The Potters showed grit and determination to finally defeat bottom of the league Pompey at the Britannia Stadium.
The opening exchanges were more resemblent to chess than football as defences stood strong before the visitors were awarded a penalty after Aruna Dindane was brought down by Rory Delap. Boateng stepped up but sent a weak penalty narrowly to the keepers left and Sorenson dropped on to the effort to send the crowd wild.
The first half continued in its prior state as a game of team sides somewhat fearful of leaving themselves open. Fuller went closest for Stoke with a snapshot from 20 yards whilst O'Hara blazed over for the visitors. Mullins went close to breaking the deadlock on half time but his effort just missed the target after Etherington and Beattie had both tried their luck for the hosts.
The second half started with Pompey looking the more aggressive and O'Hara forced Sorenson into a superb save at his near post. The save woke up the crowd, and City players, and the best period of pressure for the Potters followed. Firstly Whitehead burst through the middle before laying the ball wide to Fuller. The Jamaican delayed his cross to wait for support but then saw his cross, when it was finally played in, blocked and cleared away. Etherington then ran at the defence before chipping a cross to the back post where giant defender Robert Huth powered a header toward goal. The ball looked to be going in but then veered off course and narrowly flew the wrong side of the post. City weren't finished there and a Delap throw in found Fuller at the back post. The hitman volleyed an effort in from a tight angle but Ashdown was equal to it and pushed the shot away.
With the game drifting towards a goalless draw striker Fuller produced a bit of magic to light up the contest. It followed the best passing move of the game as five short, sharp passes culminated with Etherington playing a one two with Whitehead on the edge of the box before Fuller controlled the ball spun to face goal and curl an effort into the bottom corner, leaving Ashdown with no chance. It was the Jamaican's first league goal of the season, but 39th for Stoke overall.
City continued to press as the visitors showed no signs of a comeback. Firstly Sidibe was put through by Lawrence but, with the chance to seal the win, he dragged his shot horribly wide then Wilkinson, with remarkably fresh legs for the eighty seventh minute, intercepted a pass on the edge of his own penalty area before evading one sliding tackle and bombing forward. Wilkinson powered past the halfway line and headed for the Pompey goal. Brushing off two more challenges he fired in a rocket shot across goal. The ball fizzed past the angle of bar and post with the keeper rooted to his spot, the defender inches away from his first ever competitive goal and a serious Premier League goal of the season contender as City easily saw out the win.