Match Report:Stoke City 2-1 Manchester United

Stoke deservedly beat Manchester United on home soil with two more goals from in-form Charlie Adam doing the damage.United started slowly, Jonathan Walters almost getting on the end of a ball that cut through the middle of the United defence. Any attempt at momentum from the visitors was interrupted by an early injury to Jonny Evans, who limped off to be replaced by Rafael. There were glimpses of class from United, Wayne Rooney's half-volley fizzing past the post before an uncharacteristically weak free kick from Juan Mata, and it was slightly against the run of play when Stoke took the lead. Charlie Adam took a free kick for Stoke and, despite standing 40 yards from goal, opted to take on the shot. His effort took a wicked deflection and whizzed past the static David de Gea. Moments later, United's afternoon got even worse as Phil Jones had to be stretchered off with a head injury. Minutes after the second half started, it looked like the United comeback was on when Robin van Persie tapped the ball past Asmir Begovic after some clever build-up play from Mata, but only five minutes later Stoke were back in the lead. It was Adam again who gave Stoke the lead, fizzing the ball into the top corner from 25 yards after a cushioned header from Walters. With Stoke leading it was left to United to mount some sort of resurgence, but they left it until the final few minutes of injury time. First Ashley Young made a mess of a free header in the box after a pinpoint cross from the wing from Chris Smalling, before Rooney's free kick was tipped onto the bar by Begovic. Ultimately Stoke made the most of an off day from United, to haul themselves into mid-table mediocrity and leave the visitors today with yet another huge dent in their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Match Report: QPR 0-2 Stoke

Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters were on the scoresheet as Stoke beat QPR to move six points clear of the relegation places.
QPR, now resigned to relegation from the Premier League, created plenty of chances at Loftus Road as livewire Loic Remy saw two first-half shots saved by Asmir Begovic. Remy also bent a wicked effort wide from 25 yards while Walters' volley was spilled by Rob Green at the other end. Stoke, whose last point away from the Britannia Stadium came in a goalless draw at Tottenham before Christmas, took the lead three minutes before half time when Cameron Jerome's cross found Crouch to side-foot the ball home from six-yards, his first goal in 23 games for the Potters. Rangers almost equalised after 55 minutes when Remy danced around three Stoke defenders before firing a shot straight at Begovic, but that was the closest Harry Redknapp's side came to turning the game around. Charlie Adam should have doubled Stoke's lead just after the hour mark when he met Crouch's flick on at the far post but lifted his volley over from close range. Ten minutes later Stoke were awarded a penalty when Rob Huth's header came back off the post and Clint Hill pulled Crouch to ground as the striker tried to get a toe on the rebound. Walters was made to take the spot-kick twice after being made to retake his initial successful penalty but made no mistake at the second attempt, lashing the ball into the bottom left corner of Green's goal. QPR remain 10 points adrift of safety and are surely now contemplating life in the Championship next season, while Stoke's hopes of survival have been boosted by only their second win in 15 league outings.

Adam completes £4m Stoke move

Stoke City have signed Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam for £4million from Liverpool.The 28-year-old was greeted by manager Tony Pulis at Stoke's training ground on Friday morning before undergoing a medical and signing a four-year deal.The deal, coupled with the departures of Andy Carroll and Jay Spearing on loan to West Ham and Bolton respectively, allows Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers to make a final big-money signing, with long-time target Clint Dempsey of Fulham and Arsenal’s Theo Walcott on his radar.Adam watched Liverpool’s Europa League tie against Hearts on Thursday night grim-faced with agent Kenny Moyes as he realised his Anfield career was over on the instructions of Rodgers.Discussions took place after the game and Adam reluctantly accepted he would have to move on.
He was signed by previous Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglisg from Blackpool 12 months ago.

