Stoke City 2 - 0 Liverpool
Fuller 56
Jones 90+1
Att: 27,286
Super Stoke see off Reds
The Potters brought Liverpool’s six match unbeaten run to an end with a fine victory at the Brit. Fuller and Jones struck in the second half to give Stoke a well deserved win and send them to 10th in the league with their second win of the week.
Fuller opened the scoring 10 minutes after half time with one of the scrappiest goals he’s ever scored and Jones rounded off the victory 1 minute into injury time, Stoke were well deserved victors as Liverpool were miles off the pace and did not look up for the physical challenge in particular Torres. Liverpool have now only won twice in 2010 away from home.
From the off it was Stoke who took the initiative, 2 minutes in and Pennant got the better of Konchesky which set the tone for the evening. Pennant got his cross over but it beat everyone and Liverpool got the ball away, 2 minutes later Fuller was causing problems but Skrtel did well to thwart him.
Stoke should have had a penalty moments later after a Delap special was sent in and Fuller had Rodriguez leaning heavily on him as they challenged for Delap's long throw but the ref waved it away. Liverpool finally got the ball to Torres in the 7th minute down the left but Shawcross came across and easily dispatched the ball out of play and welcomed Torres to game with hard hit. Whitehead disposed Lucas gave it to Fuller he turned and shot just over.
Stoke did all the pressing early on but Liverpool handled it well but did not look a goal threat. Wilkinson found himself galloping down the right wing beating 2 men before winning a throw by the corner flag, Delaps throw was cleared by Meireles but only as far as Whitehead to the edge of the area and he sent in a rasping drive which Reina did excellently well to divert around the post, Reina quickly got to his feet and immediately ran to the ref claiming he was fouled. From pennants corner Jones lost Kyrgiakos and found himself with a free header but put it just wide.
Whitehead came close again in the 13th minute when he hit a rocket just wide of Reina’s goal, Stoke piled on the pressure when Liverpool were in possession and forced them into making some poor passes. Liverpool won a corner in 15th minute but Gerrards delivery was easily cleared by Wilkinson, Liverpool’s first shot on goal came in the 29th minute when Gerrard hit a low drive but Begovic tipped it around the post. Begovic also dealt with Meireles strike from the resulting corner easily, it was a brief relief for Liverpool as Stoke came again just after when Jones rounded Konchesky to cross low into the six-yard box, forcing Carragher to dive in front of Etherington to prevent the opening goal.
The half time whistle came and Stoke could of found themselves 2 or 3 up going into the break but they did not take their chances.
Torres found himself getting a yellow card within 2 minutes of the restart after he tripped Pennant from behind, Torres had been anonymous all the way through the game and did not look up for the challenge against Huth & Shawcross.
The first goal came 10 minutes into the second half when a trademark Delap throw caused mayhem in the area with the ball eventually being scrambled home by Fuller who got his second goal in as many games. It was Stokes first goal from a long throw in 23 games. Moments later Jones should of made 2-0 when Skrtel missed a simple header and Jones hit a left footed shot past Reina and past the post.
Liverpool then had 2 good chances in quick succession, Rodriguez shot straight at Begovic after a Kuyt cut back after Whitehead had nearly gave away penalty. Skrtel then fired well wide after Kyrgiakos knocked down a Gerrard free-kick. Ngog and Babel were then brought on to replace Meireles and Rodriguez but with Liverpool still unable to gain decent possession of the ball it made little difference they effectively had four strikers on the pitch.
Four minutes of injury time was shown on the board which gave Liverpool hope, but that hope was soon dashed 1 minute into injury when Gerrard misplaced a pass straight to Pennant who fed Jones who held off Skrtel in the box to fir home past Reina to finish the game.
Liverpool’s misery was then confounded when Lucas was then sent off for a second bookable offence whilst the Liverpool fans were chanting Dalglish’s name.
STOKE: Begovic, Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Collins, Pennant, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington (Wilson 90+3), Fuller (Walters 87), Jones
SUBS: Sorenson, Higginbotham, Whelan, Gudjohnsen, Tuncay
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Konchesky, Shrtel, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Rodriguez (Babel 73), Gearrard, Lucas, Meireles (Ngog 66), Kuyt, Torres SUBS: Jones, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Shelvey, Kelly
Man of the Match: Whitehead, a typical all action display wih added bite covered every blade of grass and nearly got a couple of goals.
Ref: Mark Halsey