Substitute Nick Powell spared Stoke’s blushes as they snatched a late 1-1 draw at dwelling to Birmingham.
Skipper Harlee Dean regarded to have gained it for the guests on the wager365 Stadium when he netted his first purpose for 10 months.
However former Manchester United ahead Powell emerged from the bench to bundle dwelling fellow sub Tyrese Campbell’s cross with simply 4 minutes remaining.
Dean’s 65th-minute header from an Ivan Sanchez cross had come towards the run of play with Stoke having dominated massive parts of the match.
However Powell was available to bag his first purpose of the season because the hosts made it 4 video games unbeaten throughout all competitions. His close-range shot deflected off Dean to verify of a share of the factors.
Stoke boss Michael O’Neill admitted pre-match his gamers could be “disenchanted” as he made seven modifications to his beginning XI that beat Aston Villa within the Carabao Cup final 16 in midweek.
However Birmingham supervisor Aitor Karanka made only one change to his staff which drew 1-1 at dwelling to Rotherham final day out. Jon Toral began up prime whereas Scott Hogan dropped to the bench.
And Karanka’s determination to stay together with his confirmed performers labored nicely as they annoyed the hosts.
Sanchez blasted vast after solely six minutes with the primary likelihood of the match.
Nevertheless, the Spaniard’s aspect almost paid the penalty for some slack defending as striker Steven Fletcher went near firing Stoke forward.
The Scottish marksman fired inches vast of the left publish having been given an excessive amount of time on the sting of the penalty space. And shortly after he struck the angle of the crossbar and publish with a thunderous free-kick.
Left-back Kristian Pedersen was the perpetrator, having needlessly upended Fletcher in a harmful place.
Nevertheless, possibilities have been few and much between within the opening 45 minutes, particularly for Birmingham who did not register a shot on track.
The Potters created one other likelihood in first-half stoppage time, however striker Lee Gregory headed over from a Sam Clucas free-kick, directed into his path by centre-back Harry Souttar.
Stoke skipper Clucas was within the thick of the motion six minutes after the restart. His nook was met by James Chester, however the defender’s goal-bound header was flicked over the bar by Lukas Jutkiewicz.
Jutkiewicz had an opportunity of his personal as Birmingham countered nicely, however his snapshot was nicely vast of the goal.
After which the purpose arrived, but it surely was not for Stoke who had compelled the tempo for a lot of the match.
Sanchez whipped in a pleasant nook and defender Dean outjumped Chester to energy a header into the top-left nook.
It was solely the third time Stoke had conceded this season in eight matches, with keeper Adam Davies having held an enviable report of six clear sheets in seven video games.
However Powell’s late purpose made certain Stoke prevented defeat on their very own patch.
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