Stoke in dreamland as five-star show books FA Cup final with City
BOLTON WANDERERS (0) vs STOKE CITY (5)
STOKE manager Tony Pulis fears his side will never silence their detractors despite swaggering into their first FA Cup final with a rout of Bolton.
Two goals from Jonathan Walters added to strikes from Matthew Etherington, Robert Huth and Kenwyne Jones catapulted the Potters into another Wembley date against big-spending Manchester City.
A champagne performance sent the tens of thousands of Stoke fans who made the trip to London into rapture and hugely boosted their prospects of qualifying for European competition next season.
But Pulis said: “We have been criticised and pulled down and I am not sure whether this victory will stop it. There is always the stigma.
“The first year we were in the Premier League we worked very hard at being organised and methodical in what we did. We have moved on from that and will continue to get better.”
Etherington fired Stoke into an early lead with a venomous low effort that set the standard for most of their goals. Huth’s volley and a fine breakaway move finished clinically by Jones put them three up before half-time.
Walters (left) added a fine solo fourth and capped the win by tucking in a fifth from a Jones cross.
Bolton striker Kevin Davies said: “It is just a terrible dream at the minute. We are all devastated and very emotional. It’s very difficult and we feel ashamed and embarrassed.”