West Brom look set to be playing Championship football next season after losing 2-0 at home to Stoke.
Baggies look doomed after Hawthorns defeat
West Brom look set to be playing Championship football next season after losing 2-0 at home to a Stoke side that ended their woeful away form with their first victory on their travels this season.
Goals from strike duo Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie proved the difference to lift the Potters up to 13th in the Premier League table, six points from the drop-zone.
The Baggies did little to help their bid for survival with both goals coming courtesy of what has become trademark woeful defending and Tony Mowbray's side now face a near-impossible task of staying up as they lie eight points from safety.
Basement dwellers Albion look doomed to the drop after a run of 11 games without a win and they seldom looked like scoring apart from a Chris Brunt shot which hit the crossbar.
Stoke had the worst away record in the four divisions ahead of this clash - just four points from a possible 45 - but this victory has done much to ease their fears of making a quickfire return to the England's second-tier.
It was a contrast in styles between the passing game of West Brom and the more direct style of the visitors - and there was only likely to be one winner once Fuller had broken the deadlock via Stoke's first attack.
City looked the more menacing on the counter-attack with Fuller and Beattie always posing problems for a typically jittery looking Albion defence.
Beattie has now scored six goals in 10 games since his £3.5million move from Sheffield United during the January transfer window.
The home side enjoyed plenty of possession but were lightweight in attack.
Stoke stunner
Stoke stunned Albion by taking the lead through Fuller after a double defensive error by centre-back Shelton Martis and keeper Scott Carson.
Martis failed to deal with a ball down the line from Danny Higginbotham which he allowed to bounce and that presented Fuller with a free run at the West Brom area.
He eventually let fly from 20 yards out but Carson should have done better in dealing with his low drive which crept underneath his body and into the net.
It was all Stoke in the early stages and Baggies defender Jonas Olsson conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position just outside the box after bringing down Beattie.
Carson partially atoned for his blunder by going full length to turn Glenn Whelan's curling effort around the post.
Stoke 'keeper Thomas Sorensen was called into action for the first time in getting his body behind a volley from James Morrison although the Scotland midfielder failed to make a full contact on his shot.
Albion skipper Jonathan Greening became the first player to be yellow carded for a challenge on Liam Lawrence.
Jay Simpson finally gave the home fans something to cheer about when he sent a powerful 25 yarder only a couple of feet wide with Sorensen scrambling across his line.
But Stoke were still looking the more dangerous on the counter-attack and Matthew Etherington wasted a golden chance to double their lead.
The former Tottenham player bore down on goal after seizing onto a perfectly weighted ball from Whelan.
But, with only Carson to beat, he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Albion tried to retaliate and an inswinging cross from Borja Valero was met by Paul Robinson but his first touch let him down and Sorensen was able to gather the ball.
Robinson angrily kicked the post in frustration at seeing a good opportunity go begging for Mowbray's side.
Mowbray's mountain
Albion needed a positive response but after 49 minutes they were left with a mountain to climb after Beattie doubled Stoke's advantage.
Fuller broke down the left and then attempted to dink the ball into the Baggies box.
Jonas Olsson and Gianni Zuiverloon both failed to clear and Beattie needed no second invitation in crashing a powerful left-footed drive past Carson.
The Baggies had to strike back immediately to have an chance and Simpson got clear at the far post following a cross from Robinson but he poked his shot wide.
Mowbray made a treble substitution after an hour with Greening, Robinson and Simpson making way for Robert Koren, Roman Bednar and Filipe Teixeira.
But the nearest Albion came to a goal so far saw a swerving shot from Brunt crash against the crossbar after 65 minutes.
Bednar did have the ball in the net, deflecting in a shot from Koren, but he had strayed offside.
| West Bromwich Albion |
Team Statistics |
Stoke City |
| 0 |
Goals |
2 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 4 |
Shots on Target |
4 |
| 5 |
Shots off Target |
3 |
| 10 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
| 6 |
Corners |
3 |
| 11 |
Fouls |
10 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
5 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 83.4 |
Passing Success |
65.2 |
| 12 |
Tackles |
12 |
| 83.3 |
Tackles Success |
83.3 |
| 66.8 |
Possession |
33.2 |
| 58.3 |
Territorial Advantage |
41.7 |
|
