'I am sure we will get something done' - Hughes confident over new Stoke deal for Crouch

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes is confident the club will agree to terms on a new deal for striker Peter Crouch.

Crouch's second Premier League goal of the season helped Stoke end a run of five games without a win, his strike following Ryan Shawcross' effort in a 2-0 home victory over Watford on Tuesday.

His contract expires in June, but Hughes is upbeat over the chances of keeping Crouch, who turns 36 later this month. 

"Peter has been playing really well and if you put balls in the right areas you know he is going to get on the end of things," Hughes said, as quoted by BBC Sport.

"He's done very well and has good support. I am sure we will get something done - he is playing as well as he ever has done."

He added: "We have played better and been beaten in recent weeks, we got goals at good times and then saw the game out quite comfortably.

"We didn't really have to deal with too many moments of anxiety. It's good to get a clean sheet, because we have shipped some poor goals in recent weeks."

It is now five games without a win for Walter Mazzarri's Watford, whose side sit seven points above the relegation zone.

"We played well, but two episodes, two mistakes, and they managed to score goals," Mazzarri was quoted as saying. 

"We could have scored before them and we didn't do it, but we demonstrated we can play against a difficult team like Stoke.

"We have to keep going and give everything for the next match. Nothing is going our way, so it is just a period we are not lucky but we need to change this.

"We have many injuries, so it is not a positive period."