Source: Daily_Mail
Stoke 2 Hull City 0: Tigers boss Iain Dowie desperate for Stephen Hunt return after defeat
[LNB]Close to return: Stephen Hunt[LNB]Iain Dowie is planningto speed up StephenHunt's return frominjury so the wingercan feature inSaturday's relegationbattle against Burnley. [LNB]A foot injury has keptHunt out of the last fivegames, but Hull are sodesperate for creativityhe could be rushedback. [LNB]Dowie said: 'I'd love tosee him play. We arehopeful he will be fit forthe Burnley game andthat will be a hugeboost.' [LNB]Dowie must also wait tosee if George Boatengcan play after sufferinga serious facial injuryagainst Stoke. [LNB]Boatengwas accidentally kickedby Tuncay and left withblood streaming fromhis mouth. [LNB]He wastaken to hospital,where he was kept inovernight on Saturday.Scans have shown nofractured cheekbone,but Hull will monitorthe player's situation. [LNB] Ouch! Boateng head before being booted in the face by Tuncay[LNB]MATCH FACTSSTOKE (4-4-2): Sorensen 6; Huth7, Faye 6, Higginbotham 7, Collins6; Lawrence 7, Delap 6, Whelan 6(Whitehead 72min, 6),Etherington 7; Fuller 6 (Tuncay46, 6), Kitson 7 (Sidibe 84). [LNB]Booked: Faye, Fuller, Kitson. [LNB]HULL (4-4-1-1): Myhill 6; Mendy 7,McShane 4, Mouyokolo 7,Kilbane 6; Garcia 5 (Vennegoorof Hesselink 72, 6), Boateng 6,Bullard 6, Marney 5 (Geovanni58, 6); Fagan 6; Folan 5 (Altidore65, 6). [LNB]Booked: Mendy.[LNB]Man of the match: DannyHigginbotham. [LNB]Referee: Lee Probert.[LNB] [LNB]Hull goalkeeper BoazMyhill said: 'He was asbrave as a lion to puthis head in there. Itkilled us going down to10 men at that pointhaving used all oursubstitutes.' [LNB]Hull were 1-0 downwhen Boateng went offin the 73rd minute. But,even with 11 men, theyhad hardly threatened. [LNB]Stoke took five minutesto go in front. PaulMcShane misjudged aflick-on by Dave Kitson,allowing Ricardo Fullerto burst through toscore from 10 yards.[LNB]Stoke added adeserved second in the89th minute whenMatthew Etheringtoncrossed for LiamLawrence, who scoredwith a low shot. [LNB]Stoke have comfortablyavoided relegation forthe second season in arow but manager TonyPulis said: 'We've got tomake sure we're betteragain next season.' [LNB] Stoke 2 Hull 0: Boateng knocked out as Tigers' dismal away run goes onTHE 2009/10 managerial merry-go-round: Leyton Orient make Geraint Williams the 36th exit of the season Ryan Shawcross didn't mean to break my leg, insists Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey[LNB]
