Swansea came from behind to claim a late point in a 1-1 draw at Stoke in the Championship.

Daniel Johnson’s second-half penalty looked to have given Stoke – who sacked Alex Neil over the weekend after the loss to Sheffield Wednesday – their first win in five games.

But Harry Darling, who conceded the earlier spot-kick, headed home as full-time neared to give the Swans a share of the spoils.

With both clubs currently under caretaker charge, the Potters entered the clash sitting 20th and two points from the drop zone, while Swansea sat six places ahead of their opponents with three more points.

Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham half cleared an awkward backpass and was fortunate Swansea’s Jerry Yates was unable to make the most of it in the opening five minutes.

Josh Tymon lashed wide from outside the box after 10 minutes for the Swans and Joshua Key cut inside from the right shortly after to cross for Yates, who almost made contact from close range as the visitors started brightly.

Stoke’s Ryan Mmaee squandered the chance to take aim on the quarter hour from close range, before Lyndon Gooch burst forward from left-back to test Swansea’s Carl Rushworth.

Mmaee forced Rushworth into action with a big one-on-one chance after 20 minutes and Junior Tchamadeu’s follow-up was blocked as the hosts began to threaten.

Swansea responded through Jay Fulton’s fierce drive which rose over the bar as the half-hour approached.

Luke McNally made a vital headed clearance ahead of the lurking Yates after Key’s excellent work down the right flank 10 minutes from the break.

Tchamadeu blasted wide after drifting infield from the right wing early in the second half, before Johnson forced Rushworth into action and tipped over his fierce strike after the hour.

At the other end, Key got in behind Stoke’s defence and found a free Jamie Paterson who took aim but Ki-Jana Hoever made a vital block before Bonham collected.

The Potters won a penalty when Darling brought down Mmaee in the box and Johnson coolly rolled home to give the hosts the advantage with 20 minutes left.

Tchamadeu sought Stoke’s second soon after but his effort flew off target and Michael Rose’s later header looped over.

Mmaee stabbed just wide after Tchamadeu headed across the face of goal in the closing stages as Stoke looked to have sealed the three points.

But following Swansea substitute Liam Walsh’s deflected free-kick, from the resulting Matt Grimes corner, Darling nodded home at the back post as full-time neared to remedy his earlier error.

Rose nearly netted a late Stoke winner, but his stoppage-time header from Bae Jun-ho’s corner bounced into the ground and over.

Stoke have sacked manager Alex Neil with the club sitting 20th in the Sky Bet Championship.

The Potters were beaten 1-0 at home by fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, which was a fourth-straight defeat in a six-match winless run.

Neil was appointed at the end of August 2022 after leaving Sunderland, but the former Norwich and Preston boss was unable to mount a sustained promotion challenge, with Stoke eventually finishing 16th last season.

Martin Canning has also left his position, with Paul Gallagher installed as caretaker manager ahead of the home game against Swansea on Tuesday night.

Alex Morris and former Potters defender Ryan Shawcross are also part of the interim backroom team.

Stoke chairman John Coates said on the club’s official website: “Alex is a man of absolute integrity who has given his all for Stoke City and we would like to thank him for his hard work during his time with the club.

“We are grateful for the building blocks he has helped put in place in bringing together a group of players in whom we have a huge amount of faith regarding their ability to turn things around this season and who can help us achieve longer-term success.

“However, with the way the results have been so far, we have made the difficult decision to seek a new direction for the team at this time.

“Nothing matters to me more than the success of our club and we are now working towards the appointment of Alex’s successor.”

Alex Neil admits he is “letting down” Stoke owner John Coates after substitute Anthony Musaba’s stoppage-time winner for revitalised Sheffield Wednesday heaped more pressure on City’s beleaguered boss.

Musaba’s 91st-minute goal lifted the Owls off the foot of the Championship table and inflicted a fourth successive defeat on Neil’s side.

Ryan Mmaee also saw a second-half penalty saved by Cameron Dawson as the Owls gained a first away win of the campaign, making it seven points from a possible nine.

Furious Stoke supporters chanted ‘sacked in the morning’  as Wednesday followers hailed the latest achievement of German manager Danny Rohl.

“John has been nothing but supportive to me since I have been here,” said Neil. “He is one of the best owners in the game.

“I feel at the moment I have let John down and that is probably the sorest thing for me. I came here to do well but ultimately of late we have not won enough games.

“I need to take my medicine and get on with it. I can assure everyone I am doing my best and utmost to make the right decisions.