Stoke City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Matthew Etherington's first half double proved decisive in a barnstorming game at the Britannia as Stoke held off Spurs to win 2-1. Tottenham entered this game on a run of six consecutive Premier League wins but the Potters are not a team to be taken lightly and Tony Pulis' men were at their pulsating best from the very first whistle. Inside thirty seconds Brad Friedel was forced into a world class stop to deny Spurs old boy Peter Crouch who thought he had given Stoke the perfect start. However, it was not long before another former Spurs man was celebrating when Crouch's shot rebounded off the post into the path of Matthew Etherington who applied a cool finish just before the quarter of an hour mark. The goal seemed to kick Spurs into some sort of life but they couldn't create a meaningful opening and were caught with a trademark sucker punch just two minutes before the break when Ryan Shotton's long throw was flicked on by Ryan Shawcross and Etherington was at the far post again to find the corner of the net. Harry Redknapp rang the changes at the break and it seemed to work as the visitors began to threaten on a regular basis and they grabbed a lifeline just after the hour mark when Luka Modric was felled in the box by Glenn Whelan and Emmanuel Adebayor stepped up to send Thomas Sorenson the wrong way. Stoke were on the back foot from that moment on and were fortunate to stay ahead when Younes Kaboul's drive was elbowed off the line by Shawcross but the referee didn't see it and Kaboul's afternoon soon got worse when he was given a second booking and afforded an early bath. Spurs continued to press but Sorenson and his defenders were in superb form and Stoke were not willing to let the North Londoners out of jail today as they held on for a superb victory that might kickstart their season.

Match Report Bolton 5 Stoke 0

Bolton hammered five past Stoke without reply to gain sweet revenge for last season's FA Cup semi-final defeat by the same opponents. Ivan Klasnic and Chris Eagles both struck twice at the Reebok Stadium as struggling Bolton claimed the first points of their campaign on their home ground, while captain Kevin Davies also got on the scoresheet. The Potters, no doubt drained from Thursday's Europa League trip to Tel Aviv, controversially went behind after two minutes. First referee Howard Webb penalised Asmir Begovic for a back pass after Glenn Whelan lobbed the ball into his own area and Matthew Upson left it to the goalkeeper. The Potters had barely had time to contest the decision before Klasnic grabbed the ball and a tapped a quick free-kick for Davies to roll into an unguarded net. Bolton doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when Eagles brilliantly fired into the bottom corner from a tight angle and the home side made it three-nil when Klasnic swept home a left-footed shot from the edge of the area. The fourth goal came in the 73rd minute. Kevin Davies flicked a long ball into the path of Klasnic and the Croatian instantly touched on for Eagles to race through and slip the ball home before Wanderers grabbed a fifth nine minutes from time when Klasnic diverted a David Wheater header past Begovic.

Match Report Stoke 1 Newcastle 3

Demba Ba – who almost joined Stoke earlier this year – haunted the Potters on Halloween night, by returning as a Newcastle United player to score a brilliant hat-trick in a 3-1 win which lifts Alan Pardew’s unbeaten side into third place in the Barclays Premier League. Ba, who scored a hat-trick for Newcastle earlier in the season, was all set to sign for Stoke from Hoffenheim in January, but failed a medical. He joined West Ham instead, and following the Londoners’ relegation returned to the top-flight with Newcastle. Booed by Stoke supporters from the start, he had an astonishing impact on this match, heading home an opener after 12 minutes, adding a second after 40 minutes, then completing a treble from the penalty spot with nine minutes left. In between, he also conceded a penalty for a push on Peter Crouch, which Jonathan Walters converted to pull Stoke briefly back into the match. But Ba’s third goal ended Stoke’s resistance, and Newcastle headed north buoyed by yet another excellent result in what is developing into a terrific season. Newcastle had not won a league match at Stoke since 1985 but their start to the campaign meant they were confident to take the game to their hosts. And it paid off as they scored with their first genuine chance in the 12th minute. Goalkeeper Tim Krul’s kick was headed on by Leon Best to Gabriel Obertan, who found himself in plenty of space behind left-back Marc Wilson. The Frenchman’s inviting cross into the six-yard area picked out Ba and the Senegal international nodded home his sixth league goal in five matches. The Magpies doubled their lead five minutes before the interval when Upson could only help Fabricio Coloccini’s lofted pass on to Best on the right of the penalty area and he mis-hit a shot low for Ba to tap in his second. Referee Mike Dean handed Stoke a lifeline when he adjudged that Ba had shoved Crouch over in a crowded penalty box, and Walters converted, but the official saw a push at the other end which allowed man of the match Ba to complete the hat-trick.

