Precious point for Stoke to help ease pressure on Sparky as his side pull away from drop zone and go above Southampton into thirteenth place
Sponsored by
NEVER mind Christmas – Stoke fans were left celebrating Ramadan after their mini revival continued.
Egyptian substitute Ramadan Sobhi, a first half replacement for crocked Ryan Shawcross, stabbed in the close range leveller which gave the Potters an unbeaten festive period.
If it hadn’t been for Danish keeper Jonas Lossl they’d have been cheering another win as well to add to Saturday’s victory over West Brom.
Twice Lossl came up with stunning stops to keep out a Shawcross header, then push Max Choupo-Moting’s overhead against the post and grab it before it fully crossed the line.
That double bookended a Jonny Hogg block on Kurt Zouma’s strike, and another from Chris Lowe to stab Choupo’s backheel against the post in an astonishing four-chance sequence.
By then Huddersfield were already ahead, courtesy of Tom Ince’s first goal for the club at the 21st attempt following his summer arrival from Derby.
Twice Stoke’s Geoff Cameron was guilty of powder puff challenges on Colin Qaner as he bustled his way down the right.
Qaner made the most of those tame tackles by pulling it back from the byline, and Ince steamed in to drill home from six yards.
The equaliser came when Joe Allen was twice involved, eventually firing over a low cross which Ramadan slid into an unguarded net from bang in front.
Both sides then had decent penalty shouts turned down - Huddersfield when Allen bundled over Aaron Mooy and Stoke after Mame Diouf went down under Chris Schindler’s challenge.
But in the end a point apiece was just about the fair call – it would be hard to argue either side deserved to lose.