STOKE CITY fans streamed into the stadium in the sun, licking ice-creams provided free by an apologetic bookmaker who early in the season had ostentatiously paid out on their team being relegated and the faithful left thoroughly sated after a victory that now gives the club the chance of a top-half finish.

Second-half goals from their top scorer Ricardo Fuller — his 10th of the season — and James Beattie secured a comfortable victory against Wigan Athletic, who found the Britannia too hot to handle.

City’s chairman, the multimillionaire bookmaker Peter Coates (not the ice-cream provider) and his club manager Tony Pulis met over dinner last week to discuss ways of turning Stoke into a team looking for a period of consolidation in the top flight.

In that regard they will look to learn a few lessons from their visitors yesterday, though the difficulties that a relatively small club such as Wigan have in staying in the top flight were hinted at in their starting line-up, with Antonio Valencia nowhere to be seen. Wigan spoke of a hamstring injury sustained in the midweek defeat by Manchester United, but his absence only heightened the sense that the £15m Ecuadorian will be on his way during the summer. The diminutive South Korean international Cho Won-Hee replaced him for his club debut. The Ghana international Richard Kingson also continued to deputise for the injured Chris Kirkland, a badly missed absentee.

Favourites to be relegated at the start of the season, Stoke finished far higher than the two teams who gained promotion with them last season thanks to their excellent home form. In their last game at the Britannia for the season, we saw the full range of artillery Stoke have directed against their opponents.

True, the opening 45 minutes was as turgid as there’s been at the stadium this season — and there have been a few — and was most noteworthy for another Rory Delap cameo. From a throw-in in line with the opposition penalty area, he threw it over the head of the flailing Kingson and into the net.

Luckily for Wigan, Kingson didn’t get a touch and a goal kick was awarded. Wigan gave as good as they got in that half but were blown away in the second, though their left-winger Charles N’Zogbia might have done better with a couple of breaks down the flank as Stoke were caught in possession pressing forward.

Maynor Figueroa left Liam Lawrence for dead and shot narrowly wide, but Lawrence was coming more into the game at the other end and his contribution led to the deadlock being broken on 69 minutes. His excellent long ball picked out Fuller, who was being shadowed by Titus Bramble in the box. Fuller twisted one way and then the other, eluding Bramble but running into the path of the retreating Figueroa. The left-back looked favourite to win the ball but Fuller shook him off and, having manoeuvred an opening, slotted the ball high past Kingson.

A minute later a Lawrence corner was almost turned into his own net by substitute Ben Watson, but Stoke made sure of the points sonn afterwards. Mario Melchiot intercepted a pass from Glenn Whelan, leading to a race for the ball in the penalty area between Matthew Etherington and Kingson. The goalkeeper dived in but Etherington got there first and his cross landed on the head of Beattie at the far post, who headed into an empty net.

Cue party time at the Britannia, one season unscathed in the Premier League and already known as the great survivors.

Star Man: Ricardo Fuller (Stoke City)

Referee: L Probert

Attendance: 25,641

STOKE CITY: Sorenson 6, Shawcross 6, Cort 6 (Pugh h-t, 5), Faye 7, Wilkinson 6, Lawrence 7, Delap 6, Whelan 6, Etherington 7 (Diao 77min), Beattie 6, Fuller 7

WIGAN: Kingson 5, Melchiot 6, Boyce 6, Bramble 5, Figueroa 6 (Edman 82min), Cattermole 6, Cho Won-Hee 5 (Watson 58min 5), Brown 5 (Mido 74min), Scharner 5, N’Zogbia 5, Rodallega 5