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Stoke City kept fellow Premier League new boys West Brom bottom of the table after beating them 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium.

The rematch between the top two in last season's Championship fell some way short of top-flight standards for long periods in a match heavy on industry but short on attacking flair.

Stoke spent much of the second half attempting to tease a mistake out of goalkeeper Scott Carson, following his blunder for England in midweek, but when the winner came it was the bottom side's defence that made Mamady Sidibe's job too easy.

Rory Delap had got an early chance to arrow in a trademark long throw a minute later and while West Brom looked far from comfortable, the threat passed.

Dave Kitson, meanwhile, lasted just 10 minutes and was stretchered off with a knee injury, Richard Cresswell his replacement.

Carson started well, beating away Sidibe's well-struck shot from 25 yards.

Albion offered little of note in the opening third of the game, lone striker Ishmael Miller looking increasingly isolated up front.

He did, though, serve notice of his threat after half-an-hour, collecting a loose ball just outside the area and hitting a dipping, first-time effort just over the crossbar.

Delap had a series of throw-in opportunities, but Tony Mowbray's side handled the danger, which has served Stoke so well this term, competently.

Cresswell appealed half-heartedly for a penalty when he was strong-armed off the ball by a combination of Jonas Olsson and Meite, but was rightly turned down.

West Brom were struggling to get a foothold in proceedings until Miller again tried his luck from an unlikely position.

This time his chipped shot lurched high towards the far post, forcing Thomas Sorensen to concede a corner.

Carson, with the taunts of Potters fans ringing out, fumbled a Delap cross from the left with an hour gone, but Greening was on hand to hoof clear.

The Albion skipper was soon involved going forward again, squaring calmly to Miller on the six-yard line.

Miller went down with Abdoulaye Faye in attendance but was himself penalised for pushing.

Substitute Michael Tonge was next to test Carson, in what was fast becoming a nervy time for 23-year-old. He spilled the shot but regained possession before Sidibe arrived.

Stoke broke swiftly down the right with 20 minutes left and although Olsson did well to head the cross away from Cresswell, there were strong shouts for a foul on Sidibe, who was sent tumbling six yards from goal.

The game descended into tetchiness in the final stages, with both sides betraying a lack of discipline andthere was a lengthy stoppage after Ryan Shawcross went down injured.

Andy Griffin nearly handed the Baggies a goal when he was caught napping by Filipe Teixeira, but after cutting into the box the Portuguese midfielder shot wastefully high and wide. It proved a costly miss.

With six minutes left Higginbotham found space on the overlap and drifted a cross high to the far post.

West Brom were not short of numbers in the box but Sidibe rose almost unchallenged to head across Carson and into the corner.

Sporting Life / Eurosport