MARTIN Paterson struck a low and painful blow against his old Stoke team-mates by inspiring Burnley’s scond-half equaliser at Turf Moor last night.

But he couldn’t quite produce the fatal blow of a winning goal that would have left him being chased out of town back home in the Potteries.

And honours even was a fair reflection of the entire 90 minutes as Stoke edged the first half and Burnley the second.

City nosed in front when Tuncay headed home from a throw from you-know-who, as the Potters threatened to inflict serious damage on a Burnley side, who had won just one of their previous 17 games.

But Stoke, labouring a little after recent exertions and the loss of half-a-dozen absentees, were grateful enough for a point in the end after conceding the initiative and an equaliser against a Burnley side visibly inspired by Paterson’s lively interjections on the right flank.

Stoke’s satisfactory first-half endeavours were best summed up by two incidents at either end of the field involving the ever-dependable Rory Delap.

The tireless midfield favourite possessed the energy and the anticipation to pop up at just the right moment when Burnley carved open Stoke for the first and only time in the first period.

A Chris Eagles pass left Jack Cork careering goalwards in the 17th minute, but instead of shooting he chose to square for Paterson to leave Delap intervening instead.

And it was Delap, appearing in even more familiar circumstances in the 23rd minute, who inspired a 10th goal of the season from his throw-ins when launching skywards from the left touchline.

Advertising boards strategically placed to thwart his fast bowler’s run-up didn’t quite stretch far enough on this occasion, as Delap found space to sprint towards the touchline and launch goalwards in characteristically devastating style.

The flick came from Mama Sidibe and Tuncay, sniffing voraciously for goalscoring possibilities, stole a yard on his marker to plant a free and firm header between the keeper’s dive and his near right-hand post.

Tuncay’s fifth of the season might have been followed soon after by his sixth following another Sidibe flick-on, but the Turk’s shot on the run skewed wide of its intended target.

Genuine attempts on the Burnley goal in the opening period were otherwise limited to the earlier sights of Abdoulaye Faye volleying weakly wide and Robert Huth heading in a similar direction from a Danny Collins cross.

Matthew Etherington’s welcome return after a five-match absence started rather rustily as he was caught the wrong side of his man in conceding an early free-kick.

He visibly grew in confidence and effectiveness, however, as a floated pass in the 39th minute released Tuncay for a control on the chest before being forced too wide to shoot with any venom.

Etherington was also alive to Andy Wilkinson’s long punt crossfield to scamper down the left channel just before the break, but his low delivery induced a rushed clearance from Leon Cort before Sidibe could pounce.

Cort’s defending was typically no-nonsense rather than cultured during his first 45 minute re-acquaintance with his old club, while Paterson missed a glorious chance to net against his boyhood club on 40 minutes.

Burnley’s game had deteriorated markedly after Tuncay’s breakthrough and evident cracks were appearing in the home crowd’s support, but that didn’t prevent Paterson sneaking in for a glorious chance to level somewhat against the flow of the game in the latter stages of the first 45.

But having broken Stoke’s shackles to reach a raking far-post ball from Eagles, the Tunstall terror could only succeed in almost stubbing his toe on the ball as his effort croaked wide of a near post jealously guarded by Thomas Sorensen.

Eagles could hardly complain, however, after Paterson had earlier controlled divinely inside a crowded area and laid the ball back for his colleague to slice dreadfully off target.

Eagles was soon to the fore again at the start of the second half after falling rather hopefully inside the Stoke area to try to kid Howard Webb into believing Delap had leaned too heavily on his fragile frame.

A sizeable Stoke following was demonstrating rather more loyalty and patience than their counterparts, before events in the 52nd minute brought the home crowd back on side once more.

Paterson’s industry and ingenuity was the problem for Stoke as he wriggled free of Collins for just long enough to whip over a right-wing ball that required just the kind of touch Dave Nugent was able to apply after timing his jump better than Huth.

City’s previously solid foundations creaked again shortly afterwards when Paterson drilled in again from the right, this time low, to leave Sorensen pawing away rather uncertainly amid back-tracking defenders and marauding strikers.

Huth coped better with Nugent on their first collision since the equaliser by ensuring the lively striker spun to the ground when trying to turn the big German and rampage goalwards.

The introduction of Dave Kitson and Danny Pugh for the tiring Sidibe and Liam Lawrence just after the hour was a measure of the Stoke’s manager’s concern with events since half-time.

Burnley’s belief had grown markedly since their equaliser, but Eagles had never lacked the kind of confidence that saw him unleash from distance to force Sorensen into a scrambling save on 69 minutes.

Clark Carlisle and Paterson then won headers inside the Stoke area from a right-wing free-kick, as the home side remained the more threatening approaching the last dozen minutes.

Burnley were playing with plenty of balls, certainly more than their manager could feel after the ball cannoned into his nether regions from point blank range.

And it was a rare show of anger and ambition from the visitors that saw Wilkinson charge into enemy territory and narrowly fail to seize on Etherington’s chipped pass into the Burnley box.

The trend continued when Kitson created his own space in the 84th minute to crack one straight at the bulky figure of Brian Jensen for the Dane’s first save of the night.

We nearly enjoyed some late drama as Huth collapsed claiming a push from an Etherington free-kick at one end, while Burnley immediately broke to leave Tyrone Mears crossing for Eagles to sky his shot comfortably over.

Steam was rising out of a duct at the side of Burnley’s main stand, but that would have been nothing compared to the steam rising from the Stoke manager had a worthy Kevin McDonald effort not beaten Sorensen’s right-hand post by a couple of feet in stoppage time.

Etherington then steered a hopeful shot wide right at the death, but a Stoke winner would have been harsh on the home side.