Last-gasp Evans cuts 10-man Stoke down to size

Jonny Evans struck a scrappy injury-time winner as West Bromwich Albion ended Stoke City's run of good form with a 2-1 victory at The Hawthorns on Saturday. Stoke substitute Jon Walters looked to have rescued a point when he cancelled out Stephane Sessegnon's opener, but Geoff Cameron's 83rd-minute dismissal handed West Brom the initiative and they prevailed at the death. Evans's goal, his first in the club's colours, gave manager Tony Pulis victory over his former club and saw West Brom close to within two points of Mark Hughes's Stoke, who remain 10th. Stoke had won their two previous games, against Manchester United and Everton, in stylish fashion, but they were once again undone by their indiscipline against West Brom. They had fallen 1-0 to Pulis's men at the Britannia Stadium in August when both Ibrahim Afellay and Charlie Adam were sent off for the home side. Pulis made two changes here, Craig Gardner and Rickie Lambert replacing hamstring injury victims Jonas Olsson and Victor Anichebe, and they made the early running through the unlikely figure of Evans. The former Manchester United centre-back had a penalty claim turned down after appearing to be pushed in the back by Cameron and then just failed to get enough on a flick-on by Gareth McAuley. Stoke, who were unchanged, came back into the game, with West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill forced to parry a left-foot shot from Glen Johnson before fielding an under-hit effort by the out-of-sorts Marko Arnautovic. But the best opportunity of the first half fell to West Brom captain Darren Fletcher, who shanked wastefully wide from 12 yards three minutes before half-time. There was a glimpse of Stoke's impressive recent form early in the second period, but after a neat exchange between Johnson, Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri, the latter rolled a tame shot straight at Myhill. Within minutes West Brom were ahead, Sessegnon firing high into the net from James Morrison's pass after Fletcher had recovered possession and surged upfield. Stoke equalised in the 81st minute when Joselu crossed from the left with the outside of his right foot for fellow substitute Walters to head home. But four minutes later Cameron was sent off for shoving Claudio Yacob to the ground after the ball had gone and Evans made West Brom's numerical advantage count when he stabbed in following a late corner.