A goal from former England striker James Beattie and one from leading scorer Ricardo Fuller were more than enough to see Stoke to a 2-0 win – their fifth in eight matches – over out of form Wigan Athletic here on Saturday.
Both clubs had already assured themselves of safety but Wigan boss Steve Bruce will be relieved that his side had a purple patch of form mid-season as they have garnered just one point from their last 21.
In a dull first-half, the only noteworthy incident was when former Republic of Ireland midfielder Rory Delap put the ball in the Wigan net direct from one of his long throw-ins.
However, referee Lee Probert ruled it out for a foul on goalkeeper Richard Kingson.
Fuller, though, brought joy to the home fans when he struck midway through the second-half with a stunning individual effort – his 10th Premier League goal of the season.
After seeing his first attempt blocked he then curled the ball past Kingson.
The goal stoked the home side’s fire and Beattie doubled their lead in the 76th minute as he headed home unopposed from Matthew Etherington’s cross after the former West Ham star had outwitted the hapless Kingson.
Fuller then went agonisingly close to making it 3-0 but his header went just past the post as Wigan wilted.
