There was a palpable sense of frustration as the 25,000 Stokefans streamed out of the Britannia Stadium this afternoon, lamenting “two points lost” after their side’s dire second half showing allowed Wolves to come back from a two goal deficit at half-time to gain a share of the spoils in the Premier League’s first ever Staffordshire derby. A George Elokobi own goal, and a fine Matthew Etherington strike had put the Potters into a commanding lead at the break against a floundering Wolves side, but the visitors returned with renewed belief, and, thanks to some positive attacking play, two goals from captain Jody Craddock, and a large slice of poor Stoke defending, they were able to make the short journey home satisfied.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis was forced into making one change to the side that defeated Tottenham at White Hart Lane a week ago, centre midfielder Salif Diao ruled out with the latest in a long line of niggling injuries, allowing last Saturday’s matchwinner, Glenn Whelan, to start alongside Dean Whitehead, Rory Delap and Etherington at the core of the Stoke side. Robert Huth was serving the last game of his three match suspension for violent conduct, so Andy Wilkinson continued at right back, with Ryan Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye and Danny Collins making up the back four that protected Thomas Sorensen’s goal. Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie were once again selected to lead the line by Pulis, meaning Turkey captain Tuncay started familiarly on the bench, while there was a return to league action for Mali striker Mamady Sidibe, who was also named amongst the substitutes after seven months on the sidelines with a knee ligament problem. Interestingly, there was no place in the squad for top scorer Dave Kitson, whose relations with Pulis have allegedly recently become frayed.

Mick McCarthy named three former Stoke players in his Wolves starting eleven, rangy forward Chris Iwelumo, who played for the Potters between 2000 and 2004, midfielder Karl Henry, who began his career at the Britannia Stadium, and defender Craddock, who played four matches on loan under Pulis two seasons ago. The tricky Kevin Doyle spearheaded McCarthy’s attack, while winger Michael Kightly continued in his recovery from the metatarsal injury that kept him out of the opening weeks of the season by starting the game.

It was the visitors, spurred out by a noisy travelling Dingle contingent, that made the brighter start, with Kightly testing Sorensen’s handling with a low drive in just the third minute. Stoke soon began to come into the game though, and could have taken the lead in the seventh minute, when Collins’s header from from an Etherington corner evaded the Wolves defence, but also Beattie, who was unable to turn the ball home, allowing the visitors to scramble clear.

The breakthrough did come ten minutes later though, taking the form of an uncharacteristic quick Stoke counter-attack. Sorensen found Etherington with a smart throw-out, the former West Ham winger storming forward to tease in an excellent low centre, the ball heading towards Beattie, who had only Elokobi to beat to gain a clear sight of Wayne Hennessey’s goal. As Elokobi will surely tell you, being absolutely gigantic has its advantages and disadvantages. One advantage for the Cameroonian left back is that there was no way Beattie would get around him, but, a disadvantage, being enormous, was that it was difficult for him to move all his muscular body parts away from the ball, which, indeed, struck his left leg and bounced past the helpless Hennessey.

Sensing blood, Stoke looked dangerous going forward, Beattie drew a good save from Hennessey with a header from a Shawcross centre, and, Fuller, celebrating his 30th birthday, came close to netting his first league goal of the season after being played in by Etherington. Under heavy Wolves pressure, the Jamaican was unable to get a convincing shot away though, and Beattie could only blaze the tight-angled rebound high and wide.

Having wasted several presentable chances, Stoke grew flat as the half wore on, and the away side began to get a foothold in the game, enjoying the best of the possession as it entered its 44th minute. For Stoke to score a second before the break was, therefore, something of a pleasant surprise. The goal came about when one of several ineffective Delap long throws was cleared by Wolves, but only as far as the impressive Etherington on the edge of the box. He controlled with his thigh, and, with the ball sitting well for a strike, aimed one towards goal. He caught the ball sweetly, and, despite Hennessey’s despairing dive, found the top corner of the goal, before wheeling away delighted to take the plaudits for a superb first league goal in Stoke colours.

