Albion 0 Stoke 1

Goalkeeper Ben Foster's last-minute error handed Stoke a smash-and-grab victory over Albion at the Hawthorns.

Substitute Ryan Shotton pounced on Foster's 90th-minute fumble to give the Potters an undeserved victory and prolong their lengthy hold over the Baggies.

Albion were dominant for most of the game and went close through both Shane Long and Somen Tchoyi.

The Baggies were in charge during the first half, dealing effectively with Stoke's strong-arm methods and outplaying the Potters.

They had a host of chances, the first of which arrived when Tchoyi got the better of Marc Wilson on the Albion right and crossing into the centre, where Chris Brunt banged heads with Robert Huth as he nodded wide.

A Brunt free-kick from the left was then headed by Paul Scharner too close to goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, before the best chance of the half was almost converted by Long.

The Irishman did superbly to beat Wilson to a Tchoyi cross and power a header at goal, but it was beaten away by Begovic.

Youssouf Mulumbu fired over the bar from distance, after a Tchoyi cross was half-cleared by Jonathan Woodgate, and another fine flowing Albion move ended with Brunt's cross from the left skidding away from Long and Scharner in the centre.

A Brunt free-kick then just eluded Jonas Olsson at the far post, before a more central set-piece was bent a yard wide by Brunt.

Stoke's only real chance of the first half arrived in stoppage-time, when Jermaine Pennant headed wide from a cross by Matthew Etherington.

But they went close again soon after the restart when they cut out a Gabriel Tamas free-kick and hit the Baggies on the break, with Jonathan Walters teeing up Glenn Whelan to slide a shot just wide.

The match was a closer contest now, but the Baggies were still edging it and they threatened when Tchoyi received a pass from Nicky Shorey on the edge of the box and bent a shot just wide.

With 13 minutes remaining, the Baggies were inches away again as Steven Reid's cross from the right was headed back across goal by Scharner and Tchoyi volleyed just wide from the edge of the box.

But, in the final minute ,Walters' hopeful ball forward was fumbled by Foster – apparently expecting a headed backpass from Gabriel Tamas – on the edge of his box and Shotton nipped in to score.