STOKE staggered around the final lap, pulled up with cramp on at least four occasions and eventually limped over the finishing line in a weary old heap.

But hey, who cares? This lot could have netted not one, but four own goals yesterday, and crawled in eight down at the break – and still been lauded as heroes after this season’s courageously magnificent exploits.

Yesterday’s beating was severe, but not entirely unpredictable, and was another down payment of their capital pains tax after losing on their four previous visits to London.

It was exhibition stuff at times from an Arsenal team not just intent on revenge, but bloody revenge, for their acute embarrassment at the Britannia Stadium back in November.
Stoke, clearly playing one game too many, succumbed horribly to Arsenal’s wonderfully fluid football during the first half, but typically recaptured some measure of pride during a scoreless second.

Since these two last met in North London four years ago, Arsenal have moved a mile across town, but Stoke have moved mountains.

Tony Pulis jetted off to Reykjavik straight after that previous meeting to tell the club’s Icelandic owners why he was so shy of recruiting foreign talent, but this week he flies out for the umpteenth time in the past month to possibly sanction his first-ever European import.

How he and his club have progressed to a place few of us could have believed possible, a place untouched by events during yesterday’s anti-climactic finale to an otherwise truly memorable 10 months in the history of Stoke City.

The afternoon began with Arsenal fans reaffirming their support for Arsene Wenger, but it wasn’t long before Ricardo Fuller was attempting to douse their early ardour with what was hardly a forerunner of the trauma to follow for Stoke.

It was the Jamaican heading powerfully and narrowly wide from Rory Delap’s first-minute throw, while Fuller’s feet were soon in action too as he dispossessed Alex Song before the home keeper dived to save at the striker’s toes.

Fuller was also requiring treatment for that troublesome shoulder of his after an awkward fall following another useful incursion.

But the decisive action early on arrived at the other end after Steve Simonsen, starting only his third Premier League game for the injured Thomas Sorensen, touched Denilson’s testing drive around his left-hand post.

The short corner routine that followed left Cesc Fabregas collecting a return pass and drilling low into the danger area for James Beattie to inadvertently stroke home with his right when he should have cleared with his left.

Worse was to follow six minutes later when Abdoulaye Faye slipped on the turf just outside his own area to leave Robin van Persie free to nut-meg the encroaching Ryan Shawcross.

The big Stoke defender almost impulsively stuck out a foot to half-trip van Persie, however, and so leave the Dutchman converting confidently into the left-hand corner from the subsequent penalty.

An excruciating afternoon was clearly lying in wait by the time the Gunners romped into a 3-0 lead two minutes later as van Persie, turning from goal-taker to goal-maker, floated a free-kick into the area for Abou Diaby to glance home unchallenged.

Simonsen was left clutching his hip, presumably from all the early diving around, and was
soon replaced by the man he replaced as Sorensen took up his customary residence between the sticks in the 22nd minute.

Arsenal’s intricate and incisive play continued to pose problems for visitors beating a hasty retreat, but it was Diaby’s long-range blast that first called Sorensen into action as he saved at the second attempt.

There was brief respite at the other end when a free-kick allowed Beattie to fire goalwards and force a fine low save from debutant Vito Mannone, but Stoke hearts were soon in mouths again when a cute through-ball allowed Theo Walcott to shoot low and inspire a brilliant stop from Sorensen with his outstretched leg.

The goals continued to rain, but this time at the right end for Stoke as Fuller ran at two retreating defenders, was tripped by Denilson, then picked himself up to comfortably wrong-foot Mannone from the resulting penalty for 3-1.

The goalmouth excitement remained relentless as van Persie smacked the cross bar from a 25-yard free kick, while Andrey Arshavin’s overhead attempt to deposit the loose ball was finger-tipped round his left-hand post by Stoke’s overworked and overwrought goalkeeper.

And Sorensen was testing that sore knee of his again seven minutes before the break when diving full-length to his left to pluck Arshavin’s curving shot out of the air.

But the big Dane was helpless in the 40th minute when Rory Delap, in a rare and catastrophic lapse of judgment, tried to find his goalkeeper with a header that fell into van Persie’s lap to leave him controlling, spinning and easily beating the stranded Sorensen.

The second half was mercifully free of serious incident, bar a couple of wayward headers, until the 63rd minute, when Sorensen dived courageously at van Persie’s feet to prevent him climaxing another tasty exchange of Arsenal passing.

Substitute Emmanuel Eboue then flashed a low one across goal and narrowly past the far post, while two players were required to block Denilson’s piledriver from just outside the area.

The Gunners were training their sights goalwards again as Diaby headed inches past Sorensen’s right-hand post during a period of fluently sustained pressure.

Sorensen’s noble attempts at a second-half clean sheet were duly rewarded after he thrust out a leg to ensure sub Carlos Vela didn’t claim a fifth in stoppage time.

Stoke had long been playing with one eye on the clock as their final lap of honour trundled towards a weary and welcome conclusion.

Their season had ended as it had started at Bolton nearly 10 months earlier, in comprehensive defeat, but what a glorious tale in between.

Thank you, players and supporters alike.

It was a privilege to watch and a pleasure to enjoy.

Other Stoke City stories online today:
Pulis plans squad shake-up
City’s alternative awards
Loss takes a bit of gloss off season, says Lawrence
No excuses for defeat, says Shawcross
Dickinson hungry to net starting spot
Faith pays off for London-based Potters fan
Weary Potters out-gunned
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