WEST BROMWICH ALBION v STOKE CITY
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 14th March 2015, 3:00pm
The Hawthorns

MATCH NOTES

Saturday's game at The Hawthorns will be the 138th competitive meeting between the two sides. The Potters currently have 60 wins to their name compared to the Baggies' 42.

Albion's last game on this date came in 2007 when they suffered a 3-2 defeat against Crystal Palace in a Championship clash at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies' last league victory on March 14 came back in 1990 when goals from Tony Ford and Bernard McNally gave a Brian Talbot led side a 2-0 win at home to Bradford City.

Stoke's last game on this date came in 2009 when the Potters suffered a 3-1 Premier League defeat away at Everton.

The two clubs have met once previously on March 14, back in 1908 when they played out a 1-1 draw at the Victoria Ground.

Stoke have won all five previous Premier League meetings between the clubs at The Hawthorns.

Albion's last six games: Aston Villa (A, FAC) 0-2; Aston Villa (A) 1-2; Southampton (H) 1-0; Sunderland (A) 0-0; West Ham United (H, FAC) 4-0; Swansea City (H) 2-0.

Stoke City's last six games: Everton (H) 2-0; Hull City (H) 1-0; Aston Villa (A) 2-1; Blackburn Rovers (A, FAC) 1-4; Manchester City (H) 1-4; Newcastle United (A) 1-1.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Claudio Yacob starts a two match ban following his sending off at Villa Park last Saturday.

Saido Berahino, Brown Ideye and Victor Ancihebe are all carrying knocks going into the Hawthorns' clash and along with Callum McManaman (foot) will face late fitness tests.

Darren Fletcher returns after being cup-tied whilst Chris Brunt is also available despite being charged by the FA following remarks made to referee Anthony Taylor following the cup defeat at Villa.

Stoke City

Ryan Shawcross could return after recovering from the back problem that has ruled him out since January. He may replace Philipp Wollscheid, who is doubtful with a groin injury.

Stephen Ireland looks likely to miss out again due to a gashed calf whilst Bojan Krkic and former Albion striker Peter Odemwingie (both knee) remain long-term absentees.

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 7/5, Stoke City Win: 9/4, Draw: 2/1.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Berahino 5/1, Ideye 11/2, Anichebe 6/1, McManaman 9/1, Sessegnon 9/1, Gardner 10/1, Brunt 12/1, Morrison 12/1, Dawson 20/1, Fletcher 25/1, McAuley 25/1, Lescott 25/1, Mulumbu 25/1, Baird 33/1, Olsson 33/1.

Stoke City: Diouf 13/2, Crouch 13/2, Walters 7/1, Moses 9/1, Arnautovic 10/1, Adam 12/1, Sidwell 14/1, Shenton 16/1, N'Zonzi 20/1, Bardsley 25/1, Cameron 28/1, Whelan 28/1, Dionatan 33/1.

No Goalscorer: 13/2.

www.williamhill.com

REFEREE

Michael Oliver (Northumberland) (replacing original appointment Kevin Friend)

Oliver has refereed three Albion games so far this season - the 0-0 draw at Everton in January, December's 0-0 draw at Hull City and the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool in October.

He officiated four Albion games last season - the 3-3 draw at home to Cardiff in March, the 1-1 draw at home to Everton in January, the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa at The Hawthorns in November and the 2-1 win at Manchester United in September.

The Northumberland official has taken charge of three Stoke City games during 2014/15 - the 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United on New Year's Day, the 2-1 win at home to Swansea City in October and the 1-0 defeat at home to Leicester City in September.

Oliver has issued 107 yellow cards and six red in the 27 games he has officiated so far this season.

A full run-down of Oliver's history refereeing the Baggies can be found here

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are on sale to season ticket holders and members only priced at £25 adults, £20 seniors (over 60s), £15 students/under-21s and £10 under-17s.

WEATHER FORECAST

Thick cloud, 5°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS

Albion 1-2 Stoke City
Barclays Premier League
Sunday 11 May 2014, 3:00pm

Albion: Foster; Dawson (O’Neil 83), McAuley, Olsson, Brunt (c); Dorrans, Mulumbu (Vydra 89), Morrison, Amalfitano (Ancichebe 62); Sessegnon; Berahino. Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Lugano, Yacob, Ridgewell.

Goalscorer: Sessegnon 56

Stoke City: Sorensen; Cameron, Shawcross (c), Wilson, Muniesa; Odemwingie (Crouch 76), Whelan, Nzonzi, Arnautovic (Etherington 90); Ireland, Walters (Adam 81). Subs not used: Butland (gk), Pieters, Wilkinson, Palacios.