“I feel at the moment every decision I am making is going the wrong way. When people describe things as a lonely place being a manager, this probably epitomised it.

“But everything is salvageable. We are not even at Christmas yet,” added Neill who reiterated his midweek declaration he would rather die than quit.

However, he added: “This is my hardest job to this point. But it makes me more determined to double down and try to see it through. Ultimately, that is not going to be my decision.”

Neil admitted Dawson’s spot-kick save was the turning point of a largely disappointing game between two teams at the wrong end of the second tier.

“We didn’t take the opportunity and somehow we managed to throw the game away and lose it. That has been a common theme far too often.”

Wednesday are now unbeaten in three and Rohl smiled: “It is fantastic at the moment but there is a long way to go.

“It was a tough one to get something here. But I told my players we had firstly to stay in the game and then there will be the right time to be more offensive and attack them more.

“We had a fantastic moment and it (the penalty save) was a key moment for us.

“In the past it hasn’t always been easy for Cameron. He has had some negative voices against him but he saved a point against Leicester and was the hero of the key moment.”

Rohl also had praise for match-winner Musaba.

He said: “I always believe in my players. He has missed some chances in the past but he was the guy who decided the game.

“It is always disappointing for players when they are not in the starting XI. But I told them to be ready Everyone is understanding what it means to be part of a team. It is not a one-man show. We believe in what we are doing.”

Victory lifted Wednesday off the foot of the table and Rohl added: “It is a small step but it is a huge step also and our confidence is growing more and more,.”

Anthony Musaba struck a 91st-minute winner as Sheffield Wednesday moved off the foot of the Championship table with a 1-0 victory at Stoke.

Cameron Dawson was the Owls’ other hero, saving a second-half penalty from Ryan Mmaee as Wednesday extended their unbeaten run to three games.

“Sacked in the morning” were the chants aimed at Potter boss Alex Neil after Musaba broke away to fire the ball past City’s rookie keeper Tommy Simkin.

A day after his 19th birthday and recalled recently from a loan spell at National League side Solihull Moors, the teenager could do nothing to prevent Wednesday’s priceless winner which saw them leapfrog South Yorkshire rivals Rotherham.

In contrast, opposite number Dawson kept out Mmaee’s 64th-minute spot- kick as City failed to win for a sixth successive game to up the pressure on disconsolate Neil.

Danny Rohl’s team have now collected seven points from a possible nine as they won away from home for the first time this season.

The game certainly came to life after a miserable opening period.

Bookings for Wednesday pair Akin Famewo and Marvin Johnson plus Stoke’s Wouter Burger were the lowlights of an opening half devoid of goalmouth action.

Simkin could not have wished for an easier introduction to his Championship career, comfortably saving a Di’Shon Bernard header when eventually called upon.

And apart from punching away a deflected Lyndon Gooch shot, Dawson was equally unemployed.

The growing dissatisfaction among home fans manifested itself with half-time boos.

The mood did not improve as Wednesday were an upright away from taking the lead in front of their travelling supporters.

Fortunately for Stoke, George Byers could not squeeze his effort inside Simkin’s left post.

Eventually, there was home applause, albeit sarcastic in nature, when Josh Laurent fired wide after 55 minutes. The skipper’s attempt was followed by: a chant of “We had a shot’ from the Boothen End.

Dawson did well to block Bae Jun-ho’s close-range effort soon after Mmaee shot wide, while Burger had another chance blocked.

Then came a rare moment of drama as referee David Coote adjudged Famewo had pushed Laurent in the six yard box

It looked soft from a Wednesday perspective. Dawson though came to the rescue by diving to his left to keep out Mmaee’s equally tame effort.

Little had been seen of Wednesday as an attacking force in the second half until substitute Michael Ihiekwe headed wide from Will Vaulks’ 71st-minute corner.

Stoke continued to carve out the better chances and Gooch’s raking cross from the right was met by Mmaee who could only poke his close-range effort into the gloves of grateful Dawson.

Michael Rose almost broke the stalemate but he was spared the embarrassment of an own goal as his clearance drifted wide for a visitors’ corner.

But two minutes into stoppage time Djeidi Gassama threaded the ball through for match winner Musaba.

Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher was delighted with his side as they fought back to beat Stoke 2-1 thanks to a last-minute winner by substitute Adam Randell.

The Plymouth-born 23-year-old celebrated his 100th Argyle appearance by scoring in the seventh and final minute of stoppage time after Ciaran Clark cleared Luke Cundle’s shot off the line.

