ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Stoke City 3 Wolves 0:A NIGHT when Stoke City demonstrated the full range of their qualities with a superb performance in front of the Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, was overshadowed by a serious injury to Matthew Etherington that looks certain to rule him out of the FA Cup final.
Etherington was taken down the tunnel on a stretcher in the first half after he pulled up clutching his left hamstring. Agony was etched across his face.
With only 17 days until Stoke’s Wembley date against City, Etherington’s hopes of making up for the disappointment he suffered in the 2006 final, when he finished up with a runners-up medal after Liverpool defeated West Ham in extra-time, appear to have been extinguished. There had been more miserable news for Stoke earlier when Ricardo Fuller was also ruled out of the final, after it was confirmed the Jamaican had ruptured his Achilles tendon at Aston Villa last Saturday.
At least this result, which lifts Stoke to ninth place and secures their Premier League status, provided some encouragement for the home supporters. Ahead through Kenwyne Jones’s fourth goal in as many matches, Stoke added a second through Ryan Shawcross before the outstanding performer, Jermaine Pennant, completed the scoring with a third just after half-time to deepen Wolverhampton Wanderers’ relegation fears.
Etherington had picked up the ball inside his own half in the 29th minute before attempting to accelerate away only to pull up abruptly and reach for his left hamstring.
The home team took an early lead through Jones and proceeded to dominate the first half as Pennant wreaked havoc. The only surprise was the second Stoke goal failed to arrive until the stroke of half-time, when Shawcross tapped home from inside the six-yard box.
Wolves were unable to cope with the tempo of Stoke’s play and in particular the wit and guile provided by Pennant on the right. It was Pennant’s sublime cross that Jones headed past Wayne Hennessey in the 12th minute and the winger was also involved in Shawcross’s goal, when his short corner picked out Glenn Whelan on the edge of the area. Whelan’s shot took a slight deflection before landing at the feet of Shawcross.
Shawcross had won the corner with a header from a Pennant free-kick that Hennessey tipped over.
Only moments before that save, the Wolves goalkeeper dived at Dean Whitehead’s feet to deny the substitute, who had been set free by Pennant. Hennessey also produced a brilliant stop in the 20th minute, when he turned Andy Wilkinson’s drive around the post, after Pennant played the full-back in with an exquisite dinked pass.
Wolves’ fate was sealed in the 51st minute when Jon Walters crossed for Pennant, to sweep a shot that deflected off Richard Stearman and over Hennessey. At the other end Asmir Begovic had been little more than a spectator for much of the evening as Wolves slipped to a third defeat in four matches to leave them second from bottom.
Guardian Service
STOKE CITY: Begovic, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson, Pennant (Pugh 72), Whelan, Delap (Diao 79), Etherington (Whitehead 31), Walters, Jones. Subs not used: Sorensen, Collins, Carew, Faye. Booked: Whelan, Wilson, Shawcross.
WOLVES: Hennessey, Stearman, Berra, Craddock, Ward (Guedioura 79), Mancienne, Kightly (Hunt 74), Henry, O'Hara, Jarvis, Fletcher (Vokes 69). Subs not used: Hahnemann, Milijas, Mouyokolo, Foley. Booked: Kightly, Hunt.
Referee: Lee Mason(Lancashire).
