Stoke fears grow as Tosun earns Everton victory
STOKE CITY: Turkey forward Cenk Tosun struck twice after the break as Everton beat 10-man Stoke City 2-1 in the snowy Midlands to end a miserable run of away form in the Premier League yesterday.
Stoke had Charlie Adam sent off before halftime for a foul on Wayne Rooney but defended resolutely to hold the visitors at bay until the 69th minute when Tosun scored from close range after a goalmouth scramble. When substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting poked in Joe Allen’s free kick in the 77th minute, injuring himself in the process, it seemed second-bottom Stoke might salvage an important point in the relegation scrap.
But their hopes were crushed when Tosun beat England keeper Jack Butland with a diving header from Theo Walcott’s delivery to end a run of five straight league defeats on the road for Everton. Stoke remained three points below the safety zone.
BOURNEMOUTH BEAT WEST BROM Earlier, long-range goals from Jordan Ibe and Junior Stanislas helped Bournemouth grind out a comeback 21 home win over the Premier League’s bottom team West Bromwich Albion yesterday.
The visitors dominated the first half as Salomon Rondon twice came close before he headed a Kieran Gibbs cross into the path of strike partner Jay Rodriguez, who turned sharply and blasted the ball past keeper Asmir Begovic from close range four minutes after halftime.
The home side, who lacked any spark or creativity for most of the match, levelled out of the blue as Ibe’s tame-looking shot from 25 metres in the 77th minute bounced in front of goalkeeper Ben Foster.
But there was nothing Foster could do about the 89th-minute Bournemouth winner as Stanislas curled in a delightful free kick from 25 metres, handing West Brom a record-equalling seventh successive league defeat. — Reuters