PREVIEW: Stoke City vs Hull City

Stoke City vs Hull City
Wednesday 21st September 2016
bet365 Stadium
Kick Off 8.00pm

CUP FOOTBALL often provides a respite from the pressures of league action and Stoke City’s players will be looking to use this tie as an opportunity to relieve some of the burden and get a much needed win under their belts following a disappointing run of form.

The Potters have enjoyed the competition in recent years – highlighted by last season’s journey to within spot kicks of the final – and have been successful in all of the last eight ties at this stage stretching back 19 years.

Standing in the way this time around are a Hull City outfit buoyed by a start to the season that saw them win their first three matches, including an opening day triumph over champions Leicester City.

A win for Mark Hughes’ side could be just the tonic needed ahead of West Bromwich Albion’s visit to bet365 Stadium in Premier League action at the weekend, whilst it would also move them another step closer to a possible Wembley appearance.

LAST VISIT

Stoke City 1 (Crouch 71)
Hull City 0

Peter Crouch made an instant impact when stepping off the bench to earn Stoke City all three points against a stubborn Hull City side in February last year.

Crouch netted 61 seconds after his introduction, heading home Charlie Adam’s cross to score his fourth goal in as many games.

The big man equalled Alan Shearer’s record of 46 headed goals with his matchwinner against a Steve Bruce outfit unable to register a single shot on target.

Stoke City: Begovic; Bardsley, Wilson, Wollscheid, Pieters; Whelan, Nzonzi; Walters, Ireland (Adam 46), Moses; Diouf (Crouch 70). Unused: Butland, Arnautovic, Cameron, Sidwell, Teixeira.

MEMORABLE MATCH

Stoke City 2 (Fuller 6, Lawrence 90)
Hull City 0

Ricardo Fuller was rewarded with a starting place after coming off the bench to score the goal of the season winner at West Ham United the previous week and he notched after just six minutes when getting on the end of Dave Kitson’s flick on.

George Boateng went off injured for Hull in the second half and with Iain Dowie having already used all of his substitutes the visitors were left with ten men as Liam Lawrence confirmed the victory in the dying stages.

Stoke – who earned a first home league victory in five attempts – finished in mid-table at the end of the 2009/10 season whilst the Tigers were relegated back to the Championship.

Stoke City: Sorensen; Huth, Faye, Higginbotham, Collins; Lawrence, Whelan (Whitehead 72), Delap, Etherington; Kitson (Sidibe 84), Fuller (Tuncay 46). Unused: Begovic, Pugh, Shawcross, Whitehead, Wilkinson.

CONNECTIONS

Jon Parkin joined the Potters on loan from Championship rivals Hull at the back end of the 2006/07 season and almost helped his new team-mates into the play-offs.

A sudden recall to Humberside, however, put paid to that as Phil Brown required his help at the other end of the table as the Tigers fought to stave off relegation to the third tier.

A permanent transfer to the Potteries followed that summer though and Parkin was part of the squad that helped earn Stoke promotion to the Premier League by the end of the season.

Others to have played for both clubs include Leon Cort, Neil Franklin, Nicky Mohan, Justin Whittle, Ben Petty, Ibrahima Sonko, Seyi Olofinjana, David Hockaday, Dave Bamber and Tony Kelly.

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Source://www.stokecityfc.com