Stoke line-up: Sorensen, Huth, Collins, Shawcross, Faye, Wilson (Pennant, 65'), Whitehead, Delap (Whelan, 87'), Etherington, Jones, Walters (Fuller, 61')
Aston Villa line-up: Friedel, L.Young, Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Downing, A.Young, Albrighton, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Agbonlahor (Heskey, 86')
The start of this week's Monday Night Football fixture was slightly marred yesterday due to off the pitch incidents with both managers. Gerrard Houllier is still unable to take charge of Villa until he is fully released from his contract with the French Football Federation. Meanwhile Stoke's Tony Pulis was set to miss the game after the unfortunate death of his mother earlier in the day. That left both caretakers in charge and they did a good job of providing a decent game amidst the bad news and the bad weather.
Stoke started the game off as the better team but as the half wore Villa started getting their foot on the ball and gradually began to dominate the half. New signings Wilson and Jones were linking up well for the home side and Jones missed a couple of great chances. Before Villa got into the game Albrighton and Downing had 'sighters' that sailed harmlessly over the bar. Ten minutes before half-time the deadlock was broken in what became an open half; Reo-Coker linked up with his fellow midfielders before finding Agbonlahor out on the wing, he crossed the ball in and defender Huth somehow misjudged the flight and allowed Downing a free header at the back post. He dived in and somehow managed to curl the ball into the bottom corner past the outstretched Sorensen. Despite Villa now in full momentum they looked suspect defensively from set pieces and a corner from Stoke caused an interesting penalty claim; James Collins looked to have handled the ball from Jones' header however it looked like it could well have been a free-kick to Villa as Jones was holding him. Referee Lee Probert gave neither and play resumed when really one of the decisions should have been given either way. From that Villa should have been two ahead before half-time when Agbonlahor put in another brilliant cross which was met unmarked by Ashley Young, but he headed wide when he should be hitting the target. Villa also created some other great chances but couldn't score and they went in at half-time 1-0 ahead.
The second half saw Tony Pulis remarkably take his place in the dug-out and it did seem to inspire Stoke as they kick started back into life. Villa were still looking shaky at set pieces and they had a considerable height advantage all over the pitch. This paid off when an Etherington cross was met by Kenwyne Jones and the Trinidad & Tobago striker nodded Stoke level with ten minutes to go. Neither team wanted to settle with a point and both set out to score a second. Reo-Coker had a chance on the edge of the box which wasn't hit with any conviction and was blocked by Danny Collins. While substitute Fuller made Friedel work at the other end but it remained level. In the last minute of stoppage time second substitute Jermaine Pennant bought a free-kick out on the wing, which replays showed there wasn't any contact when he dived, Pennant swung the ball in and Etherington's shot was turned in by Robert Huth to give Stoke and more importantly Tony Pulis all three points with barely time left for the restart.
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