Stephane Sessegnon got things started with an early shot off a ball from Victor Anichebe, but the Albion attacker couldn’t control his strike, sending it high and wide. 10 minutes later Sessegnon missed a great chance to put West Brom ahead, beating two Stoke defenders to get himself into good position. However, he elected to shoot straight at Begovic, giving the keeper an easy save.
Stoke’s best chance of the first half came just before the break. From a free kick, Marko Arnautovic slipped the ball through to Stephen Ireland, but the midfielder’s strike was cleared away.
The Potters produced a slightly more breathtaking moment in the second half. Charlie Adam tried his luck from near the halfway line -- well, why not, right? -- and actually managed to force Boaz Myhill to hoof it back to goal, getting there just in time to tip the ball over the bar.
West Brom very nearly nicked a win in the dying minutes of the match, as the Canaries piled on the pressure. Again Sessegnon was involved, latching on to the end of a ball from Liam Ridgewell and running past two red-and-white shirts. His sharp shot was on target but Begovic managed to hang on to it, preserving Stoke’s clean sheet once again.
Stoke: Begovic; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Pieters; Walters (Jones 57), Ireland, Nzonzi, Adam (Wilson 80), Assaidi; Arnautovic (Palacios 90)
Subs not used: Sorensen, Whelan, Crouch, Etherington
West Brom: Myhill, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Yacob, Mulumbu, Amalfitano (Morrison 62), Sessegnon, Berahino (Anelka 62), Anichebe (Long 75)
Subs not used: L Daniels, Brunt, Vydra, Dawson