Foley's strike sends Stoke crashing

Hartlepool Utd 2 Stoke City 0:SUBSTITUTE DAVID Foley dumped Premier League Stoke City out of the FA Cup with a superb strike at Victoria Park on Saturday.

With his side already leading through defender Michael Nelson's powerful header four minutes after the break, the 21-year-old blasted a 25-yard shot past goalkeeper Steve Simonsen to condemn the top-flight strugglers to defeat in front of a delighted crowd of 5,367.

The Potters, who have slipped into the relegation zone on the back of three successive defeats, hit the post early on, but rarely looked like reversing their run of recent form as the League One outfit grew in confidence.

In the end, the home side, who parted company with manager Danny Wilson last month, won comfortably as stand-in manager Chris Turner presided over a second giant-killing act this season following Hartlepool's League Cup victory over West Bromwich Albion.

The hosts took the lead in controversial circumstances within four minutes of the restart.

Pulis was furious to see full-back Andrew Davies penalised for a foul on Joel Porter, and his mood was not improved by what followed.

Robson's free-kick was perfectly-weighted for Nelson to climb high at the far post and thump home a downward header which gave Simonsen no chance.

Simonsen's goal came under sustained threat again with 52 minutes gone when Robson drove a cross inches over Ritchie Jones' head and Porter only just failed to connect with Nelson's delivery from the right seconds later.

By the time the Stoke goalkeeper had kept out Ben Clark's 30-yard effort, Pulis had Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson off the bench, and they soon replaced Seyi Olofinjana and Tom Soares as the visitors sought a way back into the game.

It was the first time Lawrence had played in three months after injuring his ankle when he tripped over his dog at home, although it was the more traditional type of banana skin on the agenda this time around as the home side sensed their chance.

They went close to a second with 25 minutes remaining when Porter looped a header over from skipper Sam Collins' long throw with the visitors struggling to make it out of their own half for any sustained period of time.

The pacy Foley drilled the ball across Simonsen's goal with 73 minutes gone with Stoke committing men to the search for an equaliser, but he was not to be denied.

With 14 minutes remaining, the 5ft 4in winger smashed a 25-yard drove beyond Simonsen to seal a famous win.

Delap and Kitson both went close for the visitors as time ran down, but there was no way back for the Premier League side.