Should West Ham United realise their dream of playing in the Europa League — and Gianfranco Zola insisted it was their fervent wish to win that competition — they can look back to six points ground out against Stoke City as an important factor in realising that achievement.

Last December Diego Tristan struck the winner in a game more noteworthy for the Stoke player Ricardo Fuller being sent off for striking a teammate but yesterday there was no stealing the thunder of the Spaniard, who struck the winner again with a superbly taken free kick on 33 minutes.

“We played some great stuff in the first half and the goal was an example of that,” said Zola. “In the second half they were trying to come back strong but we were prepared and showed great resilience.”

Stoke welcomed back James Beattie, while Andy Wilkinson managed to shake off a back strain to take his place in the starting line-up. For West Ham, Jack Collison made an unexpected return to the bench after his knee problems, with Radoslav Kovac for Kieron Dyer being the only change from the team that lost to Chelsea the previous week. That game was marred by some obscene chanting directed at some Chelsea players, which continued yesterday, and there was some scuffling between stewards and away supporters during a feisty opening to the game.

That was a shame because their team were exemplary as they stood up to the Stoke challenge and outclassed their opponents during an engrossing first half. As usual the threat came from Rory Delap’s long throws, one of which after nine minutes found Ryan Shawcross unmarked, but he headed straight at Robert Green. A minute later, Delap tried his luck again from closer to the corner flag. The ball came hurtling into the opposition six-yard box, where the West Ham goalkeeper was outjumped by Fuller, who at the height of his enormous leap had his hand on Green’s shoulder.

The ball then bounced on the ground, where the big Jamaican kneed it into the roof of the net. It certainly wasn’t pretty, but it looked legal — just — though referee Peter Walton decided otherwise. Abdoulaye Faye then had a great chance from a Liam Lawrence corner but headed over.

West Ham were always dangerous on the counterattack and had their own effort disallowed when Tristan was adjudged to have handled the ball before David Di Michele swept it into the net. On 33 minutes came the breakthrough when Faye was penalised for a crude two-footed lunge on Di Michele. It looked as though Mark Noble would take the free kick but instead it was Tristan whose right-footed effort went just over the wall and then swerved away from Thomas Sorensen into the corner of the net.

Stoke City might have been further on the back foot had Walton not shown great leniency towards Delap, who kicked out and struck Luis Boa Morte as the two men lay on the ground after he had been fouled. Instead, both players were booked and Lawrence was also cautioned a minute before half-time for diving after he fell over the foot of Kovac as he raced into the box.

It had been a thoroughly entertaining first half but the second half degenerated into a scrappy affair. As Stoke threw bodies and the ball forward with increasing urgency, West Ham stood solid, Lucas Neill and Matthew Upson outstanding as they got stuck into the aerial battle, while Green looked increasingly confident in the air as the game went on and also made a couple of brave saves at the feet of Fuller.

Stoke came closest to scoring when Henri Camara, on as a substitute for Beattie, got his head on the end of a corner from Lawrence, but Noble was parked on his goalkeeper’s right post and directed the ball clear.

Then, on the stroke of full-time, Fuller had a chance but shot over as Herita Ilunga put in a strong challenge.

It meant that the main talking point of the second half was the referee’s decision belatedly to stop Delap using a towel to dry the ball before slinging in his throw ins.

“West Ham were excellent just before and after they scored, but Thomas didn’t have too many saves to make. We didn’t get the breaks today and we will have to take it on the chin,” said Stoke’s manager, Tony Pulis.

Star Man: Lucas Neill (West Ham)

Yellow cards: Stoke City: Delap, Shawcross, Lawrence. West Ham United: Boa Morte, Neill.

Referee: P Walton.

Attendance: 27,500

STOKE CITY: Sorensen 6, Wilkinson 6 (Sonko 88min), Abdoulaye Faye 5, Shawcross 6, Pugh 6 (Olofinjana 73min), Lawrence 5, Delap 6, Whelan 6, Etherington 5, Beattie 5 (Camara 72min), Fuller 6.

WEST HAM UNITED: Green 7, Neill 8, Tomkins 7, Upson 8, Ilunga 7, Stanislas 6, Noble 6 (Lopez 87min), Kovac 7, Boa Morte 6 (Collison 82min); Tristan 7, Di Michele 6 (Sears 89min).