• Date: Sat 22 November 2008
  • Venue: Britannia Stadium
  • Ref: Mason, L
  • Attendance: 26,613

Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion

Team Lineups

Stoke City

Thomas Sorensen
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye
Danny Higginbotham
Andy Griffin
Ryan Shawcross (Leon Cort, 80)
Amady Faye
Salif Diao
Tom Soares (Michael Tonge, 65)
Rory Delap
Dave Kitson (Richard Cresswell, 11)
Mamady Sidibe

West Bromwich Albion

Scott Carson
Abdoulaye Meite
Gianni Zuiverloon
Jonas Olsson
Paul Robinson
Kim Do-Heon (Filipe Teixeira, 57)
Jonathan Greening
Chris Brunt
Robert Koren
Borja Valero (Roman Bednar, 86)
Ishmael Miller


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

Full-Time: STOKE 1-0 WEST BROM. Stoke breathe a sigh of relief after a nervy end to the game. City looked the better side and deserve the three points, although they maybe didn't create as many clear-cut chances as Tony Pulis would have liked.

90

Teixeira runs at goal in a last gasp attack from West Brom but he runs into trouble and Faye clears the danger.

90

Miller strikes an ambitious shot from distance but sends it high and wide of the target.

90

The fourth official indicates five minutes of added time.

88
Yellow Card
 

Michael Tonge picks up the first booking of the game after a crunching challenge on Teixeira.

85
Substitution
 

Tony Mowbray changes things around as Iglesias Borja Valero leaves the field for Roman Bednar

84
Goal
 

STOKE 1-0 WEST BROM: Higginbotham puts an inch-perfect delivery into the box, picking out MAMADY SIDIBE who rises to nod the ball across the face of goal and into the bottom corner.

82

Teixeira works his way into another good position and this time he gets his shot on target but it is a comfortable save for Sorensen.

79
Substitution
 

Ryan Shawcross is forced off the field and has to be helped off with his arms around two other people. Leon Cort takes his place.

78

Andy Griffin dwells on the ball and is dispossessed by Teixera. The midfielder runs at goal and has Miller open and waiting for a cross in a great position, but he goes for goal and sends his shot over the bar.

76

Shawcross returns to the field but still seems to be struggling as he comes on holding his back.

75

Stoke centre halves Abdoulaye Faye and Ryan Shawcross both receive treatment for injuries but it looks as though they may be OK to continue.

72

Miller hits a snap shot from the edge of the area and Sorensen has to act quickly to get his body behind the ball.

71

Delap gets a shot away from just outside the box but fails to trouble Carson.

68

A cross comes into the West Brom box and Sidibe is bundled over. The crowd appeal for a penalty but the referee waves away the protests.

65

Stoke play the ball around on the edge of the West Brom box before Tonge gets an early shot away but it sails straight down the throat of Carson.

64
Substitution
 

Tom Soares leaves the field for Michael Tonge who may come in useful on the set-pieces which have not been consistent today.

61

The game has opened up a little and both sides look like they are going to go all out for the win.

59

Carson clatters into a West Brom defender and fumbles a cross. The ball bounces loose in the penalty area before the visitors clear their lines. A lucky escape for England international Carson.

57
Substitution
 

Tony Mowbray makes his first change of the game as Filipe Teixeira enters the fray in place of Kim Do-Heon.

55

Iglesias Borja Valero plays through Miller who hits a long range shot that loops over the crossbar after taking a deflection off a Stoke defender.

54

Two decent chances in a couple of minutes for Stoke and these are promising signs if they can keep it up.

52

Sidibe puts an inviting cross into the box and Soares gets on the end of it but his header is straight into the arms of Carson.

51

Sidibe and Cresswell link up well before the ball sets up for Soares whose shot forces a fine save out of Carson

49

Delap bursts down the left flank and gets into a good position but there is no urgency from his team-mates and the opportunity is snuffed as black and white shirts surround the frustrated Delap.

47

The game has started similarly to the first half and it has the look of a bore draw.

Second half
 

West Brom get the second half underway. Both sides remain unchanged.

Half time
 

Half-Time: STOKE 0-0 WEST BROM. Stoke have perhaps shaded an uneventful first half as the sides go in at the interval level.

43

Delap chases down a lost cause and gets a superb cross into the box from the byline but it is too close to Carson who smothers the ball with ease

40

Cresswell runs at goal and goes down under the challenge of a West Brom defender but the referee waves play on - the striker adjudged to have gone down too easily.

37

Stoke are really looking to hit Sidiby and the rest of the players seem to be running off him. This is where Stoke have looked best today

35

We have still not had a clear cut chance at the Britannia though the home side have undoubtedly had the better of the game

33

West Brom push forward with Robert Koren but his final delivery is poor and sails high and behind for a goal-kick.

30

Another nice move from Stoke as Sidibe's flick on finds Delap and his shot from just outside the box grazes the crossbar.

29

Stoke get caught napping at the back as Ishmael Miller fires a shot from distance that dips just over the crossbar

28

Soares curls a free-kick into the danger area but the ball is just too far for Delap whose header lacks direction and bounces wide of the target.

26

The game has gone a little flat in the last few minutes and both sides are finding it difficult to retain possession.

23

Delap puts another dangerous throw into the box but Carson does well and gets just enough on the ball to punch it to safety.

20

Stoke put together their best move of the game but it comes to an end as Danny Higginbotham's cross sails straight into the arms of Carson.

17

West Brom can't keep hold of the ball at the moment and Stoke have their tails up. Tony Pulis will be disappointed if his side fail to profit from this spell.

15

Stoke are causing all sorts of problems from set pieces but are not committing themselves forward and this time Delap's throw-in sails over the crossbar and behind for a goal-kick.

13

This is a good spell of dominance from Stoke and they need to make it count while they are on top.

12

Tom Soares puts in a couple of inviting deliveries into the mixer, both of which cause problems amongst the West Brom ranks, but Stoke fail to make the opportunity count.

11

Sidibe controls the ball well and sets himself for a shot which is brilliantly turned around the post by Scott Carson.

10
Substitution
 

Kitson hobbles off the pitch and Pulis is forced to make an early change, with Richard Cresswell taking his place up-front.

9

Dave Kitson goes down after an aerial challenge and looks in agony as he lays on the ground. Worrying signs for Tony Pulis' side.

7

Rory Delap uses his dangerous long throw to create a chance for Stoke, finding Mamady Sidibe inside the box but his header is cleared by a West Brom defender.

5

The first goal in this match could prove vital - both sides have gone on to win every game in which they have taken the lead this season.

3

West Brom get forward and put a decent delivery into the box but Thomas Sorensen is quick off his line to pluck the ball out of the air.

2

The wind is swirling around inside the Britannia Stadium and this could make things difficult for the players today.

Kickoff
 

Referee Lee Mason gets the game underway

Awaiting Kickoff
 

James Morrison is ruled out of today's game after picking up a knock in West Brom's home defeat to Chelsea while Roman Bednar drops to the bench. Kim Do-Heon and Chris Brunt come into the starting eleven.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Stoke manager Tony Pulis makes two changes to the side that were hammered 5-0 by Manchester United last week. Tom Soares comes in for Seyi Olofinjana and Dave Kitson starts up-front in place of the suspended Ricardo Fuller.