Crouch secures three points for Stoke vs. Saints as Butland performs heroics

Peter Crouch's towering header won Stoke City all three points as Southampton's barren home run continued.

Peter Crouch's towering header won Stoke City all three points as Southampton's barren home run continued.

Peter Crouch made good on a pre-match bet with a Stoke supporter after the Potters' 1-0 win at Southampton.

Stoke edged a nervous final-day encounter as they beat Southampton 1-0 in a game that neither side looked like winning until Peter Crouch rose to secure three points. The Potters started poorly in an unfamiliar 3-4-3 formation that caused them all manner of problems, gifting space and time to the opposition to send the ball into their penalty area virtually unopposed.

Stoke somehow managed to hang on until the break and reemerged for the second half back in Mark Hughes' tried-and-trusted shape of...