
West Brom are pushing for the equaliser and Chris Brunt's cross flies across the face of goal but is missed by everyone.
37mins
West Brom win their first corner but again the whistle goes for a free-kick.
36mins
A free-kick is given for some pushing from the corner.
35mins
Rory Delap launches a throw towards the far post and wins a corner.
34mins
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye defends the ball with his chest and the Albion fans plead for a handball but nothing is given.
32mins
A mix-up in the Stoke defence almost lets Paul Robinson in but Thomas Sorensen makes the save.
30mins
James Morrison puts in a good cross but Thomas Sorensen is able to pluck the ball out of the air.
29mins
Marc-Antoine Fortune heads over the bar and the Baggies are getting back into the game.
28mins
Thomas Sorensen does just enough to put off Marc-Antoine Fortune and the ball goes out for a goal-kick.
27mins
Matthew Etherington whips a shot just past the post after some good build-up play from Stoke.
26mins
James Beattie has a shot which is deflected towards Matthew Etherington who is offside.
25mins
Jay Simpson hits a right-foot shot which fizzes just wide of the post.
23mins
Borja Valero can't keep the ball in play and is jeered by the Stoke fans, who are much louder than their Albion counterparts.
22mins
Rory Delap has his first long throw but Stoke are forced back.
21mins
Jonathan Greening is booked for a late challenge on James Beattie.
20mins
Both players are okay.
19mins
Jonathan Greening and James Beattie have collided and are receiving treatment.
18mins
James Morrison sends in a cross but it's straight into the arms of Thomas Sorensen.
16mins
Paul Robinson concedes a free-kick 25 yards out but James Beattie sends the ball well wide.
15mins
Gianni Zuiverloon's cross isn't cleared and James Morrison's effort from 12 yards out is saved by Thomas Sorensen.
14mins
Jonas Olsson is fouled by Ricardo Fuller and Albion have a free-kick.
12mins
Chris Brunt's low cross is cleared away and West Brom are trying to build some momentum.
11mins
Danny Higginbotham is caught offside.
9mins
Jay Simpson is caught by Ryan Shawcross and Martin Atkinson comes over to have a word with the Stoke man.
8mins
Shelton Martis again allows the ball to bounce and Ricardo Fuller finds James Beattie whose shot is straight at Scott Carson.
7mins
Albion need to get into the game after that terrible start.
5mins
Stoke have a free-kick and Scott Carson pulls off a good save to keep the score down.
3mins
Ricardo Fuller pounces on a Shelton Martis error and his low shot beats Scott Carson.
2mins
There's a great atmosphere inside the Hawthorns.
1mins
The game is underway.
0mins
It's almost time for kick-off in this relegation six-pointer.
Match Preview
The Hawthorns plays host to a game of huge importance at the foot of the Premier League table, with rock-bottom West Bromwich Albion taking on Stoke City.
The Baggies seem all but certain to make an immediate return to the Championship as they are seven points adrift of the safety mark with just eight games to play.
Tony Mowbray's side are without a win in their last eight games and goalkeeper Scott Carson accepts that his side need a miraculous run of form to escape the drop.
He said: "I've been through it before at Charlton. I've had the experience and it is not a nice feeling, getting relegated.
"I've just been trying to help the lads and tell them what it's like and we are doing our best to keep in the Premier League. You try to keep going.
"We're going to need four or five wins to stay up, but stranger things have happened. We will continue to work as hard as we have been and just hope we get a bit of luck."
Albion may be boosted by the return of centre-back Abdoulaye Meite following a hamstring injury.
The Potters make the short trip to The Hawthorns with a three-point cushion above the relegation places, having secured a vital 1-0 win at home to fellow strugglers Middlesbrough last time out.
City will definitely be without striker Mamady Sidibe due to a knee injury, but have hopes that injections will help centre-back Ryan Shawcross overcome a knee problem.
Boss Tony Pulis commented: "Ryan certainly seems to be feeling the benefit, so I'm happy to go along with the experts for as long as they think it will help him.
"We'll go steady with him this coming week and see how he is feeling ahead of the Albion game, but we're hopeful he'll be okay.
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Match Report
James Beattie continued his red hot run in front of goal to fire Stoke City closer to Premier League survival as West Bromwich Albion moved another giant step towards an instant return to the Championship.
Beattie made it six goals in 10 games for Stoke since his £3.5million January switch from Sheffield United as City finally picked up their first away league win of the season - and completed a seasonal double against Albion in the process.
Beattie struck at the start of the second half to seal the win that had been set up when Ricardo Fuller helped himself to his eighth goal of the season after just two minutes.
Albion, who are now 11 points adrift of Stoke, had a hand in their own downfall as they made errors for both goals as their dismal run against their bogey side continued.
They have now beaten Stoke just once in the last 27 league meetings and they never really looked capable of easing that dismal statistic once Fuller had struck.
They remain rooted to the bottom of the table and hopes of pulling off another great escape are fading fast as they have now failed to win any of their last nine league games and are cut adrift of safety with just seven games remaining.
In contrast, Stoke are within touching distance of securing another top-flight season after back-to-back wins and a run of just one defeat in their last six games.
Fuller's early strike was a personal disaster for Albion central defender Shelton Martis and goalkeeper Scott Carson.
Martis totally lost the flight of the ball when Stoke left-back Danny Higginbotham played what appeared to be a hopeful long punt up field.
But Martis failed to deal with the ball and then he saw Fuller muscle his way past him and surge towards the edge of the area.
Fuller then let fly with a right-foot drive that didn't seem to carry much pace.
Carson even managed to get to his hands to the ball only to see it slide through his fingers.
While Carson will feel he should have done better with Fuller's shot, he did go some way to making amends three minutes later when he made what was markedly a more difficult save to push a Glenn Whelan free-kick around the post.
Albion struggled to get to grips with the game after that nightmare start and although James Morrison tested Thomas Sorensen from close range, it was Stoke who carried by far the greater threat.
They should really have doubled their advantage after 26 minutes when Fuller fed Whelan, whose neat through ball fell neatly into the path of Matthew Etherington.
He only had Carson to beat from the right hand edge of the area however the angle was acute and the former West Ham winger pulled his shot across the face of goal.
But Stoke did not have to wait too much longer to deliver a knockout blow to Albion.
Once again, Albion were guilty of pushing the self-destruct button when Fuller lifted the ball into the penalty area.
Central defender Jonas Olsson and right-back Gianni Zuiverloon both tried to clear Fuller's cross but all they did was get in each other's way.
That let the ball bounce into the path of Beattie who made no mistake with a rising volley from 12 yards.
Albion's dismal day was then perfectly summed up in the closing stages when Chris Brunt crashed a 35-yard drive off the bar and substitute Roman Bednar saw his effort disallowed for offside.
West Bromwich Albion Team
Stoke City Team
West Bromwich Albion | Stoke City |
Corners
| 6 | 3 |
Fouls
| 10 | 10 |
Goal attempts
| 12 | 9 |
Shots off target
| 2 | 3 |
Offsides
| 2 | 5 |
90mins
James Morrison has a shot which is cleared by Danny Pugh as West Brom press for a consolation goal.