Jonathan Walters scored the winner as Stoke City beat Swansea City 2-1 in their Premier League clash at the Britannia this afternoon.
First-half penalties from Wilfried Bony and Charlie Adam had left the scores level at the interval, but the home side won it late on.
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The visitors came close to opening the scoring after seven minutes when Wayne Routledge fed Gylfi Sigurdsson, who rounded Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic inside the box, but the attacker's touch was just too heavy and the chance was gone.
Swans midfielder Ki Sung-yueng then struck his effort at Begovic after being put through by Sigurdsson, before Adam fired wide down the other end as both sides began to make their mark with 10 minutes on the clock.
Mame Biram Diouf was next to come close for the home side after breaking into the Swansea box just before the 30-minute mark, but Neil Taylor was across to make a fine block.
Minutes later, Swansea had a penalty when Ryan Shawcross was penalised for pulling Bony to the ground inside the box. The Ivorian stepped up for the Welsh outfit and sent his effort into the corner of the net.
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The hosts put the pressure on in the latter stages of the half and had a penalty of their own after 43 minutes when Angel Rangel was adjudged to have felled Victor Moses inside the box, but it was a soft decision. Adam stepped up, however, to equalise for the home side.
A dangerous free kick from Adam early in the second half fell to Phil Bardsley outside the Swansea box, but his effort was high and wide of the crossbar.
Both managers made changes as the hour mark approached, but it was the home side that continued to look the most likely, with Adam again having an effort deflected wide of the post after 64 minutes, before Peter Crouch headed the resulting corner over the crossbar.
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Swansea's best chance of the second half fell to Ki after 66 minutes, but the midfielder could not convert from close range after meeting a loose ball, with Begovic grateful to make the save.
Stoke had the lead less than 10 minutes later, however, when Walters planted a powerful header into the top corner from an Oussama Assaidi cross.
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Swansea had a couple of half-chances late on through Ki and Bony, but could not find an equaliser as Stoke picked up all the points.
The result has moved Stoke into 10th position in the table, while Swansea remain eighth.
Matt Law