At Ricky Hatton entertained the happy home fans at half-time, shadow boxing with Stoke mascot Pottermus, who, with his typical between-fight weight on, he has begun to resemble, the Wolves supporters were understandably subdued. They were on their feet just a minute into the second half though, as their side came out with renewed vigour and pulled a goal back, with the Stoke players’ thoughts apparently still in the dressing room. Serbian midfielder Nenad Milijaš, who had been introduced by McCarthy in place of the more defensive minded Segundo Castillo at the break, whipped in a dangerous ball after Collins conceded a soft free-kick wide on the right. Nobody from either side was able to make significant contact with the ball, until Craddock found himself free at the back post, and had the simple task of sweeping over Sorensen to give his side the ideal start to the half. The video replays would later reveal that the veteran centre back was standing in an offside position, making the goal a bitter one to swallow for the Stoke players, but, offside decision or not, the message is clear; inability to properly deal with set piece situations at this level will be punished.

With their tails up, Wolves enjoyed their best spell of the match, Milijaš forcing a smart save from Sorensen from a free-kick, his dangerous delivery begging the question why he hadn’t been on the pitch from the start. Credit to McCarthy’s men, they turned the screw, and after winning a series of corners, drew level. The influential Milijaš sent the ball in, for once poorly, his cross dipping well short of the gathered mass of bodies around the penalty spot, but Craddock reacted sharpest, timing his run perfectly to flash a fine glanced header past Sorensen, sending the travelling fans behind the goak into raptures, their songs, loud, but characteristically incoherent, filling the ground.

With 25 minutes to play, both sides tried to push on for the win, but, disappointingly for the neutral, seemed to cancel each other out, the game degenerating to a near continuous exhibition of the long ball game. Pulis brought on Sidibe and Tuncay, McCarthy Stefan Maeirhoffer in an attept to swing the game, but all three were quiet, as the match headed for its tied conclusion.

Though largely scrappy, the closing stages were not completely devoid of incident. Only strong sprinting and commendable reading of the game allowed Wilkinson to make a crucial late challenge as Doyle lined up a close-range shot at the end of a sweeping Wolves move, while Faye, as Stoke captain shouldering his team’s attacking aspirations, could only head disappointingly over when picked out from a late corner.

After four minutes of injury time referee Chris Foy called time on the match, the 2-2 scoreline ultimately a fair reflection of each side’s supremacy in one half. Having come from two goals down, those wearing gold tonight will undoubtedly be the happier with the result, while, after their side’s poor, and costly second half showing, many Stoke fans will go home angry. Credit must go to Wolves though, as they were very good in the second half, approaching it with a deadly combination of belief and quality, and taking their chances when they came.

The point gained, or indeed the two lost, means the Potters remain in ninth place, and, despite today’s setback, are still sitting rather prettily going into next week’s trip to crisis club Hull. In the long run, today’s second half collapse is far from catastrophic, but many more like it could be. I sincerely hope that Pulis and his players go into that game in the right frame of mind, determined to put the disappointments of this afternoon behind them and prove that they can control a match for the full ninety minutes and come home with all three points.

Stoke Side:

From The Horse’s Mouth:

Stoke manager Tony Pulis:
“We were very good in the first half and we should have been more than 2-0 up at the break. They then scored straight after the break from a free-kick which I didn’t think should have been given. If the referee gives that, then he has to give a lot more in the game. We rely on referees to make a decision and we hope they don’t affect the results, but today one has gone against us. But we’ll take it on the chin and we’ll bounce back.”

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:
“I brought Nenad Milijaš on at half-time to try and hold the ball up a bit for us. He’s found it difficult to settle in, but he’s a quality player and his delivery is second to none. I’m disappointed though because we could have won that. We had opportunities at the last knockings, but we didn’t punish them. Was (Jody Craddock’s goal) one yard, two yards or five yards offside? I ain’t bothered. We’ve had a few go against us this season and I’ve accepted them good grace, it’s about time someone else had to.”

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