Stoke City beat Fulham 3-2

STOKE City climbed into the top half of the Premier League table with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham at a snowy Britannia Stadium.

Tony Pulis’s Stoke went in at half-time with a three-goal advantage after goals from Tuncay, Abdoulaye Faye and Mamady Sidibe.

Damien Duff’s 61st-minute strike prompted an unlikely comeback with Clint Dempsey’s superb 35-yard volley further reducing the deficit five minutes from time.

But Stoke survived a stoppage-time penalty appeal to hang on to the three points and move into 10th place while Fulham remain ninth.

Stoke went into the fixture having lost their last three league matches and failing to score in any of them.

The home side had the ball in the back of the net as early as the third minute - but Matthew Etherington’s effort was ruled out for offside.

The Potters’ early dominance paid dividends when Etherington’s 13th-minute corner was met by the head of Robert Huth and Tuncay nodded home on the line for his fourth goal of the season.

Fulham arrived in Staffordshire without a win in six away league matches and were two behind after 34 minutes when they again failed to deal with an Etherington set-piece.

The former West Ham man swung in a low corner which found Faye unmarked at the back post and the Senegalese defender made no mistake in side-footing home.

And Stoke further added to their lead just three minutes later when Tuncay started a smart move which finished with Sidibe firing a fierce half-volley past Mark Schwarzer.

Fulham’s night went from bad to worse when in-form striker Bobby Zamora, who has 11 goals to his name this season, was rushed to hospital with a shoulder injury after a foul by Faye.

But Roy Hodgson’s side finally began to find their feet in the match and reduced Stoke’s lead by one through Duff’s deflected strike.

And the comeback looked on when Dempsey lashed home from 35 yards after a long throw out of the Fulham defence.

The American midfielder, playing as a makeshift striker, turned beautifully before firing an unstoppable volley past Steve Simonsen in the Stoke goal.

But Pulis’s troops held on for a vital three points, opening up a six-point gap above the relegation zone, after referee Mark Clattenburg turned away a late Fulham penalty appeal.

Ryan Shawcross looked to have handled on the edge of his own box but Clattenburg waved play on as Stoke cleared to safety with just moments remaining. — Eurosport