Stoke increase battling Hull’s drop worries

Stoke beat battling visitors Hull 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday to leave the Tigers stuck in the English Premier League relegation zone.

Jamaica striker Ricardo Fuller scored in the 6th minute and Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Lawrence got the second in the 90th as Hull missed a chance to get out of the bottom three despite giving the Potters a tough fight.

Stoke moved up to 10th in the table, while Hull remain rooted in the drop zone.

Though Hull had not won an away Premier League game since March 4 last year, Stoke had not won in four matches at home.

However, the Potters wasted no time in turning round their fortunes and extending Hull’s dreadful record to 30 away league games without a victory.

Hull centre-half Paul McShane misjudged a flick-on from Dave Kitson, allowing Fuller to race past him.

The striker clipped his shot past Tigers goalkeeper Boaz Myhill and though caught by a McShane attempted tackle, limped back into action after treatment.

Stoke centre-half Robert Huth sent a volley over the bar and McShane did well to block a Kitson shot as the hosts looked to extend their lead.

Fuller was replaced at half-time by Tuncay, but the Turkey striker did not provide the same attacking threat as his Jamaican team-mate.

Hull were the better side after the break but failed to capitalise on their chances.

The Tigers’ Jimmy Bullard fired a free kick into the wall, substitute Geovanni mis-hit a shot well wide and Craig Fagan saw a shot charged down, with captain George Boateng’s effort on the rebound blocked.

Hull played out the final 10 minutes without Boateng after the Dutch international was knocked unconscious by a Tuncay overhead kick.

Boateng was stretchered off to a waiting ambulance and having no substitutes left, the visitors soldiered on with 10 men.

Tuncay should have sealed it for the Potters with seven minutes left when a poor Myhill clearance went straight to him but his effort flew wide of the empty goal.

However, Stoke capitalised on the manpower advantage in the 90th minute as former Mansfield winger Lawrence, played in by midfielder Matthew Etherington, fired a shot across Myhill to make it 2-0.