Peter Odemwingie’s fourth goal for Stoke was enough to see The Potters take all three points from Hull City at The Britannia Stadium.
These three points allow Stoke to keep their place in the top half of the table and also gives them the 40 points traditionally needed to retain Premier League status.
Mark Hughes made just one change to the side that beat Aston Villa 4-1 last weekend as Stephen Ireland came in for Wilson Palacios whilst Steve Bruce replaced Maynor Figueroa with Liam Rosenior and Steve Harper took over in goal in place of suspended Allan McGregor.
The first real chance of the game dropped to the visitors when Tom Huddlestone unleashed a rocket at goal from 25-years out, but Asmir Begovic made the save with his fingertips.
Stoke replied through Marko Arnautovic, who made the run down the left to pass to Erik Pieters but his low cross was straight at Harper in the Hull goal.
The Tigers were then awarded a free kick after a foul on Rosenior - Huddlestone stepped up and forced Begovic to punch the ball away under pressure.
The hosts without doubt started the game the better side but Hull pulled themselves back into the game over the first 45 minutes but the lack of goal mouth action in the first half meant that the teams went into the break level.
Peter Crouch tried his luck from range as the beginning of the second period as he turned and hit a shot from 25-yards out, but his effort sailed wide.
Begovic was called upon no long after when David Meyler’s strike took a wicked deflection and almost took Hull in front, but The Bosnian managed to reach out an arm and make the save.
Odemwingie then picked up the loose ball down and fired a left-foot strike into the bottom corner, for his fourth goal in three games.
Stoke grew in confidence after going a goal up and the fans cheered for Arnautovic to take a shot from 30-yards out and the Austrian obliged but his effort blazed over.
Ireland could have doubled the host’s lead moments later when Odemwingie’s back heel to Arnautovic set him up but Harper tipped his shot over the bar.
Odemwingie then ran through on goal in the final stages leaving Curtis Davies behind, but the Nigerian misjudged his pass to an unmarked John Guidetti in the area.
Hull tried to fight back in the final stages but Stoke defended well and have now gone five games undefeated and are basically guaranteed Premier League football next season
Source: DSG
