28.02.2015 18:55 h

Football: Crouch comes off bench to sink Hull

A solitary second-half goal by substitute Peter Crouch gave Stoke City a 1-0 victory at home to relegation-threatened Hull City at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

Crouch had only been on the field a matter of seconds when he headed home a Charlie Adam cross in the 71st minute.

It was a fourth goal in as many games for Crouch and it gave the Potters a deserved three points against a Hull side who offered next to no threat going forward.

Mark Hughes's Stoke side have now lost just once in their last six league outings and this victory cements their place in the top half of the table.

They lie in 10th place, four points clear of Newcastle United in 11th, while Hull remain four points clear of the relegation zone after none of the sides below them managed to win on Saturday.

That will come as a relief for Tigers manager Steve Bruce, who sent out a starting line-up shorn of in-form attacking duo Nikica Jelavic and Dame N'Doye.

Eight-goal top scorer Jelavic was not even on the bench after he reportedly hurt his knee on Friday, while N'Doye was only a substitute after travelling to Russia and Senegal during the week.

Those absences seriously undermined Hull's chances of claiming a third successive win to follow victories against fellow strugglers Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers.

Buoyed by his late winner against Aston Villa a week ago, Stoke's Victor Moses looked lively for the hosts in the early stages, but even he could not produce a chance of note in a poor opening period.

Hughes brought on Charlie Adam for Stephen Ireland at the start of the second period in an attempt to breathe some life into his side.

The Scottish midfielder had several efforts but all were off-target, and the game looked certain to end in a goalless stalemate until he turned provider with just under 20 minutes remaining, crossing for Crouch to convert just moments after his introduction in place of Mame Biram Diouf.

Hull had not won in Stoke in nine years, and they were denied an equaliser in injury time when Paul McShane's effort was blocked by a superb sliding challenge from Erik Pieters.