Stoke City: Pre-match stats ahead of Premier League clash at Ewood Park

PREVIOUS MEETING

Premier League – April 18, 2009

STOKE CITY 1

(Lawrence, 75)

BLACKBURN ROVERS 0

POTTERS fans celebrated as if this was the day when Stoke made sure they stayed up – realistically, if not yet mathematically.

They were six points clear of the drop zone with five games remaining after Liam Lawrence, back to his best after injury, cut inside his marker at the far post to accept and dispatch James Beattie's flick-on from Danny Higginbotham's left-wing cross.

Victory against a Rovers side lacking any cut and thrust meant 32 of Stoke's 39 points thus far had come at HQ.

Stoke City: Sorensen, Wilkinson (Kelly, 50), Higginbotham, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Lawrence, Delap, Whelan, Etherington (Sonko, 88), Beattie (Cresswell, 87), Fuller.

Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Givet, Samba, Nelsen, Andrews, Mokoena (Dunn, 81), Warnock, Diouf, McCarthy (Villaneuva, 69), Pedersen.

Attendance: 27,500.

FORM GUIDE

Blackburn: WLWWL

Stoke City: WLDLW

WHO WE'D LIKE TO SIGN

David Dunn: When fit and on song, he has the creativity and finishing to decide tight matches.

WHO TO BOO

El Hadji Diouf: If ever there was an award for the most unpopular player in world football, he'd come first, second and third.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Howard Webb (Sheffield): Just one red card in his last 40 games ... and in charge of last season's 1-0 home win over Blackburn.

PROBABLE TEAMS

Blackburn: Robinson, Chimbonda, Givet, Nelsen, Samba, Emerton, N'Zonzi, Dunne, Diouf, Di Santo, Roberts.

Stoke City: Sorensen, Huth, Collins, Shawcross, Faye, Lawrence, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington, Beattie, Fuller.

PREDICTION

Beattie penalty gives Stoke the edge until McCarthy's equaliser.