Stoke City booked their place in round five of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Championship Derby County at Pride Park on Saturday afternoon.
Cameron Jerome scored early and Robert Huth late as a game effort from Nigel Clough’s hosts was not enough for them to stage an upset.
The Premier League side only needed five minutes to go in front. Matthew Etherington and Glenn Whelan worked a shot corner to leave the Rams’ defence at sixes and sevens. Republic of Ireland midfielder Whelan eventually sent the ball into the near post, where Peter Crouch got a touch before his strike partner Jerome knocked in his fourth goal in five games.
Tony Pulis’ side got to the final of this competition last season and would have liked to wrap this one up as early as they could in the quest to get back there. However, the game became testy after the opener and it took until midway through the half for them to forge another chance when Whelan’s free-kick was directed over the bar by Jerome’s head. Andy Wilkinson hit an effort into the side-netting too.
Derby were slow to get into the game, with young Irishman Jeff Hendrick half-volleying just wide from the edge of the area near the half hour mark. Stoke continued to have the better of it though and almost went two clear when Robert Huth hit the Rams upright when meeting a Matthew Etherington corner.
The Potters then survived a penalty shout before the break when the Derby contingent felt that Ryan Shawcross had impeded Jamie Ward in the visitors’ area.
It took nearly a quarter of an hour of the second half for either goalkeeper to have anything to do. It was the Premier League custodian who was called into action as Asmir Begovic had to backtrack to prevent an out-swinging delivery from Paul Green from curling in at the back post.
At the other end, Frank Fielding collected the ball ahead of any Stoke attackers after Etherington ghosted past Gareth Roberts and Jason Shackell and fired across the box.
Fielding then kept out a vicious long-range free from sub Jermaine Pennant, whose later corner was headed over the Derby bar by Jon Walters.
Stoke did, however, finally kill their hosts off eight minutes from time.
Pennant fired in another corner, which Huth met with his right foot. The shot was straight at Fielding, but just about beat the young goalkeeper to seal Stoke’s place in the fifth round draw.