EPL 09/10: Stoke edge Fulham in snow storm

Stoke survived a fightback from Fulham to move into 10th spot in the table with a thrilling 3-2 win at a snowy Britannia Stadium.

Tuncay open the goal

The home team raced into a 3-0 first half lead thanks to goals from Tuncay Sanli, Abdoulaye Faye and Mamady Sidibe.

Fulham improved in the second half with Damien Duff pulling a goal back just past the hour mark.

Clint Dempsey set up a tense finale with a superb effort from outside the box five minutes from time, but Stoke held on for the win.

The win was the Potters’ first in the league since 22nd November, while Fulham have now gone nine away matches without victory.

It was also the first time Stoke had scored three in the Premier League since August 23, 2008 – their second game back in the top flight.

There was certainly nothing in their current form to suggest they were due a few as the team had failed to score in five of their last six league matches and prior to kick-off had registered just 15 goals in 19 matches.

If losing goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen in the warm-up with a recurrence of a finger injury sustained in Saturday’s FA Cup tie against York caused any disruption to the home side it did not show.

In only the second minute Matt Etherington had the ball in the net but was at least two yards offside when Sidibe released the pass.

Faye’s foul on Bobby Zamora gave Danny Murphy a 28-yard free-kick which he hit low, sending stand-in goalkeeper Steve Simonsen the wrong way only for it to roll just past the post.

The Fulham captain was then robbed of possession by Tuncay 10 yards inside his own half and it was to prove costly as the Turkey international ran into the area to force a corner.