Mustapha Bundu’s 43rd-minute near-post strike had earlier cancelled out Tyrese Campbell’s 23rd- minute opportunist opener for Stoke.

Schumacher said: “We got the three points, six from the week and we’re up to 16th and everyone can see how tight it is, so it was massive we got the win.

“From our point of view it’s a brilliant feeling – we have been on the wrong end of the last kick of the game twice this season.

“It’s a killer when it happens to you so we are delighted to get the three points, we are buzzing for our fans to celebrate like that at the death, to celebrate a goal from a local lad at the Devonport End.

“Obviously you feel a little bit for (Stoke boss) Alex (Neil) and their team because they have worked so hard today and probably thought they had a point in the bag.

“But they haven’t and we go on and we’ve won the game so I am really pleased.

“It’s the worse feeling in football when that happens, especially when you feel you’ve played well like we did at Birmingham and against Southampton, and they scored with pretty much the last kick of the game.

“It’s cruel but that’s football. It’s important whether you are up in the game or drawing that you keep going until the very end and so pleased for our players that we did because second half I thought we played really well.

“I felt we were really positive, tried to keep to our style of play and eventually got our rewards.”

Stoke boss Neil said: “It is game management. I didn’t think we deserved to lose the game. Towards the later embers of the game some of our decision making was really poor.

“But that was as many clear-cut chances we have had in a while. If we take a little bit of care, the game could have been done at half-time.

“They (Plymouth) played some nice stuff, they were good in spells but we were a lot more threatening, if you look at the quality of chances we had. The game was there to be won and it is cruel at the end.

“We gave a cheap free-kick away which is unnecessary, the lad was going nowhere and there was a great opportunity to clear our lines and we scuffed it.
“The ball lands in the middle of the pitch and we don’t see that phase of play out.

“We should have cleared the ball, but we need to make sure we make clean contact in the dying embers of the game.

“We needed to make sure they work extremely hard for them to score the next goal and be hard to beat.

“That is something three games ago we had, that is the biggest frustration. We kept four clean sheets on the bounce before these last three games.

“And in those last three games, we have conceded goals in the late parts of the game, especially when we have the opportunity to clear the ball. It is not a hard thing to do.”

Plymouth’s homegrown midfielder Adam Randell scored a last-minute winner as Argyle came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Stoke at Home Park.

Randell hammered the ball home after Stoke cleared Luke Cundle’s attempt off the line in a goalmouth scramble caused by substitute Callum Wright’s cross from the left in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Stoke had gone in front through Tyrese Campbell but Mustapha Bundu levelled just before half-time before Randell’s late show lifted Plymouth above Stoke up to 16th in the Championship table.

Argyle started well with midfielder Cundle forcing Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham into a second-minute stop.

Top scorer Morgan Whittaker then teed up fellow playmaker Finn Azaz on the edge of the penalty area but his shot flew just wide.

Stoke countered with Ciaran Clark’s header forcing Plymouth keeper Michael Cooper into action from Ki-Jana Hoever’s seventh-minute free-kick.

Hoever then crossed for Campbell to head just over as Stoke started to assert themselves.

Ryan Mmaee’s shot was deflected wide as he ran on to a through ball and let fly from the edge of the box on 17 minutes, and soon Stoke’s pressure told as they took the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to some poor Plymouth defending.

A loose back pass enabled the lively Campbell to beat central defender Lewis Gibson to the ball and he made no mistake, drawing out Cooper before side-footing past the keeper into the corner of the goal.

Bae Junho should have doubled Stoke’s lead in the next attack but he fired high and wide.

His pass put Andre Vidigal in down the right on 30 minutes, but the winger blasted his angled shot over from just inside the area.

Plymouth equalised in the 43rd minute when Finn Azaz played in the impressive Kaine Kesler-Hayden down the right.

The wing-back’s pacy near-post cross was superbly converted into the roof of the net by Bundu, who allowed the ball to run across his body before converting with his left foot past Bonham.

Bundu fired over when well placed at the start of the second half and at the other end Cooper saved well with his feet as Mmaee again got behind the Argyle defence.

After 68 minutes Azaz twisted and turned on the edge of the penalty area before looping a pass over the defence to Cundle, whose angled goal-bound shot was well saved by Bonham.

Fit-again Scottish striker Ryan Hardie went close to giving Argyle the lead in the 84th minute, flashing a header just past the near post from Randell’s in-swinging corner from the left.

