STOKE City claimed a goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers this afternoon in a game that was much better than the scoreline suggests.
Dean Whitehead and Liam Lawrence came close for Stoke in the first half, before Whitehead and James Beattie spurned chances after the break.
But City keeper Thomas Sorensen made a fine first-half stop from Franco Di Santo, and a flying save to deny Ryan Nelsen in a second half in which Steven Nzonzi struck the post.
Both sides will feel they did enough to win it, but a share of the spoils was probably the fairest result.
Tony Pulis had made two changes to his starting line up – but started with Abdoulaye Faye on the bench even though the skipper was available after serving a one-match ban.
Faye was joined on the bench by Rory Delap, who was dropped in favour of Liam Lawrence on the right of midfield. Meanwhile, Beattie was dropped to the bench after taking a knock in training. That meant Mama Sidibe played in the supporting striking role behind Ricardo Fuller.
Rovers should have taken the lead in the seventh minute after former Stoke loan midfielder Keith Andrews produced a superb chip over the defence to free Di Santo. The Argentinian showed fine control to kill the ball, but then delayed his shot, allowing Thomas Sorensen to rush out and block the strike. The ball eventually dropped to David Duff, but his 20-yard drive was straight at the Stoke keeper.
But Stoke threatened on 18 minutes when Ricardo Fuller beat Matthew Etherington on the left and he cut inside against a backpedalling Rovers defence. Etherington slipped the ball across the edge of the area to Liam Lawrence who feigned to shoot before sidefooting across to the unmarked Sidibe. The Mali international should have shot first time, but took a touch too many and was crowded out before the ball dropped to Dean Whitehead whose low 18-yard drive was blocked by Robinson.
But Stoke came closer a minute later after brilliant work from Fuller. He picked the ball up just inside his own half and held off Ryan Nelsen before slipping the ball through to Whitehead who was just on side and clean through. The midfielder tried to place the ball past Paul Robinson, but the keeper made a fine stop before Andrews just beat Lawrence to the ball to deny the wide-man a tap in.
Di Santo should have done better than glance his eight-yard header towards the corner flag after he was left unmarked from Dunn’s corner. But Lawrence threatened at the other end when he flicked the ball up before trying a dipping volley from 30 yards which was held by Robinson on his line.
Jason Roberts came on for David Dunn, who appeared to be carrying a knock.
But Roberts had little impact before the break as Stoke came closest to opening the scoring.
Etherington fed Sidibe on the right on 39 minutes and the striker slid the ball forward to pick out Lawrence’s run into the right side of the area. Lawrence pulled the ball back to Fuller, who attempted to control it but instead saw the ball rebound forward towards Lawrence. The wide-man met the ball with a fierce snap shot from ten yards, but Robinson stood tall to make a fine block.
Diouf blasted over the bar from 20 yards two minutes after the break before Ryan Shawcross picked up a knock and was replaced by Faye.
Stoke came close to an opener on 54 minutes when Wilkinson played a one-two with Whitehead which sent the right back scampering past Gael Givet and into the right side of the area. The angle was awkward, but Wilkinson smashed a 16-yard strike which swerved just wide of the near post and into the side netting.
But Rovers came closer a minute later when Diouf’s corner to the back post was only half cleared. Nelson met the ball with an overhead kick from ten yards which produced a flying save from Sorensen.
City were lucky to survive another Diouf corner moments later. The ball dropped to the back post where Pascal Chimbonda headed the ball back to Steven Nzonzi. His 15-yard volley gave Sorensen no chance, but crashed against the keeper’s left-hand post and out to safety.
But Stoke came desperately close on 63 minutes when Fuller picked up the ball on the right and squeezed past two defenders and into the area. He slid the ball across, but just too far ahead of Etherington. The midfielder threw himself at the ball, but sent it spinning wide off his boot when, had he left it, Etherington could have pounced at the back post.
Morten Gamst Pedersen replaced Diouf for Rovers on 67 minutes before James Beattie replaced Mama Sidibe for City a minute later.
Brett Emerton had the Rovers fans on their feet with a 73rd-minute strike which flashed inches past the post from 25 yards. But Stoke hit back two minutes later when Fuller jinked free in the area before driving the ball low across a crowded six-yard box. The ball dropped to Beattie who stabbed at it under pressure, sending the ball looping over the bar when a clean connection would have given Robinson no chance.
Whitehead was well positioned to clear at his back post after Emerton’s cross was headed back across goal by Pederson.
Tuncay replaced Fuller on 83 minutes, but Rovers came closest to a late breakthrough when Samba rose to meet a 92nd-minute corner but headed wide.

Teams:
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Robinson, Chimbonda, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Emerton, Dunn (Roberts, 32), Nzonzi, Andrews (Grella, 45), Diouf (Pedersen, 67), Di Santo.
Subs: Brown, McCarthy, Kalinic, Salgado.
STOKE CITY
Sorensen, Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross (Faye, 51), Collins, Lawrence, Diao, Whitehead, Etherington, Sidibe (Beattie, 68), Fuller (Tuncay, 83)
Subs: Simonsen, Higginbotham, Whelan, Delap.

Yellow:
Stoke
Whitehead (foul, 38), Wilkinson (foul, 90)
Blackburn
Di Santo (Dissent, 61)

Attendance: 25,143