Two second-half goals saw Stoke come from behind to beat Wolves 2-1 and record their fourth league win on the bounce.
Doyle own goal and Crouch header see Stoke win at Molineux
Two second-half goals saw Stoke come from behind to beat Wolves 2-1 at Molineux and record their fourth league win on the bounce.
Stephen Hunt scored a 17th-minute penalty for the hosts after Jonathan Woodgate had brought down Matthew Jarvis in the box.
Woodgate, who was playing at right-back and was already on a yellow card before the penalty award, was replaced soon afterwards by Jermaine Pennant and the Potters improved.
They equalised on 58 minutes when Robert Huth's piledriver from a short free-kick took a huge deflection off Kevin Doyle.
Tony Pulis' side then won it when Peter Crouch got the better of Stephen Ward to nod home Matthew Etherington's cross from close range with 20 minutes to play.
The England striker netted the 99th league goal of his career as Stoke achieved their first top-flight win at Molineux for 44 years at the 15th attempt.
Wolves made a promising start and the first effort at goal came from full-back Ronald Zubar following a Jarvis centre, but his shot curled just past the post.
Woodgate became the first player to be yellow-carded for bringing down Jarvis in full flight, and was again to blame after 17 minutes when the recalled Hunt put Wolves ahead from the penalty spot.
Few complaints
The defender could have few complaints after chopping down dangerman Jarvis inside the box, although he escaped a second yellow card.
Up stepped Hunt to drill the spot-kick past Thomas Sorensen even though the keeper dived the right way.
Woodgate had been overrun by Jarvis and Pulis decided a tactical change was needed and replaced the defender with Pennant after 19 minutes, allowing Ryan Shotton to drop back to right-back.
Hunt should have done better for Wolves when he headed too fiercely back across goal from a Jarvis cross with two players unmarked in the centre.
The Republic of Ireland international forced Sorensen to block his low drive from a narrow angle with his feet.
Jarvis switched to the right flank in place of Hunt but continued to cause problems.
Stoke's best chance of the first half fell to Etherington after Crouch dummied a centre from Shotton but he failed to make a full contact on his shot, which Hennessey collected.
Good chance
Jonathan Walters had a good chance to level after 51 minutes when he found himself unmarked at the far post from Etherington's centre but he put the ball wide.
Hunt was becoming more involved and forced Sorensen to save low to his left after being teed up on the edge of the box by Steven Fletcher.
But after 58 minutes an own goal from Doyle put Stoke level in fortuitous manner. Wolves skipper Roger Johnson was adjudged to have fouled Walters 30 yards out and Glenn Whelan rolled the free-kick into the path of Huth.
His free-kick took a major deflection off Doyle in the defensive wall and wrong-footed Hennessey, who got a hand to the ball but could not prevent it entering the net.
Dean Whitehead was booked for a challenge on Christophe Berra, who soon took retribution on the Stoke midfielder with a late tackle and was also yellow-carded.
Hennessey made a fine save to turn over a powerful 25-yard drive from Etherington but after 70 minutes, Crouch put Stoke in front.
Pennant turned the ball back into the path of Etherington whose deep cross was converted by Crouch, who got in front of left-back Ward on the far post.
Wolves substitute Sylvan Ebanks-Blake headed wide from a corner by Hunt but Stoke faced few alarms in the final stages before securing victory.
| Wolverhampton Wanderers |
Team Statistics |
Stoke City |
| 1 |
Goals |
2 |
| 1 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 3 |
Shots on Target |
4 |
| 4 |
Shots off Target |
6 |
| 4 |
Blocked Shots |
0 |
| 7 |
Corners |
5 |
| 13 |
Fouls |
16 |
| 3 |
Offsides |
2 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
3 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 66.1 |
Passing Success |
69.2 |
| 16 |
Tackles |
13 |
| 68.8 |
Tackles Success |
76.9 |
| 54.2 |
Possession |
45.8 |
| 49.7 |
Territorial Advantage |
50.3 |
| 380 |
Total Passes |
312 |
| 32 |
Total Crosses |
33 |
| 209 |
Lost Balls |
198 |
| 40 |
Recoveries |
46 |
| 54.2 |
1st Half Poss. |
45.8 |
| 55.6 |
2nd Half Poss. |
44.4 |
|