Stoke fail in Lukaku loan bid

Stoke have failed in an attempt to sign new Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku on loan due to Premier League rules. The move fell foul of the rule-book, which forbids a player being lent to another top-flight side during the same transfer window that he joined his parent club. But it is also unclear whether Chelsea or Lukaku would have been open to a loan move, with the 18-year-old specifically saying before joining his boyhood idols that he did not want to be farmed out. Premier League Rule M.7.1 reads: "A Temporary Transfer to a Club may not take place in the Transfer Window in which the Transferor Club acquired the Player's registration." Lukaku completed his protracted move from Anderlecht to Chelsea almost two weeks ago for a fee that could reportedly rise to £20million. He made his Blues debut as a substitute in Saturday's 3-1 win over Norwich, although he faces a fight for a starting spot at Stamford Bridge, with Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda, Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou among Andre Villas-Boas' other striking options.

Liverpool hope for Shawcross deal

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is believed to be ready to offer Stoke £10m plus Christian Poulsen to land Ryan Shawcross. The Reds are after a proven centre-back and have been linked heavily with Birmingham's Scott Dann this summer. However, no deal has materialised for him and now Dalglish is looking elsewhere as he looks for more competition for places in defence. Dalglish has Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Sotirios Kyrgiakos as options while Martin Skrtel is currently out injured, but he is keen to recruit another centre-back and believes Shawcross could be the answer. Liverpool have watched the Potters skipper for the past 12 months but have so far failed to come up with an offer suitable to land the 23-year-old, although cash plus Danish international Poulsen may tempt Stoke chief Tony Pulis into doing a deal. Pulis does not want to lose Shawcross but may be forced into agreeing to the transfer if the player makes it clear he wants to move.

Match Report: Stoke 0 Chelsea 0

Stoke held Chelsea to a frustrating goalless draw as their resolute defensive performance kept the visitors' attacking talents at bay. Fernando Torres was Chelsea's sharpest player during a quiet first half as Stoke were limited to set-piece scraps. The Blues improved in the second half and John Obi Mikel went close before substitute Nicolas Anelka's shot was tipped onto the bar by Asmir Begovic. In a game of few chances, Chelsea will also point to three penalty appeals. Marc Wilson's trip on Frank Lampard was the most credible of those but they were a long way short of their form from the beginning of last season, when they began the campaign with two 6-0 wins. The result will also call into question Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas's decision to start with Torres instead of Didier Drogba. For periods of the game, however, there were instances when it looked like the confidence had returned to the Spaniard's game and he was certainly among the better performers. The striker's link-up play was sharp, plus he was willing to make intelligent runs into space to receive the ball, and his growing influence was underlined when Ryan Shawcross hacked down the 27-year-old for a deserved booking. But there were only glimpses of any urgency from Torres's team-mates as Stoke, who handed a Premier League debut to Jonathan Woodgate, defended stoically. Jose Bosingwa went close with what looked like a cross which was heading for the top corner, but Villas-Boas appeared agitated on the sidelines, not only by his side's lack of penetration but also Stoke's muscular threat from Rory Delap's long throw-ins. Ramires tried to inject some energy from midfield when he burst into the box but his cross whistled across the six-yard line, and Torres made a weaving run before a timely Shawcross tackle prevented him from shooting. The former Liverpool striker had a penalty shout at the start of the second half when Shawcross appeared to trip him on the edge of the box and it began a period in which Chelsea began to impose themselves at last. First, Torres failed to connect following John Terry's header from a corner, Lampard had another penalty shout when he appeared to be brought down, and Mikel almost scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea when his dipping strike was tipped over. Florent Malouda was replaced by Anelka and his rising shot was expertly tipped onto the bar by Begovic, while Salomon Kalou had a header saved from Torres's cross. Drogba was then introduced, to cheers from the Chelsea fans, and fired a dangerous free-kick at goal. Yet as Stoke held firm, the visitors appeared to become frustrated as the game entered the final stages, with Lampard picking up an uncharacteristic booking. Potters boss Tony Pulis cautioned before the game that expectations may be too high at the Britannia this season, but on this evidence they will once again be one of the Premier League's tougher opponents. His only worry was the shoulder injury to Matthew Etherington, who was taken off after an hour. Pulis said the winger would go for an x-ray.

