STOKE SNOOKERED BY IN OFFS.

WIGAN 2 STOKE CITY FC 2

A funny game this,featuring some excellent play from both sides,both managers feeling that on another day they could have won it.I can't remember any single Stoke game having so many in offs.Both goalies must have wondered at times why they bothered.

On loan home keeper Ali Al Habsi was the first to suffer.He had covered Robert Huth's freekick from just outside the box,until a wicked deflection off the defensive wall took the ball in the opposite direction to which he was moving. Stoke's opener on 18 minutes.

Asmir Begović was similarly stranded 12 minutes later.A brisk Wigan attack down the left,a ball into the middle,which he would have had little difficulty dealing with,until Danny Collins attempted block,wrong footed the keeper,the deflection taking the ball into the empty Stoke net for the equaliser.

Within a minute Stoke took the lead for the second time with the only goal that owed nothing to chance.Kenwyne Jones did really well to keep the ball in play on the right touchline.He advanced a few yards before playing the ball through to Ricardo Fuller.The Jamaican played the ball across the Wigan six yard box,Whitehead got a foot to it,ensuring that the ball reached Etherington coming in from the left.He made no mistake notching his second goal in a week..

Almost unbelieveably Stoke were pegged back again in the 40th minute by another strange one.This time a Cleverly shot from just outside the penalty box saw Begovic moving to his left anticipating the save,only be completely beaten when the ball deflected in the opposite direction off Rory Delap into the net.

So another point toward that vital 40 and survival,and 7th in the table for a few hours at least.