Stoke City 0-0 West Bromwich Albion match report 19th October

It was a case of missed chances for Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion as the two physical teams forced a battling 0-0 draw at the Britannia Stadium.

However, the result could have been so much different if World Cup referee Howard Webb and his assistants had spotted a penalty claim in the second half when Stoke’s Charlie Adam clearly impeded Baggie’s midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu – removing the player’s boot in the process.

West Brom boss Steve Clarke said the foul by Adams was a ‘stonewall penalty’ saying: ‘how the referee missed it is beyond belief’. Potters boss Mark Hughes also said’ it looked like a penalty’.

Away from the controversy West Brom had enough chances to grab the three points and were guilty   of not making the most of their opportunities. In the first half man-of-the-match Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic stood strong against Baggies midfielders Morgan Amalfitano and Stephane Sessegnon and in the dying minutes of the game former Sunderland man Sessegnon should have won the game for his new team. He picked the ball up on the left edge of the box and had at least two chances to fire home but instead tried to walk the ball into the net instead of pulling the trigger earlier.

 Stoke, who have only scored four goals all season, came closest when Steven Ireland fired over the bar from the penalty spot when it looked easier to score and Charlie Adam tried a speculative David Beckhamesque effort from the half way line which was easily tipped over by West Brom keeper Boaz Myhill..

It was a physical match and both teams seemed to cancel each other out as they both elected to play five players in midfield. On reflection Stoke will be more happy with a point which ends their run of three defeats while the Baggies stretch their current record to five Premier League matches without defeat.