Goalscorers: McAuley 22 (og), Adam 87

Attendance: 26,613

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

Charlie Adam's sweet 87th-minute strike ensured Mark Hughes' Stoke ended their Barclays Premier League season on a high with a 2-1 win over West Brom at The Hawthorns. Substitute Adam, an 80th-minute replacement for Jon Walters, lashed a left-footed shot from the edge of the box which beat Ben Foster and grabbed a deserved victory for the visitors. It was a sad end to the season for the Baggies and in particular boss Pepe Mel, who is due to meet chairman Jeremy Peace next week in a bid to thrash out his future. Stephane Sessegnon's 56th-minute effort had looked likely to earn Mel's men a point after Stoke had gone ahead through Gareth McAuley's 22nd-minute own goal. For all the irrelevance of the game barring the impossibility of a 17-goal swing involving doomed Norwich at Carrow Road, both sides - and their supporters - had done their best to make it a memorable one.

Stoke might have been missing winger Oussama Assaidi due to a knee injury but they dominated the first half with a brand of slick, passing football few could have imagined at the same stage last season. The Baggies had the first chance when Graham Dorrans' corner from the right was headed down by Craig Dawson and Sessegnon pounced at close range only to see his effort ricochet off Steven Nzonzi and strike the underside of the bar. James Morrison almost found Saido Berahino in front of goal then Sessegnon had a shot deflected but after a frantic first few minutes the visitors seized control of the game. Walters flashed a shot across the face of goal which was brilliantly saved by Foster, then Geoff Cameron dug out a deep cross from the right which Walters headed inches wide. Stoke grabbed the lead in fortuitous fashion in the 22nd minute when Nzonzi fed Marko Arnautovic on the left and his attempted cross hit McAuley and deflected into the net past a helpless Foster. If there was a degree of luck about the visitors' opener it was more than deserved on the basis of their dominance of play in the first half-hour. A frustrated McAuley was given a stern ticking-off by referee Lee Probert for hacking down Peter Odemwingie on the halfway line then Morrison did his best to drag the Baggies out of their end-of-season torpor with a shot that strung Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen's hands on the stroke of half-time.

Mel's men made a brighter start to the second period but they were almost hampered by the exploits of Foster, who came close to hurling the ball into his own net after gathering from Odemwingie on 50 minutes. The Baggies grabbed the equaliser they just about deserved in the 56th minute when Dawson raced into space on the right and sent in a cross which Sessegnon met with a sweet shot past Sorensen and into the net. Arnautovic responded almost immediately with a shot from the Stoke left which flashed inches past Foster's left-hand post, but the Baggies largely retained control and could have gone ahead with two chances in as many minutes. First Sessegnon headed a Dawson shot straight at Sorensen then Youssouf Mulumbu worked into space on the right side of the Stoke box and unleashed a fierce drive which crashed back off Sorensen's right upright. Baggies substitute Victor Anichebe blazed over the bar before Adam drifted across the retreating West Brom rearguard before hitting a low shot across Foster and into the corner of the net for the winner.

 Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Albion boss Tony Pulis spent two spells as Stoke City manager (2002-05 & 2006-13). He led the Potteries club to the Premier League in 2008 and to the FA Cup Final in 2011.

David Kemp and Gerry Francis have worked on the coaching staff under Pulis at both clubs.

Baggies' keeper Ben Foster started his professional career with Stoke but failed to make a single first team appearance.

Boaz Myhill spent a short spell on loan at City from Aston Villa in January 2002 but like Foster failed to make a first team appearance.

City striker Peter Odemwingie spent  three years at The Hawthorns after joining Albion from Lokomotiv Moscow in August 2010. His first two seasons at the club were hugely successful but after falling out with the club's hierarchy and supporters he left for Cardiff City in September 2013. Just four months after joining the Welsh side Odemwingie left to join Stoke.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Keith Andrews, George Baddeley, Gary Bannister, Paul Barron, Tommy Broad, Fred Brown, Garth Crooks, Neil Cutler, Bill Davies, Paul Dyson, Wayne Ebanks, Fred Fenton, Graham Fenton, Ross Fielding, Sean Flynn, Peter Ford, Tony Ford, Ricardo Fuller, Marton Fulop, Philip Griffiths, Gary Hackett, Graham Harbey, Willie Hendry, Carl Hoefkens, Paul Holsgrove, Russell Hoult, Geoff Hurst, Joe Johnson, Eric Jones, Tony Kelly, Neil Mackenzie, James O'Connor, Steve Parkin, Paul Peschisolido, Graham Potter, David Powell, Kevin Pressman, Paul Reece, Brian Rice, Fred Rouse, Maurice Setters, Barry Siddall, Larus Sigurdsson, Andy Smith, Andrew Smith, Derek Statham, Mickey Thomas, Arthur Turner, Isaiah Turner and Gavin Ward.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS STOKE CITY