Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Europa League’s hopes are all but over after they went down to a 2-1 defeat against Stoke City.

Second-half strikes from Dean Whitehead and substitute Peter Crouch put Stoke in cruise control before Maccabi Roberto Colautti pulled one back with the last kick of the game.

After a tepid first half, played in driving rain at the Bloomfield Stadium, Whitehead put the visitors ahead with a low drive after 51 minutes.

England striker Crouch doubled the lead three minutes after coming off the bench – tapping home a cross from Whitehead.

Stoke were comfortable throughout and Colautti’s last-minute strike proved no more than consolation.

Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, said: “It was a great performance. I thought the lads were brilliant.

“There was a little bit of a lapse at the end but that's a little bit of tiredness. They huffed and puffed a little bit but we coped with it."

Maccabi:: Levy, Saban, Cohen (sub: Vered 46), Pavicevic, Haris (sub: Kahut 66), Zizov (sub: Colautti 60), Yeyni, Lugasi, Puncec, Atar, Konate. Subs: Haimov, Checkul, Kahut, Seba, Mancherov

Booked: Cohen, Puncec

Goal: Colautti 90

Stoke: Sorenson, Higginbottom, Huth, Upson, Wilkinson, Shotton, Diao (sub: Whelan 65), Whitehead, Palacios (sub: Arismendi 73), Jones, Walters 61. Subs not used: Nash, Pennant, Delap, Etherington,

Booked: Sorenson, Jones

Goals: Whitehead 51, Crouch 64

Stat attack

Shots:
On target: Maccabi 8, Stoke 6
Off target: Maccabi 6, Stoke 5

Possession: Maccabi 54%, Stoke 46%

Corners: Maccabi 4, Stoke 5

Fouls: Maccabi 10, Stoke 12

Group E table
1. Stoke Pl. 4, Pts. 10
2. Besiktas Pl. 4, Pts. 6
3. Dynamo Kiev Pl. 4, Pts. 5
4. Maccabi Tel Aviv Pl. 4, Pts. 1