Stoke City secure their first win of the Premier League season, with a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth at the Britannia Stadium.

The home side took the lead in the first half through Jonathan Walters, but were pegged back by a Dan Gosling goal in the 75th minute. In the dying embers of the game however, substitute Mame Biram Diouf secured all three points with a close range header.

The newly promoted side were dealt a huge blow inside the opening 15 minutes, when star striker Callum Wilson was stretchered off with a suspected knee injury. After twisting his knee in a challenge with Erik Pieters, Wilson opted to continue until his knee buckled innocuously in the middle of the park.

Mark Hughes’ men dominated in the aftermath of Wilson’s injury, with the trio of Marko Arnautovic, Jonathan Walters and Bojan Krkic causing the Bournemouth backline a number of problems in this period.

Walters opens the scoring

Stoke City took a deserved lead through Jonathon Walters on the half hour mark. The Republic of Ireland forward opened the scoring for the home side when he latched onto a Marko Arnautovic pass into the six yard box, to tap home his third goal in three games, after the Austrian winger had weaved his way past two defenders on the left hand side of the penalty area.

Despite being largely outplayed, Bournemouth should have levelled the game in the dying embers of the first half. A wonderful run down the right flank from substitute Glenn Murray culminated in the former Crystal Palace man squaring the ball to Lee Tomlin on the edge of the penalty area. Rather than striking the ball goalward however, Tomlin subsequently tee up Matt Richie who, after controlling the ball, saw his shot on goal brilliantly blocked by Pieters.

In injury time at the end of the first half, a quick counter attack almost led to a second goal of the game for the home side. A counter attack led by Erik Pieters culminated in the full back flicking the ball through to the mercurial Arnautovic. The Austrian international from just inside the penalty area however, was unable to steer his first time effort goalward, and the ball subsequently skewed wide of the right post. 

The visitors began to grow into the game at the start of the second half. However, in spite of their territorial dominance, Bournemouth struggled to find a route past a resolute Stoke City defence.
 
Bournemouth finally found a way through the Potters’s defence in the 76th minute to restore the stalemate. After a lengthy period of possession, Ritchie fizzed the ball into the feet of Tomlin on the edge of the penalty area. Tomlin opted to subsequently feed the ball through to Dan Gosling inside the 18-yard box, who confidently rifled the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.

Moments later, Gosling came close to giving the visitors the lead. The midfielder’s powerful effort from the edge of the penalty area however, was palm clear of danger by Jack Butland.

Diouf heads home the winner

Against the run of play, Stoke City grabbed the all-important third goal of the game through substitute, Mame Biram Diouf. The Senegalese national stooped low in the heart of the penalty area to head a wonderful cross from the right flank from Glen Johnson, past Artur Boruc in the Bournemouth goal. 

Today's win sees Stoke City move out of the relegation zone; while Bournemouth remain in 15th place.