Host of Club's Chasing Barton

Arsenal, Tottenham and Stoke have reportedly made enquiries about Newcastle's Joey Barton. Barton has been made available for transfer by The Magpies after the board's patience finally snapped following his fresh criticism. Newcastle have confirmed the controversial midfielder can be signed on a free transfer, meaning the club are looking to offload his services as quickly as possible. Despite the 28-year-old's past, a number of big-name clubs are keen on acquiring his services, with Arsenal, Spurs and Stoke all interested. Meanwhile, Bolton manager Owen Coyle was quizzed on whether he would like to bring Barton to the Reebok and while he confirmed the midfielder is a talent, he stopped short on confirming his intent. "He's a very talented player. We know that," Coyle told Sky Sports News. "There's no doubt Joey will have very attractive offers because he's a talented player. "We'll continue to bring the right players to football club. Hopefully I can have one or two new faces, ideally before the QPR game, but certainly before the end of the transfer window. "Every manager is in the same boat. We're trying to improve our squads and trying to do the best business we can for our clubs."

Stoke join QPR in Crouch Chase

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has joined the race for Tottenham striker Peter Crouch.Pulis is planning a £10m bid for the England star after missing out on top targets Carlton Cole and Cameron Jerome.The former Liverpool, Portsmouth and Aston Villa player is also wanted by QPR, but the Premier League new-boys cannot ­afford the fee.Pulis met with Stoke chairman Peter Coates yesterday to discuss a move for Crouch, who has been told he can leave Spurs after netting only one league goal last season.Coates said: “It is true a striker remains Tony’s priority and we would expect that to happen. We are confident we will be able to improve the squad before the deadline closes and there is a long way to go before that ­happens of course.“We are working on a few things, but football is a messy business and these things take time.”Pulis is looking to bolster his front-line after selling Tuncay in January and off-­loading John Carew at the end of the season.

Crouch – who has racked up transfer fees of over £30m in his career – has the European experience Pulis will require as he tries to guide Stoke through the Europa League.

Woodgate Signs For Stoke City

Stoke City have completed the free transfer signing of central defender Jonathan Woodgate.
Woodgate joins the Potters after his contract at Tottenham Hotspur expired and has signed a one-year deal.The 31-year-old former England international started out at Leeds United before having spells with Newcastle United, Real Madrid and Middlesbrough in a career blighted by injury.
Woodgate will link up with his new team-mates later this week when they return from their pre-season training camp in Austria.
Manager Tony Pulis said: "The lad is a top class player and it's been well documented that he has had his injury troubles, but we believe that if his fitness is managed properly, he will play games for us.

"We know that other Premier League clubs were keen on signing Jonathan, so we are delighted he has chosen us. It's a chance we are taking, but one we were keen to take because of the stature and quality of the player."

He added: "We've effectively taken him on a pay-as-you-play deal which just shows how desperate the lad is to get his career back on the right track."
Woodgate will be reunited with a former Middlesbrough team-mate Robert Huth at the Britannia Stadium, the pair having played together at the heart of the north east club's defence when they were in the Premier League five years ago.

Prior to that, he enjoyed a successful spell with Leeds, before moving on to Newcastle and then had a two-year stint with Real Madrid.

After returning to the English game with Middlesbrough, he joined Tottenham in a £7m deal in January 2008 and was a key figure in the following season when they recovered from a poor start to finish eighth in the Barclays Premier League.

Woodgate has won eight international caps with England, the first of which came back in Kevin Keegan's reign in 1999 while he was at Leeds. His fine form for hometown club Middlesbrough earned him a recall in February 2007.

Stoke, Celtic,Blackburn and Sunderland Chase Bellamy

Stoke City have joined the race to sign Craig Bellamy from Manchester City, with Celtic, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers also exploring the possibility of taking the Welshman on a season-long loan.

