Source: Daily_Mail
Cardiff 0 Stoke 2: Jonathan Wallters extra-time brace sees Potters through to FA Cup fourth round
Two extra-time goals byJon Walters sent Stoke intothe fourth round and offeredmerciful release from amind-numbing contestwhich meandered its waythrough the first 90 minutes. [LNB]Rising at the near post toguide home a Marc Wilsoncorner barely 70 seconds intothe additional half-hour andthen squeezing home hisshot from a tight angle fiveminutes from time, Waltersat least gave the matchsomething to beremembered for other thanits awfulness. [LNB]Vital: Jon Walters scored twice for Stoke against Cardiff[LNB]With a total of six players outof 22 who played in leaguematches at the weekend onshow and the ball spendingits time between, not in, thepenalty areas, it was obviousthat neither manager wasoverly bothered if his sideprogressed.[LNB]Battle: Stoke's Ryan Shotton (left) tussles with Daniel Drinkwater [LNB] If Cardiff,embroiled in a mighty scrapto reach the Premier League,could be excused, the choiceof Stoke's Tony Pulis to leavenine first-team regulars athome said everything abouthis priorities. [LNB]MATCH FACTSCARDIFF (4-4-2): Heaton 6; Blake 6,Hudson 6, Gyepes 6, Naylor 5;Burke 6, Rae 6, McPhail 5 (Wildig39min, 5), Drinkwater 6(Matthews 75, 6); Parkin 6 (Chopra64, 6), Keogh 5. Subs not used:Marshall, McNaughton, John,Jarvis. Booked: Gyepes.[LNB]STOKE (4-4-2): Sorensen 5, Shotton6, Faye 6, Higginbotham 5, (Tonge10, 5), Collins 5; Pennant 5 (Soares79), Whelan 6, Diao 5 (Wilson 75,6), Pugh 6; Fuller 6, Walters 7. Subsnot used: Nash, Sidibe. Booked:Diao, Fuller, Pugh, Walters.[LNB]Man of the match: Gavin Rae.Referee: Peter Walton 7.[LNB]Clearly, being eighth in thePremier League and havingamassed by mid-January 30of the 40 points they willlikely need to stay amongEngland's elite for a fourthsuccessive season is notreason enough for Pulis tobelieve in the FA Cup asmuch as do the club'ssupporters. [LNB]He said: 'I don't have tojustify the changes toanybody apart from mychairman. [LNB]'We have a 25-mansquad and we pay them goodmoney to play and have a go,but for us to stay in thePremier League for anotheryear is absolutely vital.' [LNB]While the commitment couldnot be questioned, neitherside created many chances.Cardiff lobbed a successionof crosses into ThomasSorensen's hands but Stokedidn't even manage that.[LNB]The visitors finally carvedout an opportunity after 48minutes, only for youngright-back Ryan Shotton tosend his header over the bar. [LNB]Just before the hour, Waltersdid the same.In the final 10 seconds ofnormal time, substituteMichael Chopra fell overShotton's leg as Cardiffclaimed a penalty only forWalters to prove theextra-time match-winner.[LNB] Cardiff v Stoke: The action as it happenedStoke boss Pulis still wants to sign up Middlesbrough midfielder O'NeilBa deal not dead yet as Stoke boss Pulis pushes to sign Hoffenheim strikerAll the latest Stoke City news, features and opinion [LNB] Explore more:People: Tony Pulis Places: Cardiff
