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Stoke sweep past Newcastle

Stoke - Stoke celebrated their first FA Cup semi-final appearance in three decades with a 4-0 Premier League win over Newcastle here on Saturday.

The Potters, fizzing after securing their ticket to Wembley, welcomed back goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, the only change from the side that saw off West Ham in last weekend's 2-1 quarter-final win.

For Newcastle, Sol Campbell was on for Steven Taylor in defence, while Joey Barton, Jose Enrique, and Shola Ameobi, replacing the injured Leon Best, also made their return to Alan Pardew's starting XI.

Stoke, unbeaten at the Britannia Stadium this year, took the lead just before the half hour mark when Jon Walters got the better of Campbell to head home a cross from Jermaine Pennant.

The manner of the goal, from open play, will have put a smile on the face of Stoke chairman Peter Coates, who before the match took a swipe at those who criticised his side's tactics for being boring and over reliant on set pieces.

The hosts' had Danny Higginbotham to thank for maintaining their supremacy by the break.

The defender, who scored in last week's FA Cup win, first stopping Ameobi's goalbound strike when the ball struck him in the face, and then blocking a cross from Kevin Nolan from being converted in the six yard box.

Newcastle midfielder Cheik Tiote went into the interval having picked up his tenth yellow card of the season resulting in a two match ban.

The second half was only seconds old when Stoke doubled up, with more than a little help from some sloppy Newcastle defending.

The visitors' were put in danger by Steve Harper's poor clearance, with Campbell, not having one of his best days, inadvertently flicking Matthew Etherington's cross into the path of Pennant to shoot into the bottom right hand corner.

On the rack, Newcastle fell further behind three minutes later when Higginbotham blasted a 20 yard freekick through the Magpie's wall and into the roof of Harper's net.

Campbell was then taken off and replaced by Jonas Gutierrez.

Newcastle, who had fought back from 4-0 down to earn a draw against Arsenal earlier this season, went close to reducing the deficit after a fine bit of play from Shane Ferguson.

The teenage substitute took on the Stoke defence singlehanded down the left with Begovic doing well to hold on to his shot.

Stoke however wrapped up a memorable afternoon with a fourth goal in injury time from Ricardo Fuller, the Jamaican striker who had entered the frey as a replacement for Kenwyne Jones minutes earlier.

This was Stoke's first clean sheet in their last eight league run outs and the win lifted Tony Pulis's side above Newcastle and into tenth.

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