Bellamy has one year remaining on his contract at Eastlands but there is also a 12-month option that is in the club's favour, meaning that City can still ask for a significant fee for the 31-year-old. There is certainly no chance of Bellamy remaining at City, with Roberto Mancini, the club's manager, having made it clear last summer that the striker is not part of his plans.

The most likely outcome is that Bellamy, who spent last season on loan with Cardiff City, where he scored 11 goals in 36 appearances, will be allowed out on loan for another campaign. City, however, have no intention of sanctioning another deal where they cover the majority of the player's wages, which was the case with Cardiff.

Tony Pulis would be keen to take Bellamy on a season-long loan as he seeks to add more firepower to his forward line. The Stoke manager also retains an interest in Birmingham City's Cameron Jerome and West Ham United's Carlton Cole, and it may well be that signing either of those players is more straightforward than Bellamy, who stated last season that he would not play for another Premier League club other than Manchester City.

At that point, Bellamy was talking in terms of returning to Cardiff for a second season, as part of his dream to lead his hometown club into the Premier League, although he now appears to accept that it is highly unlikely that will happen. Celtic, where Bellamy spent the second half of the 2004‑05 season, appears his most likely destination, with the Scottish Premier League club keen to secure his services for a second time.

Pulis, nonetheless, would like the opportunity to test the water with Bellamy. The Stoke manager is keen to add experience and quality to his squad ahead of a season that will place greater demands on his players because of the club's participation in the Europa League. Bellamy fits that profile.

2011 F.A.Cup final Highlights

Manchester City 1 - 0 Stoke City | The FA Cup... by fatv

Toure The Hero As Blues Pip Stoke In FA Cup Final

Manchester City ended their 35-year trophy drought  beating Stoke 1-0 to clinch the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure was the hero once again for City, rifling in a shot on 74 minutes to settle a largely one-sided encounter.
The win gave City their first piece of silverware since their victory in the 1976 League Cup final at Wembley and completed a rare double on the same day that their rivals Manchester United sealed the Premier League.
It also sealed a fine week for City, who had clinched qualification for next season’s Champions League on Tuesday by beating Tottenham.
“I can only say that I’m very happy for all the supporters,” a delighted City manager Roberto Mancini told ITV afterwards.
“After many years, they deserved to win this trophy,” Mancini added, gesturing towards City’s delirious army of fans.
“We need to improve but we are very happy. We did a small piece of history of Manchester City. We start now.”
Goal hero Toure — who had also scored the winner in last month’s semi-final victory over Manchester United — was jubilant to have helped City end their long wait for a piece of silverware.
“The dream is now... It’s fantastic to win. It’s fantastic for the history of the club,” said Toure. “We wanted to win something and get through to the Champions League. It’s amazing.”
City, who dominated throughout, might have won by more had it not been for a couple of fine saves by Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen early on when Mancini’s men were threatening to run riot.
City, who had been lifted by captain Carlos Tevez passing a late fitness test, settled swiftly and took control of the the opening exchanges.
Tevez might have put City ahead after only five minutes, his curling shot headed for goal after taking a slight deflection off Ryan Shawcross, only for Sorensen to save superbly at full stretch.
There was little respite for Stoke thereafter, and Shawcross was deeply relieved when he stuck a leg out to intercept a low Aleksandar Kolarov cross in the 10th minute which came dangerously close to being an own goal.
Moments later it was Toure’s turn, the Ivorian letting fly from 30 yards with a ferocious drive that beat Sorensen only to go inches wide.
With City rampant, Stoke’s defence showed signs of cracking under the pressure, and German centre-half Robert Huth was lucky to escape punishment for a blatant off the ball elbow that flattened Mario Balotelli.
Stoke’s only chance on goal in a lop-sided opening period came when Trinidad striker Kenwyne Jones found some space in the City box, only for his shot to be blocked by Vincent Kompany.
At the other end Stoke again had Sorensen to thank after another brilliant save on 24 minutes, this time from Balotelli, whose curling shot was hurtling towards the top corner before it was palmed away to safety.
City should have gone 1-0 up on 35 minutes, when a wonderful ball from Tevez found Balotelli in the box and in the ensuing melee David Silva’s shot into the turf bounced up and over the bar with Sorensen nowhere.
Five minutes before half-time Huth earned the booking he should have received earlier, cautioned by Martin Atkinson for an ugly challenge on Micah Richards. A scrappy start to the second half saw Stoke enjoy their best spell but City’s defence were more than equal to the challenge.
City again spurned a good chance on 56 minutes when a swift breakout of defence saw Tevez surge down the right before crossing to the unmarked Silva who took too long to get his shot away.
With the clock ticking down, Mancini took the bold move to replace Gareth Barry with the more attacking option of Adam Johnson on 74 minutes.
A minute later, Toure struck the decisive blow for City. A shot from Balotelli deflected off Marc Wilson and fell kindly to the former Barcelona midfielder who blasted an unstoppable first-time shot past Sorensen.

