BBC Sport - Football - Stoke City v Manchester City (original) (raw)

Stoke 1 - 1 Man City

Matthew Etherington

Etherington's late goal rescued a point for Stoke

An injury-time goal from Matthew Etherington earned a deserved point for Stoke in a closely fought but bland encounter with Manchester City.

Two minutes into added time, Etherington collected a back-heel from Tuncay and fired in low from 12 yards.

Nine minutes earlier, Micah Richards seemed to have given City what had looked like an unlikely victory when he finished well after a superb turn.

Manchester City are now five points behind table toppers Manchester United.

However, on a day that Sir Alex Ferguson's side smashed seven past Blackburn, it is clear from City's mediocre display here that the gap between the two neighbours is greater than that represented by mere points.

Pulis praises 'inspired' Etherington

Manager Roberto Mancini will no doubt be frustrated by his side's inconsistency, lurching from the disjointed 11 who struggled so aimlessly against Birmingham to a free-flowing free-flowing unit who put Fulham to the sword at Craven Cottage last weekend and back again.

And but for the home side's bluntness in the box during the first half, City would have been punished.

Stoke's approach play wasn't subtle - at times it was brazenly basic - but it ruffled the feathers of Manchester City's backline with alarming regularity.

On at least four occasions in the first half, the infamous long throws of Rory Delap almost led to a goal.

In the first meaningful attack of the match, Delap's guided missile found its way to the far post where Jermaine Pennant lurked with purpose but blazed over after engineering a shot on the turn.

Both Robert Huth and Ricardo Fuller were guilty of similarly wayward finishes from Delap's rich supply, firing over and volleying wide respectively.

Fuller was in typically bullish form and ran poor Kolo Toure ragged, but his build-up play was better than his finishing.

Early in the first half, he chested the ball superbly to Etherington, who had two opportunities to score but was denied on each occasion by City keeper Joe Hart.

Fuller did little better than Etherington, though, when he was fed in by Jones only to fluff his shot from 10 yards, sending it past the far post.

The visitors' only shot on target prior to the break was a 30-yard Aleksander Kolarov effort that Asmir Begovic was able to save low down with ease.

In the second half, Mancini's men showed greater intent and control and forged a few early chances.

Man City deserved to win - Mancini

The returning Mario Balotelli shot wide from the edge of the area and James Milner fired straight into the welcoming arms of Begovic.

However, City's increased competitiveness served primarily to neuter the game as a spectacle.

In the absence of any decisive attacking quality, chances were thin on the ground and it seemed the game was destined for a goalless stalemate - which would have been City's third such scoreline in four games.

However, Richards spared his side this fate with a superb piece of improvisation. The ball was fed towards him on the edge of the area and defender sold Danny Collins a dummy before turning to fire low under Begovic.

But Stoke were to have the final word. With much of the home crowd heading for the exits, a long ball forward was flicked on by Kenwyne Jones to Tuncay, whose neat back-heel found Etherington in the box and he was able to drive in from an angle.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis:

"When you are on top against one of the best teams in the league you have to take your chances. That was the one thing that let us down today. We need to do better in that respect.

"On the whole we played well. You can have all the money in the world and all the top players but you need to be a team.

"We played like a team today, as one. It takes a lot of beating, irrespective of who the opposition is and the players they have."

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini:

"The season is very long. Every game for every team is difficult. This was a good test for us on a difficult pitch.

"I am disappointed with the result because we deserved to win. It was a fantastic performance in the second half.

"Richards scored a good goal, he was not 100% but played well and I am happy for him."

Live text and stats

Saturday, 27 November 2010

Barclays Premier League

Home Team Score Away Team Time
Stoke 1-1 Man City FT
(HT 0-0)
Etherington 90+2 Richards 81

STOKE

MAN CITY

Possession

Attempts on target

Attempts off target

Corners

Fouls

Live text and data provided by The Press Association.