By Jemma Tappenden
December 26 2007

Sitting at the top of the table Albion had a chance to establish a further lead over the rest of the division if they could get a result at Stoke City. But this would be no easy task, with Stoke well established as the Baggies bogey side, it would take their first win in 25 years in the Potteries to secure the points. So could the Baggies, boosted by the return of several players, pull it off?

Mowbray was able to welcome back keeper Dean Kiely, who replaced they young Luke Steele between the sticks.  Hoefkens also fresh back from injury was given the go ahead to face his former club at the Britannia Stadium.  He replaced Hodgkiss for Albion, and was given a warm reception by the Stoke fans.  Morrison, Albrechtsen and Miller also returned from injury, and were given places on the bench. 

In a surprising start for Albion, Stoke got straight down to business, and Mowbray’s men found themselves a goal down within 5 minutes.  Chris Brunt, careless in midfield lost possession, and Mamady Sidibe was able to thread a perfect ball through to his strike partner Ricardo Fuller who slotted smoothly past Kiely.  The Albion defence claimed hotly that a hand had been used to create the chance, but their protests fell on deaf ears. The goal had Albion unsettled, and Stoke took full advantage. 

Clearly out to have a good afternoon, Fuller was troubling the Baggies defence again, and in the 13^th minute he looked to be odds on for goal number two when he paced down a long punt from City keeper Steve Simonsen.  Fortunately the solid Bostjan Cesar was well placed to block, but had to concede a corner in the process.   

As the game approached the 20 minute mark Albion at last began to find themselves.  Simonsen had to make a full stretch save at the feet of Roman Bednar to prevent him levelling the scores after he looked set to connect perfectly with Zoltan Gera’s through ball.  Then just minutes later Gera and Bednar had hooked up again to trouble the Stoke defence, this time Gera heading down a ball for Bednar in the 19^th minute.  Turning Danny Pugh, Bednar nearly managed to place the perfect ball to waiting Teixeira in the 6 yard box, but Leon Cort was in the right place to thwart his attempted through ball. 

Five minutes later Albion should have been level when Gera and Bednar again hooked up to create a chance from nothing.  Bednar showed strength to power onto Gera’s pass, but placed his effort just inches over the bar from inside the box.  In the 27^th minute Gera decided to try his luck from distance, and his effort caused Simonsen trouble in the Stoke goal before going just wide of the post. 

Teixeira was next in the pecking order to try his luck on goal.  Just a minute later Portuguese midfielder let rip a 20 yard shot, although this time Simonsen was equal to the shot.  On the half hour mark Gera had another chance to get Albion back on level terms when he connected to Chris Brunt’s cross in the box.  But the Hungarian international failed to get his 12 yard header on target. 

It took Stoke City 30 minutes after scoring their opener to get another real chance on goal.  Liam Lawrence for once getting the better of defender Paul Robinson before forcing Kiely to pull off a spectacular save to keep the deficit to just one goal.  Three minutes later with just 7 minutes to go until the break, Stoke punished Albion for a second time.  A Lawrence right wing free kick caused confusion amongst the Baggies defence, allowing Fuller to concert at the back post to score his and Stoke’s second of the game. 

Half Time: Stoke City 2-0 West Bromwich Albion 

Clearly unimpressed by the score line at half time Tony Mowbray made two changes.  Ishmael Miller, scorer of 9 goals so far this season made his first appearance for the Baggies since their 0-0 draw with Wolves, and hitman Kevin Phillips also came on to see Albion go three up front, Teixeira and Brunt making way. Three minutes into the half Simonsen was called into action when Paul Robinson placed a dangerous cross to Kevin Phillips.  The 11 goal wonder might have had a free header on goal, but the City keeper was alert to the situation and cleared the danger. 

Greening and Hoefkens connected to play in Koren a minute later, but Koren wasted his chance straight at the keeper when he had the whole goal to aim for.  Five minutes later Gera provided a dangerous searching cross, which Miller flicked goal bound.  But this time Leon Cort was in place to cover the absent Simonsen with a goal line clearance.   

In the 67^th minute West Brom suffered a third goal which pretty much killed off any spark in the game and more than scuppered any chance the Baggies had of a come back.  A clumsy Albion lost possession of the ball in the Stoke half, allowing Fuller to turn Cesar and Pele before netting neatly from 15 yards to complete his hatrick.   

There was some consolation for travelling Baggies fans in the 72^nd minute.  Bednar was able to grab a goal back for Albion when Stoke failed to clear a corner effectively.  Pele got the first touch with a header, which Gera crossed diagonally across the box into the path of waiting Roman Bednar, who headed home from close range. 

With 18 minutes to go Albion had a number of half chances, the best of which fell in the 82^nd minute when Bednar intercepted a weak back pass from Leon Cort.  But Simonsen who had already pulled off as number of saves throughout the game saved with his legs to prevent a nervy end to the game for Stoke.  Despite the pressure, Albion could not crack the City defence, and the game ended in a rare Albion defeat, ensuring that Baggies fans would have to wait at least anther season to get one over on their bogey side. 

Full Time: Stoke City 3-1 West Bromwich Albion 

Bednar (72) 

Fuller (5, 38, 67) 

Attendance: 18,420