Stoke City 2-0 Watford: Ryan Shawcross and Peter Crouch give Mark Hughes' men welcome home win

Daily Mail | January 3, 2017

Mark Hughes' Stoke City beat Walter Mazzarri's Watford 2-0 at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday night thanks to goals from Ryan Shawcross and Peter Crouch.

The Potters' captain Shawcross gave the home side the lead three minutes into first-half injury time. Crouch then scored in successive Premier League games for the first time since February 2015.

Crouch hit a right-footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner in the 49th minute.

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Peter Crouch (left) wheels away as his former Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Younes Kaboul (right) looks dejected

Crouch celebrates after hitting a right-footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner in the 49th minute

Stoke City hitman Crouch scored in successive Premier League games for the first time since February 2015

Marko Arnautovic (left) congratulates captain Ryan Shawcross on his goal for the Potters on the stroke of half-time

(From left) The delighted Arnautovic, Shawcross, Joe Allen, Crouch andu00a0Glen Johnson celebrate Stoke's opener — (From left) The delighted Arnautovic, Shawcross, Joe Allen, Crouch and Glen Johnson celebrate Stoke's opener

The 29-year-old Chester-born defender Shawcross gave the home side the lead three minutes into first-half injury time

Watford's No 3u00a0Miguel Britos attempts to take the ball away from Stoke's Welsh No 4 Allen inu00a0Staffordshire on Tuesday night — Watford's No 3 Miguel Britos attempts to take the ball away from Stoke's Welsh No 4 Allen in Staffordshire on Tuesday night

Stoke's 53-year-old Welsh manager Mark Hughes walks off theu00a0bet365 Stadium pitch in cat half-time — Stoke's 53-year-old Welsh manager Mark Hughes walks off the bet365 Stadium pitch in bouyant mood at half-time

Republic of Ireland international forward Jonathan Walters looks on as he chases down a lost cause for his Stoke side

The Hornets' French midfielder Etienne Capoue takes on Stoke's English striker Crouch in the Premier League encounter

Watford's Brazilian goalkeeperu00a0Heurelho Gomes punches the ball into the face of his Swiss team-mateu00a0Valon Behrami — Watford's Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes punches the ball into the face of his Swiss team-mate Valon Behrami

Watford captain Troy Deeney (left) holds off Stoke skipper Shawcross at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday night

Watford's Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo (centre)u00a0controls the ball while under pressure from four Stoke defendersu00a0 — Watford's Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo (centre) controls the ball while under pressure from four Stoke defenders

Behrami (right)u00a0lies injured on the ground as Austrian centre halfu00a0Sebastian Prodl checks on his Watford colleague — Behrami (right) lies injured on the ground as Austrian centre half Sebastian Prodl checks on his Watford colleague

Watford's 55-year-old Italian manageru00a0Walter Mazzarri trudges off the touchline on a cold night in Stoke — Watford's 55-year-old Italian manager Walter Mazzarri trudges off the touchline on a cold night in Stoke