Pools dump Stoke out of FA Cup

The 5ft 4in winger blasted home a 25-yard drive 14 minutes from time to seal a famous third-round victory at Victoria Park.

Defender Michael Nelson had earlier put Pools, who dumped West Brom out of the Carling Cup in August, ahead with a 49th-minute header as the depleted Potters were well beaten.

Stoke were denied the perfect start when Ibrahimo Sonko, one of seven changes in Tony Pulis' starting line-up, timed his run to perfection to meet Glenn Whelan's second-minute corner, but his glancing header hit the near-post and was eventually cleared.

After that there was little to choose between the two sides with the Potters enjoying the better of what few chances there were, defender Ryan Shawcross heading a 26th-minute Rory Delap long throw wide and Michael Tonge forcing a solid save from goalkeeper Arran Lee-Barrett five minutes later.

The hosts took the lead in controversial circumstances within four minutes of the restart.

Pulis was furious to see full-back Andrew Davies penalised for a foul on Joel Porter, and his mood was not improved by what followed. Matty Robson's free-kick was perfectly-weighted for Nelson to climb high at the far post and thump home a downward header which gave Steve Simonsen no chance.

Simonsen's goal came under sustained threat again with 52 minutes gone when Robson drove a cross inches over Ritchie Jones' head and Porter only just failed to connect with Nelson's delivery from the right seconds later.

Pools went close to a second with 25 minutes remaining when Porter looped a header over from skipper Sam Collins' long throw with the visitors struggling to make it out of their own half for any sustained period of time.

The pacy Foley drilled the ball across Simonsen's goal with 73 minutes gone with Stoke committing men to the search for an equaliser, but he was not to be denied. With 14 minutes remaining, the winger smashed a 25-yard drove beyond Simonsen to seal a famous win.