Share

Late Crouch strike sinks Saints

Cape Town - Stoke City picked up a valuable three points with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Southampton in their English Premier League clash.

Stoke welcomed Southampton to their home on Saturday, having recorded only one league win this season, while the Saints for all their dominance in possession failed to score in four of their six fixtures.

And the trend continued in the wet and windy afternoon, with Mauricio Pellegrino's side probing for much of the opening half with nothing to show for it.

The Potters took the lead five minutes before the break against the run of play through Mame Biram Diouf with a powerful header, meeting the delivery of a Charlie Adam corner.

And they had the chance to double the lead two minutes later when returning defender Virgil van Dijk brought down Saido Berahino in the area. But the former West Bromwich Albion man saw his penalty saved by goalkeeper Fraser Forster, to see his wait for his first goal in Stoke colours continue.

In the second-half, it proved to be an even affair in terms of possession but it was the visitors who found an equaliser through defender Maya Yoshida in the 76th minute - after the Potters failed to clear their lines during a set-piece.

However, it was Mark Hughes' men who had the last laugh with second-half substitute Peter Crouch bundling home the winner five minutes from time.

The result puts Stoke in 13th place, while the Saints drop down to 12th in the Premier League standings.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 953 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 465 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE