Hughes praises 'exceptional' Stoke

Stoke-on-Trent - Stoke manager Mark Hughes said his players deserved the plaudits after they ended the campaign with their best Premier League points haul of 54, and the most they earned in the top flight since they finished on 57 in 1982-83.

Stoke routed Liverpool 6-1 to cap off a memorable season for Mark Hughes' side.

"We couldn't have asked for a better finish to a great season," Hughes said.

"The level of performance in the first 45 minutes was exceptional.

"I don't think it reflects badly on Liverpool as most teams would've have struggled with the quality and intensity of our play. All in all it was a really great finish to the season.

"We go as hard at the end as we do in the beginning. There was a real focus to finish on a high.

"We knew that the possibility of being beaten would be a damp squib and we didn't want that to happen. That focus didn't go away."