Stoke under siege

It was the ENGLISH FOOTBALL equivalent of a tight pitchers' duel in baseball. Jonathan Walters scored a 21st minute penalty, then STOKE CITY defended as if their lives depended upon it and held on for a 1-0 win against visiting LIVERPOOL today.
Stoke defenders Robert Huth, Ryan Shawcross, Matthew Upson, Marc Wilson, Andy Wilkinson and Bosnian/Canadian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic withstood all the offensive firepower Liverpool could employ, including dangerous Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt.
I watched today's stirring performance on television before leaving for a Saturday shift at work.
The victory lifted Stoke to an improbable fourth place on the PREMIER LEAGUE table, one ahead of Liverpool.
It was tense and exciting, like the analogous pitchers' duel.