This was not a day for Tony Mowbray to preach the values of playing free-flowing football. Stoke City's direct and uncompromising approach is the antithesis of everything the West Brom manager represents but try telling the travelling supporters that their club would be better served following Mowbray's mantra. "You should have played long-ball," chanted the Stoke fans after goals from Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie secured a first away win of the season.

West Brom could not have made a worse start. There were only two minutes on the clock when Shelton Martis made a terrible hash of dealing with Danny Higginbotham's channel ball, the central defender's horrible misjudgment allowing Fuller to bear down on the West Brom goal before drilling a low shot that Scott Carson allowed to squirm under his body. It was a horrible goal to concede and one that neither Martis nor Carson will want to see again.

Stoke might easily have doubled their lead before the interval. Within three minutes of Fuller's strike, Glenn Whelan curled a free-kick towards the top corner only for it to be tipped around the post by Carson and later in the half Matthew Etherington dragged a low shot across the face of the goal with only the West Brom keeper to beat. The home side offered little in response before the break, with Paul Robinson squandering their best chance when he failed to get a touch to Borja Valero's in-swinging cross.

Four minutes after the restart the visitors doubled their lead following more unconvincing West Brom defending. Jonas Olsson's challenge caused the ball to cannon off Gianni Zuiverloon, and Beattie, with a swing of his left boot, swept a glorious volley into the top corner. Chris Brunt later rattled the crossbar with a swerving 30-yard strike but belief had long drained from the West Brom players. Boos greeted the final whistle and relegation surely beckons.