The dumbest football fan ever?

This Bolton fan must be crying into his club scarf right now after quitting his $77,000-a-year job in Australia so he could fly back to England to watch his beloved team take on Stoke in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Ian Wagstaff was told by his boss that he would not be given the time off to travel across the globe to join the legions of Bolton fans heading to London for the massive clash.

But the 50-year-old would not take 'no' for an answer and informed his employers that there was no chance he would be missing Bolton’s first trip to the new Wembley.

And after spending $2,000 on flights and tickets, the British ex-pat had not been to see Bolton play since 1994, said he had no regrets.

"I've been a Wanderer all my life," Wagstaff told ESPN Soccernet.

"I told my boss I wanted to go, but he said we were too busy. I told him I was going anyway. It's not every day you get the chance to watch Wanderers at Wembley."

Bolton's last appearance at Wembley was in the FA Cup semi-final of 2000, which they lost to Aston Villa on penalties and the Trotters last won the FA Cup in 1958.

But unfortunately Sunday's game didn't quite go to plan for Bolton, who were soundly beaten 5-0 by a rampant Stoke City.

Stoke will now face Manchester City in their first ever FA Cup final.

There has yet been no word on whether Mr Wagstaff is still has no regrets about his decision.

Stoke thrash Bolton to reach the F.A.Cup final

Three first-half goals helped Stoke City demolish Bolton Wanderers and reach the FA Cup final for the first time in their history.Aided by some woeful Bolton defending, Matthew Etherington, Robert Huth and Kenwyne Jones scored in the first half-hour and two goals by Jon Walters after the break completed the victory.Stoke, roared on by their vociferous fans, can look forward to returning to Wembley to face Manchester City in the final on 14 May.Their other reward is a probable place in the Europa League because their final opponents are all-but guaranteed European qualification of some sort through their league position.
For Wanderers, however, the occasion was a massive anti-climax as their hopes of reaching a first final since 1958 in tribute to the late Nat Lofthouse were quickly left in ruins.

Bolton were given an ominous warning in the opening minutes when they were caught napping by a quickly taken Stoke free-kick that enabled Walters to escape down the left before being denied by Jussi Jaaskelainen.Bolton did manage a couple of efforts at the other end, with Gary Cahill blasting over from a corner and Johan Elmander failing to test Thomas Sorensen with a low shot from distance.But their big day began to disintegrate from the moment a misplaced pass by Paul Robinson found Etherington on the edge of the area and the winger composed himself before lashing a fierce shot into the corner of the net.
Things quickly got worse for Bolton and, again, their defending was at fault. Cahill got no distance on his header as he tried to clear a cross and Huth met the bouncing ball with a first-time shot that flew past Jaaskelainen's despairing dive.

In the absence of the cup-tied striker Daniel Sturridge, Bolton's only game-plan appeared to be lumping the ball towards Kevin Davies' head, a tactic that failed to create any openings.
On the half-hour mark Stoke compounded their misery with a third goal. Jermaine Pennant stole the ball from Martin Petrov and made for goal, before slipping a pass through to Jones that Cahill failed to intercept, leaving the Stoke striker with an easy task to slot home.With Bolton so poor going forward and generous in defence, the game already seemed up and to the evident frustration of their manager Owen Coyle, a comeback never looked on the cards.His response to a dismal first 45 minutes was a double change at half-time, replacing the anonymous Ivan Klasnic and the ineffective Martin Petrov with Matt Taylor and Mark Davies.

