Stoke Ease Through

Derby County put in a spirited performance against Premiership Stoke City but could not quite find the quality to unlock their defence as they went out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 defeat. Stoke started brightly and were in front inside five minutes when Cameron Jerome lashed home from close range after a short corner was headed back across goal by Robert Huth. The Rams took a while to get back into the match but looked good for a twenty minute spell before the break without forcing a save from Asmir Begovic in the visitor`s goal. Chances were at a premium throughout the match with Frank Fielding pushing away a Jermaine Pennant freekick in the second period before Huth scored the goal that secured Stoke`s passage into Round Five. A corner found him on the penalty spot and his low effort beat Fielding to complete the scoring.

Nigel Clough made one change to his side with Jeff Hendrick coming in for the injured Theo Robinson and there was also a return on the bench for Nathan Tyson. Stoke City started brightly and they were ahead within five minutes when Matthew Etherington played a corner short to Glen Whelan and his cross into the area was headed back towards goal by Robert Huth before Cameron Jerome smashed the ball home from close range amidst appeals for offside. Callum Ball had a chance to equalise at the other end after Ryan Shawcross miss-kicked a cross but he couldn`t react quickly enough to the loose ball and the chance was lost.

Craig Bryson was brought down when breaking through on a loose ball but he was brought down by Ryan Shawcross who was booked for the challenge. Derby were seeing more of the ball and a well judged ball over the top from James Bailey release Bryson and his low cross into the area was just nicked away fro Ball, the Stoke defence couldn`t clear despite chances to do so and the ball eventually reached Jeff Hendrick on the edge of the area but his shot flew narrowly wide of the post after taking a touch.

Peter Crouch was first to a corner but his header hit the inside of the post and Jamie Ward looked to be in behind the visitor`s defence only to be hauled down by Andy Wilkinson but referee Mark Clattenburg strangely waved play on. Ward was the danger man again as halftime approached and he brought down by Dean Whitehead when he escaped down the left but the freekick came to nothing.

Stoke came out on top at the start of the second period but The Rams soon fought their back into the action and Robert Huth was booked for a crude challenge on John Brayford and the resulting freekick saw Asmir Begovic punch the ball over his own bar but the corner was easily dealt with by the Stoke defence. Etherington forced a reaction save out of Frank Fielding after he cut into the area and John Walters couldn`t quite get his flicked header on target from the resulting corner.

Tony Pullis made changes to his side by introducing Jermaine Pennant and Kenwyne Jones from the bench and Pennant came close with a curling freekick that needed to be pushed away by Fielding as it arrowed towards the bottom corner. Two further changes were made with fifteen minutes to go with Stoke bringing on Ricardo Fuller and Nigel Clough replacing James Bailey with Nathan Tyson.

Stoke effectively sealed the tie with just under ten minutes to go when Pennant`s corner found Huth on the penalty spot and his low effort found it`s way through Fielding and into the net for a second goal. The Premiership side comfortably saw out the closing stages with the main moment of note being the introduction of Tom Naylor for his Derby debut in the dieing moments.

Derby County: Fielding, Brayford, Barker, Shackell (Naylor 89), Roberts, Green, Bailey (Tyson 78), Hendrick, Ward, Bryson (Buxton 86), Ball.

Subs Not Used: Legzdins, B Davies, Doyle, Maguire.

Stoke City: Begovic, Huth, Whelan, Wilson, Shawcross, Whitehead, Walters, Crouch (Jones 66), Etherington (Pennant 63), Wilkinson, Jerome (Fuller 77).

Subs Not Used: Nash, Delap, Shotton, Woodgate.

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