Stoke 2-0 Wigan

Goals from Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie ensured Stoke signed off in their final home match of the season with a 2-0 win over Wigan.

The match only sprang into life in the last 20 minutes when Fuller's persistence saw him evade three defenders to fire past Richard Kingson.

Beattie headed home Matt Etherington's cross in the 76th minute as the Potters clinched their 10th victory this season at the Britannia Stadium.

Wigan have now failed to win in 15 of their last 17 Barclays Premier League matches and the end of the season cannot come quick enough for them.

Part of the reason for that terrible run is their inability to score, with just nine league goals since the start of the year, and the problem reared its head again.

The Latics had the better of the first half but could not take their chances, whereas in Fuller and especially Beattie Stoke have strikers who score important goals.

Wigan carved out their first chance less than two minutes in when Hugo Rodallega headed a long punt forward into the path of Paul Scharner but his angled drive was straight at Thomas Sorensen.

Debutant Cho Won-hee's 13th-minute through-ball sent Scharner running into the penalty area but although the Austrian went down in a tussle with Abdoulaye Faye referee Lee Probert waved play on.

Stoke's first shooting opportunity fell to Glenn Whelan moments later but he screwed a long-range effort well wide.

Cho, who had enjoyed a gentle introduction, forced Sorensen to tip over his 19th-minute 30-yard shot at full stretch but the Korean's second effort from the resulting corner was embarrassingly high.

Rodallega, after scoring in his last two matches, was next to try his luck from distance but he too was well off target.

Nothing was going right for either side; exemplified when one of Rory Delap's trademark long throws ended up in the back of the net without anyone getting a touch on it just after the half hour.

Faye's back-header from Kingson's long kick sent Rodallega clear but his shot from the right of the area rolled harmlessly across the face of goal.

Untidy play was evident at the other end too as Fuller's poor touch in the penalty area took Beattie's low cross away from the on-rushing Liam Lawrence.

There was no change in the level of quality unfortunately as within six minutes of the restart Lee Cattermole miscontrolled Charles N'Zogbia's left-wing cross inside the six-yard area when it looked easier to score.

N'Zogbia was not exempt from criticism either. First he was guilty of wastefully crossing too near Sorensen after Rodallega had dispossessed Danny Pugh to set up a counter-attack.

The French winger then blazed over having run 30 yards with the ball after Wilkinson's slip on the halfway line.

Cho was replaced by Ben Watson in the 58th minute, just before substitute Pugh's swerving half-volley from a partially-cleared corner flew inches over the crossbar and Wigan left-back Maynor Figueroa drilled a left-footed shot narrowly wide.

When the breakthrough came in the 69th minute it was largely thanks to Fuller's persistence and Wigan's inability to clear their lines.

There appeared to be little danger when Lawrence played a high ball up to the striker, closely watched by three defenders.

Emmerson Boyce, Titus Bramble and Figueroa all had chances to tackle Fuller but he battled on and somehow had enough time to pick a spot high to Kingson's right.

Mido was sent on for midfielder Michael Brown as Steve Bruce reverted to 4-4-2 but before they had time to reorganise Wigan were 2-0 down in the 76th minute.

Delap's ball inside Mario Melchiot released Etherington down the left and as Kingson raced out he scooped a cross to the far post where Beattie headed home.

With the match won the game reverted to type but that did not bother the home faithful one bit as they are already looking forward to a second successive season in the top flight.

Hull City 1-2 Stoke City

EASY, TIGERS: Hull are flat out as Stoke hail Ricardo Fuller's opener

Liam Lawrence guaranteed Stoke's Premier League survival with a stunning strike that pushed Hull closer to relegation.

Lawrence blasted home from 25 yards with 18 minutes remaining at the KC Stadium to double his side's advantage after an earlier Ricardo Fuller effort.

Andy Dawson replied with an injury-time free-kick but it was too late as Stoke held on to clamber to 42 points and safety.

Hull complained after substitute Geovanni thought his late shot had been deflected for a corner but referee Howard Webb awarded a goal-kick and then blew the final whistle.

The result left Hull with just two wins in 26 games since October and with their survival hopes depending largely on the form of Middlesbrough and Newcastle below them.

Stoke, whose position had seemed relatively safe anyway, can now plan for next season with certainty they will again be rubbing shoulders with the elite.

And in a season when they have been criticised for their direct and physical style, they could reflect on the fact a genuine moment of brilliance from Lawrence had secured their safety.

Both sides showed plenty of early determination and chances came at either end in the opening 10 minutes.

Matthew Etherington created the first opportunity for Stoke but drilled a low shot wide and a menacing cross from Lawrence was scrambled clear by Sam Ricketts.

Ricketts then broke clear for Hull down the right but was fouled by Etherington, who was booked for the challenge, and Dawson wasted the free-kick.

Thomas Sorensen was the first goalkeeper tested when he palmed over a Daniel Cousin header after Craig Fagan won the ball on the right.

Richard Garcia then showed great control in the Stoke box to create a shooting chance but Sorensen clung on.

Lawrence responded with an ambitious attempt from wide on the right which Boaz Myhill felt was sailing well over, but it dipped and only just cleared the bar.

Hull's supporters then appealed for a penalty after Nick Barmby went down under a Ryan Shawcross challenge as George Boateng crossed but the players themselves seemed unconcerned.

Stoke finished the first half strongly and snatched the lead after Lawrence, afforded too much space by Hull, had a shot deflected for a corner by Kamil Zayatte.