Mark Davies in particular tried to get his side going but clear-cut chances for Wanderers remained elusive, while Stoke's enterprising attacking play continued to threaten further goals, and they eventually scored them.
Jaaskelainen kept out a Jones header and needed Robinson to block a thunderous shot from the Trinidadian after making a hash of Etherington's chipped cross.
The Bolton keeper also stopped an angled Walters effort when his defence again went missing but the Stoke forward was not to be denied a goal, making it 4-0 on 68 minutes with a rasping low shot after a fine solo run.
Stoke were not quite finished yet, with Walters getting on the end of a deflected Jones cross nine minutes from the end to notch his second of the game and put the seal on an impressive display.

Arsenal 1 - 0 Stoke

Sebastien Squillaci was the unlikely hero as Arsenal beat Stoke to move to within one point of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table.
But the win was tarnished by concern over captain Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott, who both came off injured.
Walcott had already hit the post before defender Squillaci headed home Nicklas Bendtner's cross to put Arsenal ahead.

Stoke improved and Gunners keeper Wojciech Szczesny denied John Carew before Robert Huth headed over the bar.
Arsenal's delight at moving into United's slipstream will be tempered by worry over Fabregas and Walcott.
Fabregas will have his hamstring injury assessed on Thursday morning but Walcott's ankle sprain has already ruled him out of playing in Sunday's Carling Cup final against Birmingham at Wembley.

With the Gunners fighting for trophies on four fronts, manager Arsene Wenger can ill afford to lose two of his key players at such a crucial stage of the season.
The injuries came in each half of the first meeting between the sides since Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey broke his leg in a tackle from Stoke centre-back Ryan Shawcross.
But on this occasion, the injuries occurred in fairly innocuous circumstances, with Fabregas feeling a tweak off the ball and being withdrawn as a precaution, and Walcott twisting his ankle in the turf as he fell under a challenge from Dean Whitehead.
It had not taken long for Fabregas and Walcott to demonstrate exactly whey they are so important to the north Londoners.
With a minute gone, Jack Wilshere dribbled past two defenders and found Fabregas, whose through ball picked out Walcott well inside the box, but the England winger's close-range shot cannoned back off the far post.
The home side were rampant and Walcott had two more opportunities to score before Squillaci gave them the lead in the eighth minute.
A Wilshere corner passed through to Bendtner at the far post and the Dane controlled the ball before teeing up Squillaci for the most straightforward of headers.
The loss of Fabregas, who was replaced by Andrey Arshavin after 14 minutes, seemed to have a negative effect on Arsenal's players, their attacks lacking finesse and tending to peter out with a misplaced pass on the edge of the visitors' box.

With the Gunners monopolising possession, Szczesny might as well have been sat at home with a pipe and slippers. But, when he was finally called upon, he displayed the reactions and agility that have made him Arsenal's undisputed number one this season.
A Stoke long ball was headed back by Jon Walters for Carew, whose powerful first-time drive was palmed away by the Pole as he dived full-stretch to his right.
Perhaps sensing vulnerability in Arsenal, the visitors started the second-half on the front foot and came close to equalising when Shawcross - captaining Stoke almost exactly a year after the Ramsey incident- met Jermaine Pennant's cross with a header that was deflected over the bar by Johan Djourou.
Shortly afterwards, Szczesny was beaten to a Rory Delap long throw by Huth but the German centre-half's header sailed over the bar.
At the other end, Arshavin jinked past Shawcross before pulling the ball back for Walcott, who sliced wide under pressure from Huth.
Following the England wideman's withdrawal, Stoke continued to press for an equaliser and Pennant came agonisingly close with a free-kick that floated past the post.
But the visitors could not conjure a breakthrough and eventually succumbed to their fifth away league defeat in a row.

