LONDON, CMC:JAMAICA STRIKER Ricardo Fuller gave Stoke City early evidence why they were wise to sign him to a new deal, when he netted his first hat-trick to lead the club to a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion yesterday in the English League Championship.
Darren Byfield, another Jamaican forward, came off the bench to score a stoppage-time goal that gave Bristol City a 3-2 victory over 10-man Barnsley.
Fuller only this week inked an extension to his contract that would keep him at Stoke for another two years, and he used his first match since the signing to push his tally of goals for the season to 11.
On this early evidence, Stoke would consider it a prudent investment, after Fuller netted twice in the first half and again in the second period to move his side into fourth in the Championship on 40 points behind Watford (43), West Brom (41), and Bristol (41).
Fifth-minute score
Fuller needed just five minutes to justify Stoke's confidence in him. He sprung the West Brom offside trap, after Mamady Sidibe threaded the ball between two defenders and scored from the edge of the box.
The Reggae Boyz frontman then popped up unmarked in the box to lash home Liam Lawrence's free-kick seven minutes before half-time to reach double figures for the third straight season.
Fuller then notched a third just after the hour, when Rory Delap picked him out and he eased past a West Brom defender before hitting a rasping shot past keeper Dean Kiely.
Roman Bednar pulled a goal back for West Brom with 18 minutes remaining, when Martin Albrechtsen found time and space on the left wing to float a ball into the box for the Czech to score his fifth goal in his last six outings from six yards away.
Fuller however, had already ensured that the Potters extended their unbeaten run to seven games and made then genuine promotion contenders.
Byfield, an 85th minute substitute, netted from 12 yards out, after Marvin Elliott had headed Michael McIndoe's free-kick into his path to break a frustrating 45 minutes for both sides after they were unseparated at half-time.