Seconds later Hardie again went close to putting Argyle ahead as he latched on to a through ball from Azaz before firing just over the angle of post and bar, after good work by substitute Wright in setting up the attack.

In the first minute of injury time, Bonham fumbled Wright’s cross from the left but City cleared the danger, only for Randell to nick a late winner.

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes dedicated the much-needed victory over Stoke to the memory of Terry Venables.

Rangers won 4-2 against the 10-man Potters, who had Enda Stevens sent off early in the second half.

It clinched a first win in 13 matches and only their second at home since October last year.

Venables, who died last week, was a popular player at Loftus Road and as manager guided Rangers to an FA Cup final, promotion to the top flight and then a fifth-placed finish which saw the club qualify for Europe.

“It was a roller coaster of a game and a fantastic win for us,” said Cifuentes.

“I’m really happy, first of all for the players and for the supporters and because I really wanted to win this game in memory of Terry Venables.

“The players know all about a legend like him and the impact he had not only at QPR but in English football and at Barcelona.

“We mentioned that we wanted to go that extra mile to make sure we won the three points for his memory.”

After Lyndon Dykes put the hosts ahead, Ryan Mmaee brought Stoke level just before half-time.

Shortly after Stevens’ dismissal, Wouter Burger put the Potters ahead before Dykes netted his second of the night.

Ben Pearson’s own goal was the stroke of luck struggling Rangers needed, and Chris Willock added a fourth in stoppage time.

Cifuentes said: “Conceding a goal before half-time is always a bit tougher.

“I told the guys it was a great challenge for us to show what kind of team we want to be; a losing team with sad faces and complaining or a team with ambition who chases victory.

“We did that even after they scored their second goal when they had 10 men. Emotionally, that was a big challenge and I’m so glad for them.”

Stoke boss Alex Neil was critical of referee James Linington’s performance.

“I thought there were two horrific decisions that changed the complexion of the game,” Neil said.

“It was as soft a penalty as you’re likely to get. The sending-off is also really soft. I thought both decisions were really poor.

“The problem you’ve got is that you’ve got some referees that want to make themselves the centrepiece of the game rather than letting the game take place and just managing it.

“I said to him that I thought he changed the complexion of the game and that’s not the job of a referee.

“What I said to the fourth official during the game was ‘I’m not looking for any handouts or favours. I’m just looking for fair decisions’.

“The amount of bookings dished out in this game was incredible for a game in which I don’t think there was a bad tackle.

“I don’t think it was a nasty game by any means. We got eight bookings, which is just absolutely ridiculous for a game where there wasn’t a bad tackle.

“Let’s be honest, if both teams had 11 on the pitch then I think we’re the better side.

“We took the lead and I thought we were going to go on and win the game quite comfortably.”

Two late goals gave QPR a 4-2 victory over 10-man Stoke – their first win in 13 matches and only their second at home since October last year.

After Lyndon Dykes put the hosts ahead, Ryan Mmaee’s third goal in his past six appearances brought Stoke level.

Enda Stevens was sent off early in the second half but Wouter Burger put the Potters ahead before Dykes netted his second of the night.

Ben Pearson’s last-minute own goal was the stroke of luck struggling Rangers desperately needed, and Chris Willock added a fourth in stoppage time.

Before kick-off, QPR paid tribute to club great Terry Venables, with rousing applause for the former England boss following his death last week.

Venables was a popular player at Loftus Road and during a four-year spell as manager guided Rangers to an FA Cup final, promotion to the top flight and then a fifth-placed finish which saw the club qualify for Europe.

QPR’s current plight is a far cry from those heady days, but current boss Marti Cifuentes will at least take some encouragement from their relative improvement since his recent appointment.

His first win came in the Spaniard’s fourth match at the helm – a run which has included two draws.

Rangers took the lead after 11 minutes, when Dykes scored from the spot after Stevens was adjudged to have fouled Steve Cook while trying to prevent him from reaching Paul Smyth’s cross.

However, they missed two glorious chances to double their lead – and then conceded an equaliser a minute before half-time.

After Pearson made a mess of trying to intercept Ilias Chair’s pass, the ball bounced off Elijah Dixon-Bonner to Smyth, who was denied at point-blank range by keeper Jack Bonham.

Another defensive mishap, this time by Ciaran Clark, who presented the ball straight to Dykes, gifted the Scotland striker an opportunity but he shot straight at Bonham.