Birmingham 1 - 0 Stoke

An injury-time goal from Nikola Zigic ensured a poor Stoke performance came to nought as Birmingham claimed back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time in 14 months.
Zigic nodded in a Cameron Jerome cross after Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic had spilled David Bentley's low shot.
Jermaine Pennant went close from a free-kick, but Stoke were lucky not to concede a second-half penalty.
Robert Huth handled a Bentley shot, but the offence went unnoticed.
On an afternoon when entertainment was at a premium, it was clear from the outset that anyone hoping for a repeat of last weekend's Premier League goal glut would have to look beyond St Andrew's.
Statistics and truth can be uneasy bedfellows when it comes to football, but one fact could not be ignored: neither side has a player with more than seven goals to his name.
Zigic's third league goal in as many games brought him level on that number with Birmingham's joint-top scorer, midfielder Craig Gardner, while Stoke's most prolific marksman is Robert Huth, a defender. It was never a likely recipe for a feast of entertaining football, and so it proved.
Yet that will not worry Alex McLeish a jot. The Birmingham manager had called on his players to capitalise on the feelgood factor surrounding the club just now - this result extended the club's unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions, while there is also the small matter of the club's forthcoming Carling Cup final appearance to look forward to - and, albeit belatedly, they responded.
It could have been different for Stoke, who weathered a good start by the hosts to create the lion's share of what few first-half chances came along.
But they, like Birmingham, have not been in the habit of picking up consecutive league wins - they last did so in mid-November - and it was Boxing Day when they last won away from the Potteries.
The initial signs that they might add to their modest tally of three away wins were not good, not least because Sebastian Larsson appeared intent on stamping the hosts' authority on proceedings.
With three minutes gone, the Sweden international swung in a cross from deep for Zigic, only for the big Serb to head over under pressure from Huth. He later narrowly failed to set up Roger Johnson from a free-kick, Begovic just about holding the defender's header.
Yet by the time Gardner stole the ball from Dean Whitehead in the centre circle with the half hour approaching, setting off on a run which culminated with a testing long-range shot - with debutant Obafemi Martins lurking, Begovic gathered at the second time of asking - Stoke looked the more credible contenders to break the deadlock.
As Larsson was the creative fulcrum for Birmingham, so the bustling Pennant provided the ammunition for the visitors.
In Kenwyne Jones and John Carew, the big Norway international on loan from Aston Villa, Pennant enjoyed the benefit of a pair of almost unmissable targets, and the former Liverpool man's cultured delivery from the right flank frequently made life uncomfortable for Ben Foster in the Birmingham goal.
But while the two strapping front men battered Foster, they could not better him.
In the absence of tangible reward for his efforts, Pennant almost took matters into his own hands, curling a low free-kick inches wide of Foster's left-hand upright.
However, first-half breakthroughs have not exactly been Stoke's forte of late - they remain the only team in England not to have scored in the opening 15 minutes of a match this season - and when Bentley curled an effort just shy of the post with half-time nearing, there was a suggestion of better things to come for the home side.
Sure enough, they began the second half exuding the same aura of intent with which they had started the first, and might have opened the scoring through Larsson, who gathered a sweeping crossfield ball from the back, picking his way through the Stoke defence before sending an angled effort wide.
The visitors were fortunate to survive a credible penalty claim when Huth blocked a Bentley effort with a raised arm. The German turned away, clutching his face, and referee Mark Halsey - who would surely have pointed to the spot had he enjoyed the benefit of a replay - waved play on.
A heated post-match inquest looked inevitable, but then came the match-winning contribution of Zigic, whose reputation for inconsistency will soon be in need of revision if he continues to plunder points like this.

Stoke City 3 Sunderland 2

Robert Huth scored two late goals as Stoke fought back to stun Sunderland.
Kieran Richardson rifled in Phil Bardsley's low cross for the visitors on two minutes, only for John Carew to score from a possible offside position.
Sunderland edged ahead when Asamoah Gyan fired in after the break but the match turned on its head on 83 minutes.
Two Jermaine Pennant free-kicks caused the damage, first swinging in for Huth to bundle home and then teeing up the German to stab home in injury time.