Stoke claim second-half comeback

The visitors had led 2-0 at half-time after Martin Paterson scored in the seventh minute and on-loan Liverpool defender Jack Hobbs headed home a second in the 23rd minute.

But Stoke midfielder Liam Lawrence (53 and 67) netted either side of Richard Cresswell's 63rd-minute strike to ensure the Potters took the points and leapfrogged Watford into top spot.

The visitors took a surprise lead in the seventh minute through Paterson. Midfielder Matt Sparrow broke down the right flank and delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area.

Paterson evaded his marker and volleyed the ball past Stoke goalkeeper Steve Simonsen and into the bottom-left corner of the net.

Nigel Adkins' side doubled their advantage two minutes later through Hobbs. An outswinging Ian Morris corner from the left was met by the head of Hobbs and he directed the ball past Simonsen from inside the six-yard box.

Stoke began the second half in determined fashion and pulled a goal back eight minutes after the restart through Lawrence. The Scunthorpe defence failed to deal with a long throw from Rory Delap and Lawrence seized on the loose ball before he smashed it into the bottom-right corner of the net from close range.

Stoke equalised in the 63rd minute with a controversial goal from Cresswell. Potters striker Ricardo Fuller seemed to bring a ball which had crossed the touchline back into play before he delivered it into the penalty area.

The Scunthorpe players appealed to the referee but Cresswell made no mistake and volleyed the ball past Murphy to level.

Stoke's remarkable turnaround was complete in the 67th minute when Lawrence struck his second of the match to give his side the lead. Fuller was again the supplier after he found space on the left flank and picked out Lawrence whose low powerful shot from just inside the penalty area flew past Murphy.