Match Reports: Stoke 2 Swansea 0
STOKE 2 (Upson, 24, Crouch, 39)
SWANSEA 0
FIRST-HALF goals from Matthew Upson and Peter Crouch gave Stoke a 2-0 win at home to Swansea this afternoon to end City's run of four straight Premier League defeats.
City's expertise from set pieces paid dividends as Upson headed home Matthew Etherington's 24th-minute corner before Peter Crouch converted Ryan Shotton's 39th-minute long throw.
Swansea were the better side in possession but barely tested Asmir Begovic until the keeper made a terrific injury-time stop to keep out Steven Caulker's header.
Tony Pulis made 11 changes from the side which lost in Valencia on Thursday, but it was Swansea who started the brighter and should have taken the lead after two minutes.
Angel Rangel slipped the ball behind the defence to Nathan Dyer on the right and he raced to the byline before cutting the ball back to Scott Sinclair. The former Chelsea forward should have buried the chance from ten yards but instead skied over.
City threatened two minutes later when Ryan Shotton's long throw was only headed clear to Glenn Whelan on the edge of the area. His volley was flicked on by Crouch, but blocked on the line by Ashley Williams.
City took the lead after winning a corner on the right. Matthew Etherington swung the ball over and Upson timed his run perfectly to power a downward header past Gerhard Tremmel.
Ryan Shawcross was booked for bringing down Danny Graham before Gylfi Sigurdsson curled the free kick just over from 25 yards.
Swans left back Neil Taylor collected the ball inside his own half before going on a surging run all the way into the Stoke area before he was halted by a crucial sliding challenge from Upson.
City doubled their lead after winning a throw on the right. Shotton's long throw was met by Crouch who planted a header between Tremmel and his near post.
HALF TIME
Stoke 2 Swansea 0
City started the second half with much more urgency than they had the first. They almost claimed a third goal when Shotton's long throw was headed on by Crouch to Walters who should have done better than send his header over.
Danny Graham's 25-yard strike was deflected wide on 65 minutes before City made a change as Cameron Jerome replaced Matthew Etherington. Jerome played up front with Crouch as Walters moved out to the left.
Brendan Rodgers took off Dyer and Sinclair for Luke Moore and Josh McEachran, but it was Stoke who came closest to scoring when Shotton's excellent 73rd-minute cross to the back post was headed wide by Walters.
Luke Moore turned sharply on the edge of the area on 80 minutes but sent a low shot too close to Begovic.
Sigurdsson just failed to pick his way through a crowded area before half appealing for a penalty after his shirt was tugged by Dean Whitehead.
Rory Delap and Wilson Palacios replaced Crouch and Shotton on 88 minutes before Swansea came close to an injury-time consolation goal when Steven Caulker's header from a free-kick was touched on to the bar by Begovic.
STOKE: Begovic, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Upson, Wilson, Shotton (Palacios, 88) Whelan, Whitehead, Etherington (Jerome, 68), Walters, Crouch (Delap, 88).
Subs: Sorensen, Jones, Fuller, Pennant.
SWANSEA: Tremmel, Rangel, Williams, Caulker, Taylor, Britton, Sigurdsson, Allen, Dyer (Moore, 71) Graham, Sinclair (McEachran, 71)
Subs: Tate, Routledge, Monk, Lita, Gower.
Attendance: 26,678
Referee: Howard Webb
71 Comments
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by deadlyscfc
Monday, March 05 2012, 6:43PM
“Look in the sentinel archives SF.Thats where i found them,must be easy to find if i found it and i am **** with computers,so the evidence is there.”
by potterforlife
Friday, March 02 2012, 8:03PM
“Once again soccerfoot you talk in riddles, trying to convince who knows who that people mis-quote you when we dont - you really dont like it up em do you? so back to my current campaign - no comments at all today oh we are all so pleased, but I still want to know with regard to your abuse of the players do you subscribe to the oatcake?”
by Davejjohnson
Friday, March 02 2012, 8:30AM
“"Ze planes, Ze planes". "Shut up Tattoo, welcome to Fantasy Island Soccerfoot". I distinctly remember you making the comments that deadly refers to regarding Norwich and Swansea. He has not made them up Soccerfoot.”
by soccerfoot11
Friday, March 02 2012, 12:13AM
“deadly, deadly deadly, a judge would laugh at you and throw you out of court with so called evidence like that !! i need proof man, not made up quotes that dont even sound like me !!”
by deadlyscfc
Friday, March 02 2012, 12:10AM
“SF you must be the only person who took my p... take match report as serious.lighten up man,i suppose Johnson having a bit of a witty crack is going to upset you as well.He passes comic remarks about myself and my lady we found them a bit of fun.come on get a life and have a laugh,take achill pill”
by deadlyscfc
Friday, March 02 2012, 12:02AM
“that was also the same day you ripped into spiel,Johnson and Obama.it was after the West Brom game you made some reference to Those teams finishing above Stoke and mentioning to Obama that we would be in a scrap towards the bottom.Oh ye of little faith.”
by deadlyscfc
Thursday, March 01 2012, 11:58PM
“Feb 9th 2012.you said that we are all just dying for Norwich and Swansea,those teams that actually play very good football to go on a losing streak,so as we can all justify that playing football gets you know where.Your quote.Well we stuck it up one of your fantasy football teams.Told you before remember what you write.”
by soccerfoot11
Thursday, March 01 2012, 10:59PM
“deadly good one, man good one. damn i have never seen someone backtrack and retreat like that since the Italians in WW II. if you can find and prove to me where i said that i liked norwich and swansea to finish above us because i liked their free flowing football, I will apologize for laughing at your comment. I will not be holding my breath
tongue in cheek....funny man, very funny !!”
by Davejjohnson
Thursday, March 01 2012, 10:02PM
“COATES - Madman who gave TP loads of money to spend on players with little to show for it apart from promotion, Premiership football, an FA Cup final and playing in Europe.
TP - Madman in charge of a football club who produces nothing except promotion, Premiership football, sell out crowds, an FA Cup final and playing in Europe.
JOHNSON - Evil incarnate, a bully who organises gangs to pick on poor unsuspecting Stoke fans who do nothing but support their club with a passion.
JAYENNE - As bad as Johnson, vile evil individual
POTTERSPEIL - He is to Johnson what Himmler was to Hitler.
DEADLY - Habitual gambler who won a fortune betting on Stoke to win promotion, reach FA Cup final and get into Europe.
MRS DEADLY - A gangsters Moll who bullies decent law abiding American Stokies.
POTTERFORLIFE - One of the world's top comedians. Prompts Stokies to continually write hahahahahahahahahah.
JTFLINT - Tries to act sensible but deep down we know he's evil.
SOCCERFOOT - The patron saint of Stoke City, leading authority on tactics and players, the obvious candidate for the England managers job, all round nice bloke and defender of all that is good.”
by deadlyscfc
Thursday, March 01 2012, 9:05PM
“So when i ask you a serious question SF.You avoid answering with a positive,intelligent comment.And come out with some garbage.I also cannot believe you took my tongue in cheek match report so seriously.The reference to Swansea was in relation to your own comment only 2 weeks prior when you said that Swansea and Norwich with their brand of attacking free flowing would finish well above Stoke.Sometimes it does help if you remember what you have written before,so as you do not make an even bigger fool of yourself.Mike has a good point in that next season we will not have the distraction of Europe and we can measure how far we have come in the league.Come on SF get involved in some constructive debate.”