by Michael Baggaley
michael.baggaley@thesentinel.co.uk

STOKE manager Tony Pulis says his team’s never-say-die attitude will be crucial to their survival hopes after they fought back to claim a point at home to Hull City.

They came from behind to avoid defeat for the first time this season as Ricardo Fuller’s 73rd-minute penalty earned a 1-1 draw.

Pulis was bitterly disappointed his team was denied a fifth successive league home win, but said the character of his players was the most pleasing aspect of a scrappy game.

He said: “There’s a lot of character in that team and we will need that in abundance as we push on.

“It was a real kick in the teeth them scoring late on in the first half, but the players were brilliant in the second half. They went out and gave it their best.

“We are short in certain areas where we do need a little bit more, but these lads have been absolutely fantastic and they never give up.”

Pulis said the Stoke fans remain a huge weapon for the side, and thanked them for helping his team back into the game after Marlon King’s goal for Hull in first-half injury-time.

He said: “The supporters here play a massive part. They do push the players along, without any doubt.

“The first 10 minutes of the second half was the loudest they were all game. That was brilliant because that’s when we needed them.

“Our lads had just had a kick in the teeth and you were thinking they might take a step back and the crowd might start moaning and groaning and get restless.

“But they never did, and that is a big credit to our supporters.”

Pulis has suggested he won’t make as many changes as in previous rounds for tomorrow night’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Derby at the Brit.

He said: “It is a massive game for us as a football club and a game we will be desperately trying to win.

“There are one or two things I will change, and one or two things I will keep the same.”

Pulis reported no injuries from Saturday’s contest, a game which was contested almost as fiercely in the technical areas as on the pitch.

Hull manager Phil Brown accused Ricardo Fuller of diving to win the penalty, a claim denied by Pulis.

However, Brown added: “I’m not for one minute going to have a go at Ricardo Fuller for doing his job. Strikers are paid to score goals, make runs, put a shift in, and create chances and get penalties.

“Ricardo knew he was in the box and left his trailing leg and went down.”

However, the penalty decision wasn’t Brown’s only complaint with referee Keith Stroud.

He explained: “From minute one, we were getting told to hurry up our goal-kicks.

“Rory Delap took 30 to 35 seconds to get from the left wing to the right wing, to take a throw-in. He didn’t bust a gut and then, when he got there, he made sure his nail varnish was right and all the rest of it.

“For me, it’s their game plan. I’ve got no qualms with their game plan, but why tell our goalkeeper to hurry up without telling Rory Delap to hurry up?”