Pulis: Woodgate agreed with me

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis says Jonathan Woodgate agreed with his decision to take him off after just 19 minutes of their 2-1 win over Wolves.

Stephen Hunt fired Wolves ahead after 17 minutes from the penalty spot, after Woodgate tripped Matthew Jarvis inside the box, and the former Real Madrid defender was lucky to avoid a second booking for the foul.

Stoke came back in the second half with an own-goal from Kevin Doyle and a Peter Crouch strike handing them all three points, and Pulis said Woodgate was comfortable with his decision to substitute him.

“He played really well against Tottenham, and did really well against Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon,” Pulis said.

“The first challenge was poor, and it puts you on edge straight away. When he came off he said to me ‘great decision, gaffer’.”

“He’s played for Real Madrid, and remains very much part of what we want to do. He’ll accept the substitution. ”

“That’s the beauty of the team and the club; no one feels they’re better than anyone else. If they do, they don’t last long here.”

Pulis said he would have had no complaints had Woodgate been dismissed, but felt his side grew into the game and deserved the points.

“I think we had a little bit of fortune; if he’d sent him off for the penalty, we wouldn’t have been able to argue,” he said.

“For the first 20 minutes Wolves were much better than us, but for the last 20 minutes of the first half we came into it and had more chances.”

“In the second half we were the better team and deserved to win, I thought.”

“It’s another little bit of history, the first time this club has won four on the bounce in the Premier League.”

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy could not hide his disappointment with the performance of referee Anthony Taylor.

“I do think they should have had 10 men on the pitch,” he said. “If Woodgate trips him up outside the box he books him again.”

“Tony has been cute enough, taking him off, and had he not been booked I think he gets booked for it.”

“I thought Roger Johnson got the ball for the free kick, as well, and they got a deflected goal off of it. I think it got away from us after that free-kick.”

“I spoke to the referee afterwards and that conversation stays between the two of us. He gave me an explanation.”