Ricardo Fuller finally ended his season-long search for a Premier League goal to spare his manager Tony Pulis from the anger of his own supporters and heap even more pressure on bottom club Portsmouth.The Jamaican striker fired a wonderful strike from 20 yards to defeat stand-in Portsmouth goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown, who was drafted into the starting line-up after England goalkeeper David James injured his calf in the warm-up.
Kevin-Prince Boateng failed to convert a penalty as Portsmouth wasted the chance to climb off the foot of the table for the first time in more than two months.
Boateng saw his weak spot-kick saved by Thomas Sorensen after only seven minutes, after Rory Delap was penalised by referee Kevin Friend for a dangerous high kick that caught Aruna Dindane in the head.
REACTION:
Paul Hart has no doubts James will be part of Fabio Capello's World Cup squad - despite the latest concerns over the England goalkeeper's fitness at the Britannia Stadium.
James was forced to pull out of the game after damaging a calf muscle as he was preparing to warm-up and will undergo a scan to assess the extent of the damage. The results should reveal how long he is likely to be sidelined from Portsmouth's battle against relegation.
The injury comes just a week after England coach Capello warned the 39-year-old that he will have to prove he is totally free from the effects of the knee problem that has prevented him from starting for his country since April 1.
Portsmouth manager Hart fears that the calf problem could be a result of James "favouring" his damaged knee as he continues to manage the joint he had operated on in the summer.
"I am not a medical person and I would not like to say too much but the injury could be because of the way he is walking and moving on the knee," said Hart.
"We are managing the knee and he is doing a lot of gym work since his operation in the summer. He does not have a knee injury and if you want to know about his England situation then I suggest you ask Fabio Capello.
"This is just a calf injury. He might be out for a couple of weeks, but I expect him to be fit for the World Cup finals. He has been on the pitch for us and playing regularly. The World Cup is six months away."
Another defeat has done little to improve Portsmouth's chances of avoiding relegation as Hart's side wasted the chance to climb off the foot of the Premier League table for the first time in more than two months.
With Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all to play before Christmas, Boateng's penalty miss changed the course of the game, but Hart insists his side still have the character to get out of trouble and added: "We still believe we are going to get out of it."
Fuller has been short of confidence all season, but Pulis hopes the goal that earned the team victory will set off the Jamaican on a scoring run over the next few games.
"Ricardo is a streaky player and he could go on a run now of nine goals in his next ten games. I was going to take him off and put Tuncay on just before he scored," said Pulis.
"He was looking nervous in the Hull game the other week and he looked nervous again here. He is a confident lad and his game is based on confidence.
"Hopefully this will do him the power of good now. It was a move. A quality finish and we have 19 points from 13 games which I am delighted about."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
There were only two key moments. Boateng will not hit a worse penalty than the side-footed effort he dribbled into the arms of Sorensen after seven minutes. It altered the course of events significantly. Stoke's restless crowd would have withdrawn their support altogether if the former Spurs midfielder had scored. They were hardly overly supportive of their team thereafter, but Etherington and Whitehead exchanged passes to set up Fuller, who swivelled on the edge of the area and drove a rising shot into the far corner. You could sense the relief for Pulis.
WHAT IT MEANS:
Pulis knows that one result, after three matches without a win will not alter the heightened sense of expectation around the Britannia and the restlessness among fans is hardly likely to disappear after beating the bottom team. This merely provides breathing space until this weekend. Portsmouth keep receiving plaudits for playing well and losing but that won't keep them up this season. Things are hardly going to improve with Manchester United their next opponents.
QUOTEABLE:
"Tuncay did not even say anything to me. He just put his coat back on and sat down."
- Tony Pulis on the reaction of the Turkish striker as his chance of emerging as a substitute was snatched away by Fuller scoring.
STOKE CITY 1 (Fuller 74) PORTSMOUTH 0
PLAYER MARKING:
Stoke City (4-4-2): Sorensen 6; Wilkinson 6, Huth 7, Shawcross 6, Collins 5; Delap 6, Diao 4 (Lawrence 57,6), Whitehead 6, Etherington 7; Beattie 6 (Sidibe 57,6), Fuller 7 (Tuncay 83,5).
Substitutes not used: Simonsen, Higginbotham,Whelan, Pugh.
Portsmouth (4-4-2): Ashdown 6; Wilson 7, Kaboul 6, Ben Haim 6, Hreidarsson 5; Boateng 5, Mullins 6 (Webber 79,5), Brown 7, O'Hara 7; Kanu 6, Dindane 5 (Piquionne 73,5).
Substitutes not used: Niemi, Williamson, Vanden Borre, Smith, Hughes.
ATTENDANCE: 27,069
NEXT UP:
- Stoke City v Blackburn Rovers (away) Premier League, Saturday 28/11, 1500GMT
- Portsmouth v Manchester United (home) Premier League, Saturday 28/11 1500GMT
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Matthew Etherington (Stoke City): One of the few players on view that was able to raise the game above the levels of tedium and spare Pulis from the anger of his own fans. Fuller will gain all the plaudits for the way he took his goal, but it was the former West Ham winger that started the whole move and who was behind the few inventive things Stoke managed throughout the game.
