Pulis plotting Potters’ progress

SURVIVAL is now old hat for Stoke.

Having defied the gloomy prophecies of po-faced pundits everywhere by securing their top flight status last week, Tony Pulis now has his sights set on more glamorous targets as he aims to establish the midlands club at this exalted level.

Stoke moved into 11th place with this victory but Pulis has stressed Stoke cannot rest on their laurels and the long-term aim has to be to about replicating such form on a regular basis.

“The next two or three years will be vital,” he said. “We need to consolidate next year and the year after. There is a lot of work to be done, a lot of things to be put in place.”

The Stoke faithful had to wait until the 69th minute before they could finally kick-off the celebrations.

Ricardo Fuller’s persistence saw him evade challenges from Emmerson Boyce, Titus Bramble and Maynor Figueroa after collecting Liam Lawrence’s pass before picking his spot high to goalkeeper Richard Kingson’s right.

Seven minutes later the game was over as Matthew Etherington’s scooped cross presented James Beattie with a simple header.

For Wigan manager Steve Bruce, there was simply frustration: “The mindset that the season was over was there, I detected it, and I have to take the blame because I couldn’t arrest it,” he said, reflecting on his team’s wretched end to the season.

STOKE (4-4-2): Sorensen 6, Shawcross 6, Abdoulaye Faye 7, Cort 5 (Pugh 46, 6), Wilkinson 6, Lawrence 6, Delap 6, Whelan 7, Etherington 6 (Diao 76, 5), Beattie 7 (Cresswell 86, 5), Fuller 7.

Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Olofinjana, Kelly, Tonge.

WIGAN (4-4-2): Kingson 6, Melchiot 6, Boyce 6, Bramble 6, Figueroa 6 (Edman 81, 5), Scharner 5, Cho 4 (Watson 58, 5), Brown 6 (Mido 73, 5), Cattermole 5, N’Zogbia 6, Rodallega 6.

Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Koumas, De Ridder, McManaman.

REFEREE: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) 6: Not a single booking, which made for a pleasant surprise.

MATCH RATING: ** Atrocious in the first half, although Stoke picked up the tempo.