MAKING THEIR POINT!
STOKE City came within a paint of coat from ending their winless away run – but will be relieved they at least ended their losing away run.
Stoke had arguably the three best chances of the evening as they drew 0-0 at Cardiff, with Jordan Thompson having a shot blocked before Nick Powell shot wide in a one-on-one in the first half – before Joe Allen headed against the bar late on.
Certainly no one came closer than Allen’s chance with virtually the final touch of the game, meeting a Tommy Smith cross from the right in space and smacking a header past the keeper but back out.
Stoke, who had lost their last four games on the road heavily, could walk away with a welcome clean sheet and point but with a dash more quality in the final third, might have had all three.
Michael O’neill made three changes to the starting XI that lost at Middlesbrough, with Angus Gunn the big casualty and talking point. In came Adam Davies for his first start since a knee injury at Swansea in October.
Danny Batth replaced Jack Clarke and Thompson was in for Jacob Brown as Stoke reverted to a 3-5-2 wing-back system.
It had been a poor afternoon at the Riverside and the emphasis was on the players to show a positive response, both in terms of urgency and quality.
Assistant manager Billy Mckinlay said before kickoff: “I wouldn’t question their appetite. It’s not an easy one to throw at people, if that’s what people think of your performance. I don’t think we’ve lacked any real appetite - we’ve not played well enough. The players have been hungry. They’ve been made aware of the things we felt weren’t good enough on Saturday. They’re experienced players, they know themselves. They were disappointed.
“Hopefully we’ll see that come out tonight. We can talk until the cows come home, it’s about getting out and getting the three points we need.”
Mckinlay and O’neill were certainly hungry, as animated as they have been all season as they prowled around the technical area. The pitch microphone might have picked up some blue language in a whirlwind of cries from the sidelines about players’ decisions or crosses, passes or pressing.
Davies, too, was a constant
voice behind the backline – and tried to set the tone by determinedly playing out from the back. Harry Souttar and Batth would drop level with the six-yard box to receive short goal kicks, with Kieffer Moore lurking on the edge of the area.
At one point Moore was in before the whistle to try to make the interception, earning a ticking off from referee Graham Scott while his boss Mick Mccarthy was shouting: “Do it again
Kieffer!” But the real action was at the other end in the first half and Stoke should have taken at least one of two big chances. In the 12th minute, Thompson linked up with Powell to get a low cross over to Steven Fletcher, whose low shot was pushed out by Dillon Phillips. Thompson was lurking for the rebound but his shot was blocked just in front of the goalline by Perry Ng. A better chance still came eight minutes later when John Obi
Mikel, from the half-way line, picked out Fletcher on the edge of the box to cushion for Powell running in from inside left. Powell just had Phillips to beat but pulled his shot wide of the right post. Stoke’s bright start took a dent mid-way through the half, however, when Fletcher took a whack in the chops attacking a Thompson freekick.
He was forced off due to the concussion protocol and on came Sam Vokes – making it five Wales players on the pitch for the Potters.
Stoke kept Cardiff at arm’s length in defence, with a case in point being how Souttar made sure he got his head on a Will Vaulks long throw with the same aggression he showed scoring a header a fortnight ago. Davies had to deal with a couple of hopeful long rangers but the best chance might have been when Vaulks whipped a lovely free-kick through the six-yard box.
Cardiff increased the pressure upon the restart without really being able to crank up the heat in the final third.
There was half a chance when another Vaulks long throw was flicked on for Moore to welly over.
Smith had a volley too, going forward, when Aden Flint had headed a cross to the back post. His effort was deflected wide.
There were scrambles at both ends and both teams were scrapping and scrappy. Moore had a sighter when Stoke all-but stopped after thinking Powell had conceded a foul on the halfway line.
Cardiff worked the ball over to the left of centre for Moore, who took a slightly heavy touch and Davies was out quickly to sweep up.
It sparked a nervy couple of minutes as Moore then raced onto a Sang through ball and decided to try an ambitious first time dink, which went wide, when he could he could have taken it down.
Sang then crossed well from the right and Ng headed just wide of the far post.
O’neill made his change up front and handed a debut to Christian Norton, who has been impressing for the under-23s since joining from Southampton last year.
He helped set up the best chance of the night as he slipped in Smith down the right to cross for Allen as the game nudged into injury time. Allen rose and headed onto the underside of the bar from eight yards.