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A 2-0 win against Bolton Wanderers earned Stoke City a vital three points in their bid to climb out of the lower reaches of the Premier League table.

The Potters have turned the Britannia Stadium into an intimidating venue for visiting teams and while Bolton had their chances, drawing several saves from Thomas Sorensen, it was James Beattie and second-half substitute Ricardo Fuller who earned the points for Tony Pulis' men.

Beattie profited from poor Wanderers defending on 13 minutes when he latched onto Glenn Whelan's header and fired past Jussi Jasskelainen.

Andy O'Brien's initial clearance fell straight to Whelan whose header bounced between the two centre backs and Beattie had the simplest of tasks to fire home.

Three minutes before that, Gary Megson's side almost took the lead when Johan Elmander's right-footed effort brought a reaction save from Thomas Sorensen.

Bolton had the greater possession despite conceding but Stoke continued to threaten from set-pieces. Jasskelainen was forced to punch a number of Rory Delap throw-ins, the Stoke player back in the side after serving a three-match suspension.

On 23 minutes, an Andy O'Brien free-kick was knocked into the path of Bolton's Mattie Taylor but his effort was straight at Sorensen.

Nine minutes later Stoke's Ryan Shawcross connected with a Liam Lawrence corner which fell dangerously under the crossbar but his header was over the top.

Just before the break it was the away side that almost drew level when Mattie Taylor curled a free kick to Sorensen's bottom left corner. However, the goalkeeper dove full stretch to prevent the equaliser with snow beginning to fall at the Britannia.

Bolton began the second half brightly and they did have the ball in the net on 67 minutes when a corner the leg of Abdoulaye Faye but 'keeper Sorensen was impeded as he rose to claim the cross.

Bolton dealt admirably with the threat posed by Delap and the Stoke set-piece but they were undone by just such a move on 73 minutes. A City throw fell to Glenn Whelan who drew a reaction save from Jaaskelainen. The rebound was pushed into the path of substitute Ricardo Fuller, and with the goalkeeper on the floor, he blasted home the second of the night.

Six minutes later, another Stoke replacement Ibrahima Sonko powered a header against the visitor's crossbar as the Potters sought to kill off the game.

With Bolton committing men forward, Liam Lawrence should have made it number three when threaded through by James Beattie but Jaaskelainen bravely saved at the feet of the winger.

In injury time, Johan Elmander, who was lively for Bolton all evening, could have grabbed a consolation goal but his sweetly struck effort was again parried by the impressive Thomas Sorensen.

The result moves Stoke out of the bottom three and up to 15th in the Premier League table.

Eurosport