by Martin Spinks
martin.spinks@thesentinel.co.uk

ABDOULAYE Faye was mobbed by several women – some single, some maybe not so single – as he clutched his man-of-the-match champagne and headed for his car.

They merely wanted a picture with him, maybe a peck on the cheek, but heaven only knows what their voluptuous demands might have been had he broken Stoke’s duck with what were arguably their two best chances. There might be one or two stilettos being flung his way as part of a Benny Hill-style chase, however, were the unthinkable to happen and Stoke blew it from here.

They cannot, surely, but one or two palms will be just a little sweatier after back-to-back defeats have now left their trailing leg clipping the final hurdle.

The failings of those below remain far greater than Stoke’s over the past fortnight, though, and there are still plenty believing they most probably have enough points in the bag already.

And there’s certainly no disgrace in losing narrowly to a couple of genuine pretenders to that final European place.

Successive defeats also offer a sobering reminder of Stoke’s true status in the grand order of the Premier League and may, perhaps, help reduce expectations to more realistic levels for next season.

Nor should defeat to West Ham come as any great surprise to students of recent history because this was Stoke’s seventh defeat in their last eight meetings, while Gerry Taggart’s memorable debut five seasons ago inspired City’s only victory in their last 13 head-to-heads.

All but the most one-eyed fan will have appreciated West Ham’s superior football in the more open exchanges as Stoke were once again second best in terms of control, passing and movement.

Those shortcomings are no surprise at this exalted level, however, and it is Stoke’s remarkable assets in other facets of the game which have, fingers crossed, secured a second stab at the Premier League.

Those assets served them well once more on Saturday, but not profitably on this occasion as West Ham demonstrated they, and their manager, are more than mere sunshine boys.

Goalkeeper Robert Green was positive, if not always successful, in dealing with a multitude of balls flung into his box, while his steadfast defence, especially impressive teenager James Tomkins, stood far firmer than others to visit from London this season. And Matthew Etherington’s evident determination to shine decisively against his old club was thwarted not by his own fallibility, but by the strength and experience of Aussie skipper Lucas Neill at right-back.

Stoke’s aerial pursuit would have been more successful had Ricardo Fuller perfectly timed various leaps within sight of goal, while a fully-fit James Beattie would have better exploited a succession of decent deliveries than a clearly far from fully-fit James Beattie.

He shouldn’t have played, at least not from the start.
But the gamble was understandable because one flash of finishing on Saturday might have put the season to bed once and for all.

Sadly, Stoke’s finishing was such that Green’s only meaningful work remained aerial as both Faye and Fuller missed the best chances to fall their way.

Faye’s vision was maybe distracted by a colleague when heading over from an excellent position in the first period, while a more one-sided second period almost yielded an equaliser when his header from a left-wing corner was nodded off the line by Mark Noble stretching manfully at his near post.

Fuller’s clearest opening fell in stoppage time when he crashed over from close quarters as the ball failed to drop quickly enough for him to pull the trigger before West Ham bodies converged on him.

Faye’s frustration at his missed chances will be compounded by the memory of the two-footed lunge – having miscontrolled the ball on the edge of his area – which conceded the free-kick from which Diego Tristran curled one over the wall and into the top left-hand corner to repeat his winner at Upton Park four months earlier.

But at least Stoke were able to chase the game as stridently as they did with 11 men, not 10, after Rory Delap survived a possible red card when kicking out at Luis Boa Morte as they both lay on the floor following the winger’s mistimed challenge.

His studs landed so close to the crown jewels that both Mr and Mrs Delap’s eyes will have been watering, but he was still grateful that Saturday’s ref was not a little bit younger, a little more arrogant and hailing from Waterlooville.

Poor old Peter Walton could do no right in the eyes of a typically fervent faithful and, though some decisions did leave you a little perplexed, the really big ones probably favoured the home side.

Apart from Delap, Faye could have been booked when conceding that fatal free-kick.
Fuller’s disallowed goal for a push on the keeper is routine from any ref these days and Liam Lawrence would have done well to win a penalty when going over a foot that never moved.

As for West Ham’s disallowed goal barely a minute after Fuller’s was ruled out, that remains a mystery solved by anything from a handball, to a foul to an offside.

Mr Walton’s biggest crime of all was to simply turn up on Saturday because that is now four games and four defeats under his stewardship this season.

He goes into retirement this summer with our sincerest best wishes, he really does.

Other Stoke City stories online today:

Martin Smith: We need to come up with a Plan B to progress

Delap thrown by ref’s yellow card decision

Hull of an exit for Brown and Co as City do them no favours

Simon Lowe: We all love City, not just the vocal hordes

Match stats - Stoke City vs West Ham

Fans' view - Stoke City vs West Ham

Fab Abdoulaye so close to rescuing Potters

We'll make a point at Hull

Beaten Potters lacked sufficient quality, admits Pulis