Stoke City 5-1 Hull City: Rampant Potters hammer shabby Tigers
- Published
Hull old boys Nick Powell (left) and Sam Clucas (second left) were both on target in Stoke's storming start
Stoke City took another step towards Championship safety as they hammered fellow strugglers Hull City.
Tigers old boys Nick Powell and Sam Clucas led the way with two goals each as Michael O'Neill's Potters leapfrogged above Hull to climb to 17th in the Championship table, three points clear of safety.
But victory came at a big cost with the loss of Wales international midfielder Joe Allen, who was carried off on a stretcher off at half-time - and now seems sure to miss this summer's Euro 2020 with a ruptured Achilles.
By the break, the Potters had the game almost wrapped up, having scored three times inside the first 18 minutes with goals from Powell, Tyrese Campbell and Clucas.
Powell, on loan at Hull four years ago, opened the scoring after 11 minutes, with only his third goal of the season, heading in full-back Tommy Smith's pin-point right-wing cross.
Campbell then made it seven for the campaign when he tucked away a 16th-minute penalty after Sean McLoughlin unlawfully handled.
Clucas, one of three ex-Hull players in the Stoke side, then got another just two minutes later, firing in from close range after Campbell's shot was blocked.
That made it the fourth time in nine home games that Stoke had hit three goals or more - and this time there was more to come.
Five minutes after the break Jordan Thompson's set piece was headed by Danny Batth to Clucas, whose looping header found the far corner for 4-0 - his 10th of the season.
Hull got one back on 73 minutes when Leonardo Da Silva Lopes shot from Callum Elder's cross found the bottom left corner.
However, Powell got a late second to secure Stoke's best home win since the last-day 6-1 triumph over Liverpool in Steven Gerrard's last game in May 2015.
Grant McCann's Tigers, who have not won in 11 games since New Year's Day when they were up in eighth, are now 21st, just two points above the relegation zone.
Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill told BBC Radio Stoke:
"We dominated the first 45 minutes. In the second half, we expected them to come into it a bit more but it was still disappointing to concede.
"Results like this build confidence. But the main thing was to get three points and we're unbeaten in four games now.
"There were a lot of good contributions from a lot of players, especially Jordan Thompson and Sam Clucas but it will be a big loss to us being without Joe Allen."
Hull City boss Grant McCann told BBC Radio Humberside:
"I said to the players it will be difficult for me to speak to the media and try to defend that because we got what we deserved and it could have been more.
"The players need to find their inner belief now and stand up, be manly and take that on the chin. It's a first for me, the fans singing to my players that they are not fit to wear the shirt.
"It's hurt me and I hope it hurts the boys because the fans pay their hard-earned money and we didn't give them an inch to cheer about. We have to stand up and be counted and we will."