DANNY IS HEAD BOY TO
POSSESSION Bristol City .................... 63% Stoke ............................ 37%
(1 on target) (3 on target)
THE permutations are almost as exhausting as the action, but Stoke City have reached 50 points and pundits and neutrals are convinced that will be enough to stay in the Championship.
This division has a habit of throwing up surprises, however, and this season more than most, and we will know sooner rather than later, for better or worse, what is the case.
It was an exhausting evening to even get to this point, with 90 minutes when Stoke players had to dig deep in search of an equaliser and then, finally, hold on for a potentially vital draw at Bristol City.
It was Danny Batth, who has shown as much of that fighting spirit as anyone, who earned it when he charged into the mixer like a roaring warrior to plant his head on a cross from James Mcclean midway through the second half.
That levelled out a goal from Filip Benkovic, who had been given far too much room to put the home side ahead on the stroke of halftime.
Now Stoke just about have time to dust themselves off before taking on promotionchasing Brentford early on Saturday afternoon. Two more matches. No rest just yet.
Michael O’neill decided to match up Bristol City’s formation and change his shape to a back five, with James Mcclean and Tommy Smith as wing-backs.
But Stoke players were arguing that they should have been up against 10 men from the opening stages when Famara Diedhiou went in with a studs up challenge on James Chester. Referee James Linington gave Stoke the free-kick but kept his yellow card in his pocket, never mind his red.
Diedhiou should have rubbed salt in the wounds when he broke past Chester and Danny Batth and on to a Korey Smith through-ball. He had time to pick his spot, but Adam Davies raced to meet him as he got into the area and smothered the ball.
That was the kind of moment that had won him favour at Barnsley last season and caught the eye of Stoke scouts.
“I didn’t think it would take a year for you to see it for yourself,” said Barnsley reporter Doug O’kane.
Lee Gregory quickly had a chance to show Diedhiou how it should have been done, collecting a Sam Vokes flick to speed into a one-onone with Dan Bentley.
But there was no conviction as Gregory got into the box, he couldn’t get any power with his left foot and Bentley gathered.
Davies was then beaten – but relieved to hear Linington’s whistle - when Nahki Wells headed in from close range only to be adjudged to have fouled Danny Batth.
Yet Stoke were gifted a fine chance when Jamie Paterson bizarrely decided to try a pass from the left corner flag across his own goal. Gregory couldn’t find his feet in time to take advantage.
So it looked like it was heading into the break goalless until a contested corner remarkably left Benkovic with so much time and space from the inside left spot to pick his spot inside the far post.
It was a lapse of concentration that had the potential to be so costly against a Stoke side which had only scored one second half goal away from home since New Year’s Day – that late Nick Powell equaliser at Reading.
Gregory linked up with
Powell just after the break, however, to give Stoke a real chance.
A little flick caught the defence off guard and Powell was able to get to the by-line and cut across the six-yard box towards Vokes – only for