Goals:

1-0: Crouch (15, rose above Coloccini to nod in Moses’ teasing centre from the left)

Bookings: Colback (41, foul); Cisse (60, foul); Whelan (65, foul)

Referee: Craig Pawson (Halifax) – could easily have given Stoke a penalty and infuriated the home support with a number of wrong decisions. 4

Attendance: 26, 332

Entertainment: 2/5

Stoke Newc

Shots on: 3 1

Shots off: 7 12

Corners: 1 8

Offsides: 3 2

Fouls: 17 12

STOKE CITY (4-2-3-1): Begovic 7; Bardsley 7, Shawcross 7, Wilson 7; Muniesa 6; Whelan 6, Nzonzi 5; Diouf 5 (Arnautovic 23, 6), Adam 6 (Ireland 61, 5), MOSES 8 (Assaidi 82); Crouch 6. Subs (not used): Sorensen (gk), Pieters, Huth, Bojan.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-2-3-1):

6 Krul: Made a second half stop to deny Moses and could get nowhere near to Crouch’s header;

4 Janmaat: Almost gifted Stoke a second deep after the restart when he hit Williamson with a clearance

6 Williamson: The pick of the defenders but was hardly impressive

4 Coloccini: Got caught out of possession for the opening goal and still comfortably short of his best

6 Dummett: Made a brilliant block to stop Arnautovic from scoring in the first half;

7 TIOTE: Gave the ball away a few times but still the most effective man in a Newcastle shirt

6 Colback: Got through his usual amount of work and hit the bar in the closing stages when it looked easier to score;

5 Sissoko: Offered very little in the final third and that is what is required from a winger

5 Cabella: Showed some nice touches but is still to really influence a game

4 Gouffran: Fortunate not to concede a first half penalty for a charge on Moses;

4 Riviere: Wasted a great chance at 0-0 to put Newcastle in front.

Subs:

Cisse (for Riviere 46): Put plenty of effort in with little success. 5

Obertan (for Gouffran 67): Almost teed up an equaliser for Colback. 5

Ameobi (for Cabella 74)

(not used): Elliot (gk), Anita, Taylor, Armstrong.

MAN OF THE MATCH: VICTOR Moses – he showed Newcastle what is required to make life difficult for defenders.