Source: Team_Talk
Walters wins points for Potters
Jon Walters' first Premier League goal for Stoke earned the Potters a 1-0 victory over Blackburn at the Britannia Stadium.[LNB] The £2.75million summer signing from Ipswich scored the winner in the 47th minute.[LNB]It was a special moment for Walters given that he played for Blackburn in his youth before joining Bolton.[LNB]The 27-year-old has been on a long journey but has settled in quickly in his new surroundings.[LNB]It was Stoke's second successive victory following the win over Newcastle and Blackburn could have little complaint.[LNB]They rarely looked an attacking force with Mame Diouf ploughing a lone furrow up front.[LNB]Not only that, Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant were both busy down the flanks for the home side while Dean Whitehead put in a hard shift in the middle of the park.[LNB]Stoke got quickly into their stride and goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen released Etherington with a long throw. He raced down the left before delivering a cross into the area only for Brett Emerton to make the clearance with Jermaine Pennant lurking.[LNB]Stoke maintained the momentum and Kenwyne Jones made space for himself before sending a 20-yard shot wide of the post.[LNB]Blackburn again found themselves on the back foot in the eighth minute when Etherington picked out Jones but his header failed to test goalkeeper Paul Robinson.[LNB]This was a good spell by Stoke and a long throw from Rory Delap took a deflection and came back off the post in the 10th minute. Etherington latched on to the rebound only for Robinson to turn his effort over the bar.[LNB]Blackburn responded and almost took the lead in the 15th minute. Emerton's delicate chip beat Sorensen but Ryan Shawcross was on hand and averted the danger.[LNB]It was brief respite, however with Delap's long throw finding Jones. He got up high but his header was taken cleanly by Robinson.[LNB]Stoke kept up the pressure and Etherington found space on the left, only to see his well-struck effort go narrowly off-target.[LNB]Then Etherington was denied by Robinson in the 35th minute after Pennant delivered the cross.[LNB]Blackburn were being limited to counter-attacks and Phil Jones cracked in a shot from inside the penalty area three minutes later but it was blocked by Robert Huth.[LNB]Stoke made the breakthrough two minutes into the half after a towering leap from Jones released Etherington.[LNB]He threaded the ball through to Walters, who had timed his run to perfection before drilling a shot beyond Robinson.[LNB]Stoke almost added a second in the 53rd minute when Etherington's free-kick sailed over the wall but Robinson parried it to safety.[LNB]Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce decided to reorganise his team and brought on Martin Olsson for El-Hadji Diouf.[LNB]Olsson had settled quickly into the game and fired in a shot from an acute angle that Sorensen was happy to deflect for a corner.[LNB]However with time beginning to run out former Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari was introduced by Blackburn with Emerton going off.[LNB]Stoke, though, came close to extending their lead in the 78th minute when Jones peeled away from his marker to get on the end of a cross from Etherington - only to head wide.[LNB]Then substitute Ricardo Fuller, who had recovered quickly after dislocating his shoulder at Newcastle, fired wide after a solo run.[LNB]Blackburn kept pushing men forward in the search for an equaliser but were unable to break Stoke down and build on their victory against Blackpool.