Immediately after that let-off for Stoke, they broke forward and keeper Asmir Begovic tipped away Tyrese Campbell’s effort after the forward found himself through on goal.

From the resulting corner by Bae Jun-Ho, Mmaee fired into the bottom corner after his first shot had been blocked.

When Stevens was sent off eight minutes after the interval, the tide seemed to be turning in QPR’s favour.

The defender pulled back Smyth near the edge of the penalty area and was shown a second yellow card.

But six minutes later, Stoke went ahead when Burger collected Mmaee’s pass near the edge of the penalty area and sent a left-footed strike beyond Begovic and in off the post.

Rangers responded, with Chair shooting against a post before Dykes hauled them level in the 79th minute.

Willock’s cross was cleared as far as Dykes, who controlled the ball on his chest before shooting low into the bottom corner.

Great work on the left by substitute Ziyad Larkeche led to the all-important goal which put Rangers ahead.

Larkeche fought ferociously for the ball before the Frenchman’s low cross was poked into his own net by Pearson.

And in the dying moments, Willock’s low strike beat Bonham at his near post.

Jon Dahl Tomasson says his Blackburn side will “keep on dreaming” after they trounced Stoke 3-0.

A fourth successive away victory and fifth win in seven league games sees Rovers close the gap on the Championship play-offs.

Scott Wharton’s precise header handed the visitors early control and a lead which they never relinquished.

Brighton loanee Andrew Moran followed up his earlier assist with a first EFL goal to double Blackburn’s advantage and the Championship’s leading scorer Sammie Szmodics added a stoppage-time third for his 11th goal of the season.

“It was a brilliant performance and a brilliant result,” said the Blackburn boss.

“We all know how good we can play football, but our discipline and defending were extremely good and very pleasing.

“We frustrated Stoke a lot; the defending, attitude and spirit were all great and we showed a high level of discipline for 90 minutes.

“They were not able to take a chance and when they came into the final third, the stop sign was there and we defended like warriors.

“We’re taking our chances too; if you looked at all our performances this season, we could have won every game.

“We’re the team in the league who create the most chances and today we took our chances really well.

“We needed that break to recharge their heads and bodies, and you can hear how happy our fans are in the end and that says everything.

“We try to perform the best we can; we know we’re a young squad and that sometimes we’re lacking experience.

“Our CEO Steve Waggott said our target first of all was to stay in the league after the cutting of the budget.

“We’re allowed to dream of course and the fans, players and I will keep on dreaming about something big.”

It was a dismal afternoon for Stoke as their five-match unbeaten run was ended with a whimper.

The Potters, who had not conceded in over seven hours prior to the tie, looked fragile defensively and failed to convert their possession into chances.

“I don’t think the game was a 3-0 game,” Alex Neil said.

“For the first 15 minutes, they caused us an issue but after we fixed it, there wasn’t a problem from that point.

“The first goal is so disappointing because they’ve only scored one goal from a corner this season.

“After 15 minutes, I thought we started to take control of the game but the biggest difference was that they put the ball in the net and we didn’t.

“And the third goal makes the scoreline look much worse than what it actually was.

“They’ll be frustrated in the fact that I don’t think they’ll feel that they were outplayed. It was arguably just three or four moments that we didn’t deal with. We just didn’t defend those moments well enough.

“It’s a sore one because there’s been a lot of good things in the last five games.

“Today, you don’t want to send the fans home frustrated, disappointed and angry and ultimately that’ll be the case.”

Blackburn secured a fourth successive away league victory with a 3-0 drubbing of Stoke.

Scott Wharton’s fourth-minute header – his first Championship strike since October 2022 – handed Rovers an early lead which they never relinquished.

Brighton loanee Andrew Moran added a goal to his earlier assist to spark a late flurry of action.

And the league’s leading marksman Sammie Szmodics rounded off a comprehensive win in stoppage time with his 11th goal of the campaign.

It was a fifth victory in seven league games for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side while the Potters, who had not conceded in over seven hours of football before the tie, endured a miserable afternoon as their five-match unbeaten run was ended.

Despite their impressive recent defensive record, the hosts could have fallen behind with barely a minute on the stopwatch. Szmodics sprung the offside trap and lifted an effort over Jack Bonham only for it to drop wide of the target.

The early warning sign was not heeded by Stoke, whose hope for a fifth consecutive clean sheet was ended a matter of moments later. A Moran corner was met by the towering Wharton, with his precise header off the woodwork giving Bonham no chance.

