Fuller strike downs Pompey

Potters leave it late against Portsmouth at the Britannia

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 22nd November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Fuller strike downs Pompey

Celebration time: Match winner Fuller is congratulated

Man of the Match

There weren't too many players who shone today but Ricardo Fuller just sneaks the award ahead of team-mates Andy Wilkinson and stand-in skipper Ryan Shawcross having scored his first Premier League goal of the season with a well taken curled effort from the edge of the area.

Save of the match

When Jamie O'Hara tried his luck from all of 35 yards in the second-half many thought the midfielder was being a tad optimistic but his well driven attempt had Thomas Sorensen worried and he had to be at his best to tip the shot around the post.

Moment of the match

The result could have been so different had Kevin Prince Boateng converted his eighth minute spot-kick but his tame effort was comfortably saved by Sorensen. From then on in you guessed it might not have been Portsmouth's day and so it proved at the end.

Talking point

Pompey have been receiving plenty of plaudits for their performances this season but the truth of the matter remains that the South Coast club have lost 10 of their 13 games this term, keeping them rooted to the foot of the Premier League.

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Stoke collected all three points against Portsmouth at the Britannia Stadium thanks to a late strike from Ricardo Fuller.

It was the Potters' first win in the league for almost a month but if Kevin Prince Boateng had converted a penalty in the eighth minute, after Rory Delap was penalised for a high foot on Aruna Dindane, then things could have been very different.

The Pompey midfielder's effort was tame and Thomas Sorensen comfortably dived to his left to save.

Neither side mustered anything of note throughout the game, although Dindane should have done better when he volleyed wide when unmarked in the area in the second-half.

However, for all their robust and direct ethos it was a sublime passing move that won the game for Stoke as Matthew Etherington and Dean Whitehead combined neatly to find Fuller on the edge of the area to curl home the winner.

First chance

Following the penalty miss Stoke regrouped and fathomed their first effort when Fuller controlled Salif Diao's looping header in the 13th minute, turned and volleyed wide of the right-hand post of Jamie Ashdown, David James' late replacement after injuring himself in the warm-up.

Etherington was next to go close after volleying Younes Kaboul's weak header from Delap's long throw.

Michael Brown's foul on Fuller earned the Pompey midfielder a booking and Stoke a 25-yard free-kick just left of centre, but James Beattie's low drive went around the wall and straight into the arms of Ashdown.

After a slow start Stoke had clawed their way into the ascendancy but Etherington, having switched back to his usual left-wing position, delayed his cross too long with players waiting in the middle and was eventually closed out.

Two minutes after the restart Ryan Shawcross, captain in the absence of the suspended Abdoulaye Faye, headed over from Delap's long throw.

Jamie O'Hara brought the best save of the game out of Sorensen in the 52nd minute when his 35-yard drive was tipped around the post at full stretch.

Fuller's low shot, after Whitehead had launched a counter-attack from his own penalty area, was deflected over his own crossbar by Kaboul, with Robert Huth heading the resulting corner wide.

Delap's throw then picked out Fuller at the far post but his half-hit six-yard shot was collected by Ashdown.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis had seen enough and within 12 minutes of the restart he made a double change, bringing on Liam Lawrence and Mamady Sidibe for Diao and Beattie.

Volleyed wide

Portsmouth's best chance since the penalty fell to Dindane in the 64th minute but he hooked a left-foot volley wide with only the keeper to beat from 12 yards.

The on-loan Ivory Coast international was replaced by Frederic Piquionne soon after only for Stoke to take the lead within seconds with a goal which belied their long-ball reputation.

Etherington cut in from the left and exchanged passes with Whitehead before playing the ball up to Fuller, who turned on the edge of the area to curl a shot past Ashdown and into the far corner.

Stoke are renowned strong finishers and Sidibe should have made it 2-0 moments later after Fuller and Lawrence had combined in a quick counter-attack down the right, but he skewed his shot wide of the far post.

Wilkinson's storming run from his own half almost produced the second only for him to shoot over, but one goal was enough to clinch a tight encounter.

Stoke CityTeam StatisticsPortsmouth
1Goals0
01st Half Goals0
3Shots on Target5
7Shots off Target7
0Blocked Shots6
4Corners4
16Fouls14
2Offsides2
1Yellow Cards2
0Red Cards0
54.5Passing Success69.5
20Tackles18
75Tackles Success77.8
41.6Possession58.4
43.4Territorial Advantage56.6
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