Sheridan.. Well - what a prat. We can all defend smart as it is hardly suprising to anybody when you say Sheridan started it.. but Smart's actions were totally over the top and he deserved to go off.. at least thats what Gudjon thinks.We had one cleared off the line but we dominated throughout but Oldham were lucky. Stoke couldn't break through. Oldham had chances also, but failed on their attempts. Stoke outplayed Oldham all game but they were happy hanging on to the point.
Here's the Sports.com report...
Stoke missed a chance to go to the top of the table when they were held to a goalless draw by Oldham Athletic.
The Potters were forced to play out the final five minutes, plus four minutes of stoppage time with ten men, after substitute Allan Smart was shown a red card.
Stoke have yet to score against the Latics at the Britannia Stadium, after three league meetings and a Worthington Cup tie which went into extra time.
When Sergei Shtanyuk's fourth minute header from Clive Clarke's left-wing cross was deflected wide, the danger appeared to be over.
But Chris Iwelumo chased and pulled the ball back for Bjarni Gudjonsson and David Miskelly in the Oldham goal was forced to save with an outstretched foot.
In the tenth minute, Shtanyuk again rose to meet a cross from Clarke. This time the Oldham keeper needed two attempts to keep out the Stoke defender's powerful header.
The action switched to the other end where Gavin Ward dived to his left to prevent David Beharall, on loan from Newcastle, from opening his Oldham account.
Brynjar Gunnarsson then wasted an opportunity when he blazed over a 25-yard free-kick after James O'Connor had been fouled outside the box.
The visitors gradually grew in confidence and Stoke found it increasingly difficult to break down a well-organised defence, yet Oldham remained cautious, aware of the potential threat.
Stoke introduced striker Andy Cooke from the bench shortly before the break, taking off left sided midfielder Jurgen Vanduerzen, who was clearly struggling.
The visitors had slightly the better of the opening exchanges after the interval, but Gunnarsson almost opened the scoring for the Potters when he headed narrowly over from close range.
Dean Holden tested Gavin Ward with a couple of deep crosses, one of which the City keeper was forced to touch over the crossbar.
But the home side were by now in the ascendancy and the Oldham attacks were becoming increasingly rare.
Stoke boss Gudjon Thordarson replaced Peter Hoekstra with Smart, on loan from Watford, in an attempt to pack some punch down the middle.
Oldham keeper Miskelly was hurt in a collision with Cooke and had to be replaced by Gary Kelly.
Cooke spurned the chance of the game, when he failed to connect to a ball chipped into the box by O'Connor.
Smart had an 83rd minute header cleared off the line by Chris Armstrong, then was ordered off two minutes later, after becoming involved in an off-the-ball incident with Darren Sheridan.
Then in stoppage time, Ward saved a point blank effort from substitute Matthew Tipton with his legs
