Stoke’s Walters sets international target

STOKE CITY’S FA Cup heroes Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan have helped the Potteries club make a mockery of their long-ball label this season — now the Ireland duo are aiming to carry their domestic form onto the international stage.

The pair starred for Stoke as they hammered Bolton 5-0 in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, which earned Tony Pulis’s side a place in the final against the Premier League’s billionaires Manchester City.

Walters, in particular, was in majestic form beneath the now-famous arch, capping the victory with two second-half goals, the first of which was scored via a curling 25-yard strike.