Only goal difference is keeping Zola's West Ham out of the relegation zone

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis is hopeful that Saturday's 1-0 victory over West Ham United at Upton Park will not see Gianfranco Zola leave his job.

Zola is under pressure after a run of six successive Premier League defeats.

But Pulis told BBC Radio Stoke: "You need a good chairman who backs you in times of great difficulty, and what's happening at West Ham is exactly that.

"Fingers crossed, they'll back him. What he needs is a bit of good luck and the players showing some commitment."

Ricardo Fuller's brilliant individual strike won the game for the Potters to catapult them into the top half of the Premier League table.

However, Pulis revealed that the Jamaican may not have been involved in the match at all because of food poisoning, which has affected a number of players in the squad.

"A few of them have had it and Ric's brought it into the camp," said Pulis."He's been a bit below-par of late so we thought we would give him a bit of a rest.

"I thought Kitson and Sidibe did well. They do the donkey work and then Ric is the silky one who picks it up and does something special.

"He's a nightmare off the pitch, but on the pitch he's fantastic at times."

Stoke, who now have 39 points with seven matches left to play, are now almost certain to be enjoying a third successive season in the Premier League.

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