Crouch: Stoke can finish season with a flourish

Peter Crouch insists he never feared Stoke City would be dragged into a relegation fight, but admits there was a huge sense of relief after they beat Hull City last weekend.

The veteran striker came off the bench to head the Potters into the lead mid-way through the second half, after Harry Maguire levelled for Hull following Marko Arnautovic’s early opener.

Xherdan Shaqiri’s stunning strike towards the end wrapped up a 3-1 home win for Stoke, easing the pressure on boss Mark Hughes – who was coming under fire during the Potters’ woeful run of form.

Photo by James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images

Four successive defeats had left Stoke drifting towards the relegation zone, and defeat at Hull could have seen the atmosphere turn toxic at the bet365 Stadium.

But Crouch now believes his side will push on and enjoy a strong finish to the season as they look to secure a top-half place.

“It was a big result for us and to be honest it was one we always felt we would get,” he said.

“Despite making a really positive start it was quite a frustrating afternoon for us because we weren’t able to capitalise on the dominance we had early on.

“We allowed them to get back into the game and for a while we were quite anxious – but we managed to get through that and win the game.

“It was important for us because it gives us some breathing space above the sides down at the bottom and keeps the top 10 still within our reach.”