City battle to prove their worth

Stoke City 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

STOKE dug deep to overcome their deadline day disappointments with the kind of performance that buys more time for their under-nourished squad.

City’s support from the stands remained staunch throughout as patient fans appreciated the efforts of a team refusing to bow to the supposed superiority of their bigger spending visitors.

And it was Stoke raising the pulse-rate as an 88th minute penalty shout provided one of the few talking points from a gutsy rather than exciting spectacle.

But Stoke’s appeals were instantly and somewhat curiously rejected in front of a baying Boothen End as yesterday’s clash ended in a fair outcome on the balance of play.

Stoke had begun what threatened to be a fraught afternoon with two changes from the side beaten at Southampton seven days earlier.

Gabriel Zakuani began his second spell on loan at right back, while Carl Dickinson returned at left back to allow Clint Hill to slot in at centre-half for the ineligible Jody Craddock.

Wolves threw a shirt to former Stokie Karl Henry for a first league start since serious illness last season in an otherwise anticipated starting 11 for the visitors.

City’s faithful began the afternoon in good voice – despite evident disappointment over events in the transfer market – and some promising early work included Richard Cresswell stretching in vain to meet Dominic Matteo’s lobbed free-kick into the danger zone.

Sturdy defending in the opening 10 minutes confined Wolves to Seyi Olofinjana’s long-range bobbler well wide of Stoke’s right-hand post.

Darren Ward’s recklessly outstretched arm caught Mama Sidibe around the chin to win Stoke a free-kick 25 yards out, but Liam Lawrence’s attempt to find the top left-hand corner ventured no further than a stubborn Wolves wall.

Zakuani safely harnessed Andy Keogh on one encouraging occasion to further enhance City’s solid support from the stands.

The play became a little scrappy and indecisive as Stoke were forced into playing the final ball a little too long and hurried to provide Ricardo Fuller with quality possession.

Wolves endeared themselves even less to the home crowd – no mean feat – after playing on long after Sidibe had sunk to the ground clutching his Achilles.

The game’s first flash of genuine skill arrived in the 24th minute when Wolves wide man Steve Ward cut in-field and evaded two sliding challenges before drilling a couple of yards over and into the Boothen End from more than 20 yards.

Keogh was inclined to take up wide positions for the visitors but was finding Dickinson just as uncompromising as Zakuani on the opposite flank as clear-cut openings continued to elude both teams.

A Stoke breakaway then saw Lawrence ushered down a blind alley as the move lost all momentum to provide ample explanation for the blank scoreline approaching the half-hour mark.

Zakuani continued to make his favourable impression by connecting with two important tackles to ensure Wolves met with as much joy as Stoke did seconds earlier at the other end.

The home crowd was brought to its feet for the first time in the 33rd minute when Fuller’s instinctive snapshot was diverted just over his own bar by a relieved-looking Gary Breen. A corner and long throw followed before this mini spate of Stoke pressure ended with Matteo’s rushed effort trundling well off target.

Delap’s giant throws prompted more discomfort for Mick McCarthy’s men, but an off-balance Cresswell failed to connect just six yards from goal.

Steve Simonsen’s afternoon finally eased out of bottom gear when he steadied himself to gather Ward’s towering left-wing cross under pressure at the far post.

There was little else to occupy either keeper in the first-half, in all truth, as both sides continued to shadow box in sight of goal during that first 45.

Lawrence was booked in the 45th minute in conceding a free-kick that was rolled square for Gary Breen to watch a deflected long ranger skew wide of Simonsen’s left-hand post.

Stoke cleared the subsequent corner upfield for Fuller to launch himself into a trademark run down the right channel, but his raid ended with a pull back for Lawrence to fire straight at Wayne Hennessey as the marauding winger approached the edge of the Wolves box.

The second half opened with Hennessey’s scuffed clearance flying straight to Lawrence, but he struggled to control the pace of the ball and the chance of an open goal was quickly lost.

Freddy Eastwood then skewed wide from a half-cleared corner - one of his few pops at goal all afternoon – after Clint Hill had read the danger well to concede the flag kick following a rare lapse of judgement from Dickinson.

Sidibe’s wayward pass behind the on-rushing figure of Cresswell down the Stoke right was another irritating example of City’s shortage of quality in promising situations.

