Stoke sink Black Cats as Delap breaks leg

Stoke 2 Sunderland 1

A QUICKFIRE second-half double gave Stoke the points against Sunderland at the Britannia Stadium but there was little for either side to celebrate as on-loan Rory Delap suffered a suspected broken leg.

The unfortunate ex-Irish international midfielder was just 11 minutes into his home debut for the Potters after joining, ironically on loan from the Black Cats, last week when he crumpled in a heap following a challenge by Robbie Elliott.

He was taken away on a stretcher to a standing ovation from both sets of fans after a lengthy delay and looks set for a significant spell on the sidelines.

The incident disrupted the rhythm of the game and it seemed something of a side issue when Sunderland went ahead through Dwight Yorke’s first goal since returning to English football in the 28th minute.

It was typical Yorke, spinning and firing the opener after Steve Simonsen had dropped Liam Miller’s corner.

But Sunderland collapsed in the second half and after Lee Hendrie equalised with a clever low finish, Vincent Pericard completed the comeback with a bullet header four minutes later.

Keane had recalled Yorke, goalkeeper Darren Ward, Liam Miller and Ross Wallace after Saturday’s 4-1 humbling against Preston.

But Stoke’s Hendrie and Pericard combined to turn the game on its head. Hendrie had been lively all night and as Mamady Sidibe rolled the ball to him in the box, he kept his cool to steer past Ward.

Then four minutes later Pericard headed home from Andy Griffin’s floated cross.

STOKE: Simonsen, Hoefkens, Higginbotham, Duberry, Griffin, Delap (Chadwick 12), Russell, Diao, Hendrie (Brammer 79), Sidibe (Fuller 68), Pericard.

SUNDERLAND: Ward, Nosworthy, Varga, Danny Collins, Robbie Elliott (Clarke 46), Liam Miller, Leadbitter, Whitehead (Brown 69), Wallace (Murphy 69), Connolly, Yorke.

Referee: P Walton.