Lawrence's cross from the resulting set-piece caused chaos and Zayatte and Boateng both ended up on the ground in the ensuing scramble.

The ball kindly broke to Fuller and the striker made no mistake as he turned and fired past Myhill from close range with 40 minutes gone.

Hull at least started the second half brightly with Kevin Kilbane's mishit shot still bringing a good save out of Sorensen.

Glenn Whelan went close to adding a second for Stoke with a dipping half-volley from the edge of the box which just dropped over the bar.

Hull needed to rouse themselves and Garcia forced Sorensen to save with a firm header from a Barmby cross.

Garcia then won a free-kick when he was brought down on the edge of the area by Andy Wilkinson but Dawson blasted wide.

With a replica of his earlier effort, Whelan then went even closer just after the hour with a well-controlled shot which crashed against the inside of the post.

Hull, having moments earlier brought on Manucho and Bernard Mendy in a double attacking change, were forced into a third when Zayatte went off injured.

The defender, already bandaged with a head wound, needed lengthy treatment after a further blow and Brown attempted to lift his side by boldly replacing him with Geovanni.

It did not pay off as Lawrence doubled Stoke's lead with his stunning strike.

Again afforded far too much space on the right, Lawrence took a Fuller pass in his stride and unleashed a fierce shot which gave Myhill no chance.

Hull heads dropped and they struggled to find a way through a resolute Stoke defence.

Barmby did get one opportunity when he headed narrowly wide from a Ricketts cross but time ran out for the Tigers.

Dawson netted belatedly with a curling free-kick as the game entered six minutes of injury time but it was too little too late.

Hull created one last chance and Geovanni thought his shot had been deflected for a corner but Webb did not agree.

With a trip to Bolton and a home clash with Manchester United remaining, Hull's position is looking precarious.

Stoke 1 - 0 Middlesbrough

Late Shawcross strike boosts survival hopes

Ryan's express: Shawcross delivers the knockout blow to Boro

With a predictability bordering on the inevitable, Rory Delap's long throw proved too much for troubled Middlesbrough, and Ryan Shawcross brought the house down with a glancing header.

Skirmishes outside the ground, police arriving late at the various flashpoints and busy ambulances attending the scene provided a worrying aftermath to an enthralling afternoon.

Stoke's eighth victory at home was achieved with their trademark set-piece, though triumphant manager Tony Pulis admitted that it had not worked for a while.

'We scored eight of our first 13 or 14 goals through the long throw,' he said. 'But after that they dried up and this is the first time since that run at the start of the season that we've scored from it. It's a great weapon, though, and we've been oiling Rory up to get that quality on the throw again.'

Seven minutes from time Delap found that quality, and Stoke glimpsed Premier League survival. In that same moment, Boro manager Gareth Southgate found himself on the edge of the precipice and facing abuse from his club's own fans.

It did not matter that he had trained all week to prevent that long throw from beating his defenders.

'It would have been negligent not to, and we dealt with it for most of the game,' he pointed out with a certain amount of futility. Neither was it any longer significant that Boro had outfought Stoke for most of the match with a bruising display that provided a platform for some fine passing from the away team.

Eight successive away defeats, with no goals in seven of them, was too much for some of the hardcore Teesside supporters.

Boro chairman Steve Gibson is not the kind of man to panic and sack his manager just when togetherness is needed, though regular followers of the club say they would not bet against Southgate walking in the summer if Boro are relegated.

He takes such difficult days to heart, even though he shrugged his shoulders last night and insisted: 'It's part and parcel of the job, it is irrelevant how I am. My job is to keep the club in this division.'

That would have looked more likely last night if Tony McMahon had been able to end a sparkling move with a scoring header, if Gary O'Neil's shot had not been turned round the post, if Tuncay's skills had come with an end product. Boro's season has been full of if-onlys.

Clashes between rival fans left a steward in a stable condition in hospital after suffering a head wound. One female fan was also reported to have been injured. Three supporters were arrested.

Henri Camara moves to Stoke City on loan

The club have confirmed that Senegal striker Henri Camara has joined Stoke City on loan until the end of the season.

Steve Bruce explained his decision to sanction the move.

"I like Henri as a player," he said, "he's looked great whenever he has played this season, getting a couple of really crucial goals for us.

"However, I can understand that he wants to put himself in the shop window and play and I could not give him that promise here. Out of respect to him and to what he has done for the club in the past, I have not stood in his way now."

Henri Camara v Spurs FA Cup 3rd Round 2/1/09
Earning His Spurs: Camara netted 20 Premier League Goals for Wigan Athletic.

Camara has scored a record 20 Premier League goals for Latics, but has not been a regular in the team since 2006-07. His current contract ends this Summer.

He said: "I love it here and the fans have always been behind me, which is something I have always really appreciated.

"I hope they understand I need to play. I had a wasted year at west Ham, and I have spent most of this season on the bench. I understand and respect Steve Bruce totally. He is the manager and he has done brilliantly with the team, which is his team now.

"But when I was given this chance I felt I had to take it for the sake of my career.

"I want to say a really big thank you to the Wigan fans, who have been magnificent to me. I will never forget that and the club will always stay in my heart. What we achieved in that first season was special and I am so happy that the club has continued to progress."

Camara will not be eligible to play against Latics when the clubs meet at the Britannia Stadium on May 16.

Camara has scored 20 goals in 46 league starts for Latics, having appeared in 69 matches in all. In all competitions he has scored 24 in 77 appearances, 56 of which he started.