Stoke out-muscle Blackburn in battle of bully boys

Stoke City edged Blackburn Rovers 1-0 to win the battle of the Premier League’s most physically imposing teams here on Saturday and move up to seventh place in the table.

A goal by former Blackburn trainee Jon Walters three minutes into the second period was the difference between the sides, but defeat for Rovers would have been much heavier had it not been for the resilience of goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Stoke are now unbeaten in four league games and climb eight places from 15th, while Blackburn slip from ninth to 12th.

Roared on by a typically raucous Britannia Stadium crowd, Stoke flew out of the traps and came close to taking the lead in the fifth minute when Kenwyne Jones turned and sent a low drive narrowly wide.

Rory Delap’s huge throw-ins have long been a key element of Stoke’s attacking play and one such missile almost brought a breakthrough shortly after, with Rovers skipper Ryan Nelsen glancing the ball against his own post.

Blackburn threatened in the 14th minute when Brett Emerton’s lob was headed off the line by Ryan Shawcross, but the hosts were quickly back on the attack.

Robinson denied Jones from another Delap throw, while Matthew Etherington fired into the side-netting after a brilliant piece of control on the edge of the box and then tested Robinson with a volley from Jermaine Pennant’s cross.

Tony Pulis’s team sustained their momentum into the second half and took the lead in the 48th minute when Etherington released Walters to curl the ball past former England number one Robinson for his first Stoke goal.

Robinson repelled an Etherington free-kick as Stoke looked to tighten their grip and the former West Ham winger was then denied again by the Rovers keeper after lashing in an attempt at goal from Walters’ pass.

Blackburn survived a goalmouth scramble, with Robert Huth just failing to make contact at the back post after a spot of pinball, before Jones headed wide from a cross whipped in by the excellent Etherington.

Huth volleyed over from substitute Glenn Whelan’s injury-time corner, but by that stage Blackburn had little fight left.