Simonsen was furious after being adjudged to have collected Dickinson’s header behind the goal-line, but had recovered his composure to safely save by the time the resulting corner was nodded goalwards by Darren Ward.

Simonsen’s opposite number was well-placed at the other end barely a minute later to pouch Lawrence’s firm effort that came in his direction.

Stoke’s claws were looking a little sharper in the second half as Cresswell then gathered in promising territory before dallying long enough for Ward to slide in and intercept his pull back close to the Wolves goal.

The tempo was rising in both ranks as Keogh skidded past Shawcross before seeing a menacing cross smuggled behind by retreating defenders.

The visitors were in similar action shortly after to spare Hennessey’s blushes as he was beaten to a towering ball by Sidibe’s ever-willing head inside the Wolves area.

Stoke’s best chance to date arrived just after the hour when a long ball skidded off Ward’s head to leave Fuller springing clear through the middle and appearing to toe-end an attempted shot that trickled a yard wide.

Ward applied a much more impressive header to a right-wing corner that left Simonsen shifting his weight to his right to pocket a potential first goal.

Rory Delap was forced to bundle Olofinjana to the ground after being beaten to the trigger in midfield, but Eastwood’s subsequent free-kick ricocheted behind off the Stoke wall.

City’s heart missed a beat seconds later, however, as Neill Collins flicked towards the far post to leave the rangy figure of Olofinjana extending one of his spider-like legs in a vain attempt to convert.

Stoke failed to exploit a break from Fuller when the unlikely figure of Eastwood back-tracked superbly from another Wolves corner to prevent Lawrence screeching goalwards with the ball. The contest remained evenly poised – and far more open and enterprising than the first period – as McCarthy’s men threatened next when a disputed corner prompted more diligent defending from a Stoke side benefitting from Hill’s experience.

The edge now appeared to be with the visitors as Jon Parkin was thrown on for the ever-willing Lawrence to beef up City’s attacking intent through the middle.

Stoke’s lack of faith in the linesmen reached fever pitch when Simonsen was forced off his line to collect after Eastwood darted through from a suspiciously offside position.

The home side came perilously close to an 88th minute breakthrough when Parkin played Delap through for a clear and inviting spurt on goal.

The former Irish international sidestepped the diving Hennessey and appeared to be caught by the keeper as he lost balance before subsequently failing to unload a shot on the temporarily open goal.

Stoke lifted their chin to pile late pressure on the Wolves goal before the referee’s whistle left them reflecting ruefully on that late flashpoint.

How we shaped up:
SIMONSEN: Rarely called upon, but safe handling and good positioning when required 7

ZAKUANI (pictured): Tough tackling, strong and positionally pretty sound throughout his return to ranks 7

DICKINSON: Foot in first nine times out of 10 as he continues to impress defensively 7

SHAWCROSS: Good feet on the deck to compliment usual aerial assertiveness 7

HILL: Great reading and anticipation to add to fulsome contribution on floor and in the air 8

LAWRENCE: Couple of better-directed shots would have been icing on industrious contribution 7

MATTEO: Easy to overlook his ability to obstruct and anchor side behind the ball 6

DELAP: Sturdy for the most part and what a pity his late enterprise wasn’t rewarded with penalty 6

CRESSWELL: Few sights of goal, but tenacity off the ball continues to benefit his side greatly 7

SIDIBE: Threw himself around with great effect, albeit away from goal, to earn spurs off boss 6

FULLER: One great chance to shine squandered on day of few openings 6

SUBSTITUTES

PARKIN (Lawrence,79): A third successive goal from the bench too much to ask of super sub 6

EUSTACE (Sidibe, 85): Filled in for now customary late appearance 6

Not used: 25 Hoult, 12 Sweeney, 21 Wilkinson.

WOLVES: 31 Hennessey, 32 Foley, 3 Collins, 2 D Ward, 5 Breen, 7 Kightly, 8 Henry, 4 Olofinjana, 11 S Ward, 9 Keogh, 23 Eastwood. Subs: 19 Elliott (Eastwood, 85). Not used: 25 Stack, 19 Elliott, 35 Bennett, 36 Collins.