West Brom 0-2 Stoke City

Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie earned Stoke their first away win of the season and pushed Tony Mowbray's side closer to the relegation trapdoor.

A Scott Carson blunder handed Fuller the opening goal after just two minutes and then defensive hesitancy allowed Beattie to add the decisive second early in the second half.

Bottom-placed Albion now look doomed to the drop after a run of 11 games without a win and they seldom looked like scoring apart from a Chris Brunt shot which hit the crossbar.

Stoke had the worst away record in the four divisions ahead of this clash - just four points from a possible 45 - but this victory has done much to ease their fears of making a quickfire return to the Coca-Cola Championship.

It was a contrast in styles between the passing game of West Brom and the more direct style of the visitors - and there was only likely to be one winner once Fuller had broken the deadlock via Stoke's first attack.

City looked the more menacing on the counter-attack with Fuller and Beattie always posing problems for a typically jittery looking Albion defence.

Beattie has now scored six goals in 10 games since his £3.5million move from Sheffield United during the January transfer window.

The home side enjoyed plenty of possession but were lightweight in attack.

Stoke stunned Albion by taking the lead through Fuller after a double defensive error by centre-back Shelton Martis and keeper Carson.

Martis failed to deal with a ball down the line from Danny Higginbotham which he allowed to bounce and that presented Fuller with a free run at the West Brom area.

He eventually let fly from 20 yards out but Carson should have done better in dealing with his low drive which crept underneath his body and into the net.

It was all Stoke in the early stages and Baggies defender Jonas Olsson conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position just outside the box after bringing down Beattie.

Carson partially atoned for his blunder by going full length to turn Glenn Whelan's curling effort around the post.

Stoke 'keeper Thomas Sorensen was called into action for the first time in getting his body behind a volley from James Morrison although the Scotland midfielder failed to make a full contact on his shot.

Albion skipper Jonathan Greening became the first player to be yellow carded for a challenge on Liam Lawrence.

Simpson finally gave the home fans something to cheer about when he sent a powerful 25 yarder only a couple of feet wide with Sorensen scrambling across his line.

But Stoke were still looking the more dangerous on the counter-attack and Matthew Etherington wasted a golden chance to double their lead.