Last-gasp Rondon sparks Pulis celebrations for West Brom

And Hughes said of the 26-year-old Wales worldwide: “I think he left Liverpool because he wanted to play week in, week out, we are giving him that opportunity, and in every game he plays he has an influence”.

But he also acknowledged the losing streak being over and Stoke moving off the bottom of the table – up one place, with two points from six games – were positive things, and stressed the performance had been encouraging.

However, West Brom were still determined to get a point out of the match, and managed to do so with a stoppage time equaliser, compounding Stoke’s misery as they remain without a win this season.

Allen produced a very creditable display against the Baggies and has impressed since joining from Liverpool in the summer and Hughes said: “I think he left Liverpool because he wanted to play week in, week out”.

“They’ve got an array of talent”, he said.

The Potters had led through Joe Allen’s second-half strike but were forced to settle for just a point when Rondon’s header found the net in the dying moments at the Britannia Stadium. WBA began the season with an impressive 0-1 win at Crystal Palace, and after bookending a 0-0 draw at home against Middlesbrough with defeats against Everton and Bournemouth, they clicked back into form with an eye-catching 4-2 win at home against West Ham last weekend.

“I think we showed great commitment and effort and attitude to get back into it after their goal”. It wasn’t to be, but I was pleased with the performance. The crowd were absolutely fantastic to me as a manager here.

“It’s been stitched into my body this football club in lots of respects – and my family”.

Pieters then once again tumbled in the box when feeling contact from Phillips, looked at Atkinson and saw the referee dismiss his spot-kick appeal. It’s always a result I look for.