Butland saves day for Hughes

ENGLAND manager Gareth Southgate was rewarded for his trek to the Potteries, seeing goalkeeper Jack Butland impress in only his second game back following a serious ankle injury.

Butland was Southgate’s England Under 21 captain and provided he stays fit next season could challenge Joe Hart for the No1 jersey at the Russia World Cup.

Against West Ham, he looked back to his old self, making one world-class save to deny Andre Ayew and two more that owed a great deal to his positioning and reflexes. ‘We were the dominant team but when the opposition breaks you need a top-class goalkeeper to make match-defining saves and that’s what Jack is,’ said Stoke manager Mark Hughes afterwards.

It was a tale of two goalkeepers with West Ham’s Adrian matching Butland for fantastic saves. ‘I am pleased with the way we played but you can’t be happy if you don’t score,’ said Hammers boss Slaven Bilic who vowed not to take his foot off the gas until West Ham are safe.

‘We don’t want to be there on the last day with our radios trying to find out the other scores.’