City huffed and puffed during the second half of this wind affected game but coudln't blow the wall that was the Villa defence down.

The hosts started brightly and forced early corners from Delap throw ins but the Villa rearguard of Dunne and Collins held firm with Whelan going closest when he fired a shot over from 20 yards.

Villa received three early bookings as Cuellar, Dunne and Milner booked for fouls on Etherington, Tuncay and Delap respectively with both sides going close inbetween as James Collins nodded a corner wide of the far post and Etherington drilled an effort wide of the post after a Delap throw was half cleared to him.

After Petrov forced Sorenson into his first save of the day shortly before the hakf hour mark there was a lull in the action until just before half time when Etherington and Petrov both put shots narrowly wide from distance.

With the second half starting in much the same fashion Potters boss Pulis decided to shake it up a bit and replaced his front two of Tuncay and Sidibe with Fuller and Kitson. Both the departing strikers had failed to make much impact but had worked hard and Turkish star Tuncay disappointment was clear to see when he was subbed off as he stormed down the tunnel, refusing to sit on the bench.

Warnock then picked up a booking for scything down Whitehead and this meant that for the final half hour only Collins had not been booked in the Villa backline. This would help Potters sub Fuller who was able to run at the defence with them full of the knowledge they couldn't mistime a tackle.

The game did liven up around the hour mark a firstly Fuller danced through the Villa backline but saw his shot held by Friedel and the Dunne beat the City offside trap at the other end but squared the ball across the 6 yard box and Whitehead was alert to nick the ball away and clear it away. The Potters went straight down the other end though and when a corner was half cleared to Huth, 30 yards out, he smashed a brutal shot towards Friedel. It went straight into the keepers stomach and had it been a yard either side I doubt the shot stopper would have had the time to move as the shot was that powerfully struck.

Other than Downing missing a sitter at the back post following a quick counter attack Stoke continued to provide all the questions a Fuller is denied three times by either the keeper or last ditch blocks by defenders and Higginbotham also finding himself denied by smart saves from Friedel before he fired another volley from an acute angle well over the bar.

The last five minutes continued to see City enjoy the majority of pressure but Villa look dangerous on the break as Milner curled a free kick wide and Higginbotham headed a Young cross behind for a corner. The Potters pressure saw Huth force Friedel into another good save, Fuller denied by Dunne's last ditch tackle as the Jamaican looked set to put the ball away and Etherington sprint forward before curling an effort inches wide from the edge of the box with the keeper beaten.