With an hour gone, a foul mood was sweeping through the Bet365 like one of the cruel winds that batter this notoriously blustery venue.
After a bright start Stoke, who had lost four in a row, had conceded a needless equaliser, two of their own players had rowed on the pitch and Mark Hughes’s decision to replace Saido Berahino with substitute Peter Crouch had been met with howls of derision from the terraces.
Less than 10 minutes later Crouch headed fellow benchwarmer Jon Walters’ cross home and the jeers turned to cheers before, with the relegation-fighting Tigers prowling for an equaliser, Xherdan Shaqiri struck a 35-yard thing of beauty to kill the game.