A frantic start to the fixture ensued with the Potters twice going close to producing an immediate response.

Daniel Johnson’s low drilled strike was flipped wide by keeper Leopold Wahlstedt before Enda Stevens’ cross was nearly converted by both Dwight Gayle and Luke McNally.

And Stoke continued in their pursuit of a leveller with South Korean youngster Bae Jun-ho trying his luck with a header and an effort from outside the box.

But again, the hosts looked uncharacteristically fragile defensively with Szmodics racing in on goal before prodding narrowly wide.

The in-form forward had another opportunity to double Blackburn’s advantage shortly before the interval, but his mazy run was halted by Bonham.

Alex Neil’s half-time instructions nearly prompted an instant reply after the restart, but an unmarked Wouter Burger headed over the target.

The introduction of Ryan Mmaee, Tyrese Campbell and Wesley tried to inspire a clinical edge, but still the Potters failed to craft a clear sight at goal.

Rovers capitalised with Bonham parrying Jake Garrett’s harmless effort directly into Moran’s path, with the 20-year-old converting on the rebound.

And Blackburn were not finished there as Szmodics raced through on goal, rounded Bonham and converted to add the cherry on top of a fine display.

It brings up four straight away wins in the second tier for the visitors for the first time since 2000-01 – a year in which they won promotion to the Premier League.

Coventry manager Mark Robins was pleased his side “stopped the rot” after a four-game losing streak but admitted his disappointment after his side drew 0-0 with Stoke.

The Sky Blues had been on a miserable run that culminated with a 3-2 defeat to Preston last time out, while the Potters left the West Midlands on a six-match unbeaten run after a fourth clean sheet in succession.

Ellis Simms came closest for the home side when he hit the post in the first half, whilst Jamie Allen and Matty Godden squandered good chances.

“I’m pleased with stopping the rot because it was getting boring, but frustrated because we should have taken the chances to have taken the game away from a really good side,” said Robins.

“There has been a lot of good work which has gone on this week, some of which has come out in today’s game, some of which didn’t and it will take time for it to come out fully.

“The work rate was incredible from everyone. Haji (Wright) on the left-hand side worked his socks off, Matty Godden, Ellis was trying to find his way, hits the post with one, Matty missed a chance when it has come off his shoulder from a header when you would expect him to score.

“You need something to move forward from and today is hopefully that. It’s been a tough (period from) international break to international break in terms of the points we have picked up but some of the performances have been really good – parts of performances have been really good.

“We’ll take it, the clean sheet on the back of the goals we’ve conceded, and some of the decisions that have gone against us have been laughable really.

“We’ve got to take the point and move on from that. Plenty of work to do.”

Alex Neil conceded his side did not do enough to win the game as Stoke battled to a second 0-0 draw in succession.

He said: “I thought there was some really good bits and some not-so-good bits. We played well through the back but I thought we lacked a real punch at the top end of the pitch today.

“I didn’t think we created enough real chances, we got into some good areas and got to the byline probably six or seven times in the game and I think when you get there you’ve got to create better opportunities, whether it’s a clear cut-back or you stand it up at the back post.

“I thought they were similar, they had some good moments but not anything clear that should win the game either.

“That’s four clean sheets on the bounce we’ve had and for us over a number of years that is rare so that’s a good point. What we need to do is make sure we’ve got enough aggression in our game, enough quality.

“We didn’t lack enough threat going forward in terms of volume of players, we just didn’t really select the right options. Sometimes in these tight games you need one player to produce one moment of quality and unfortunately for both teams that wasn’t quite there. We huffed and puffed without it really being enough.

“If you don’t do enough to win the game, don’t lose the game.”

Coventry halted their four-match losing run with a 0-0 Sky Bet Championship draw against Stoke.

The Sky Blues had been on a miserable run which culminated in a 3-2 loss against Preston last time out, but could have taken all three points as Ellis Simms hit the post in the first half.

Stoke left the West Midlands with their own unbeaten run intact as their second stalemate in succession left them six unbeaten.

Simms came closest to giving Coventry a much-needed three points when Jake Bidwell hung up an inviting cross to the back post which the former Everton man headed against the woodwork.

It was a much-changed Coventry side that saw Simms partnered by Matty Godden and Haji Wright up front, with all three strikers starting together for the first time in a new-look 4-3-3 formation.

Brad Collins was handed a first start in goal at the expense of Ben Wilson, whilst Bidwell was preferred to Jay Dasilva at left-back and Kyle McFadzean unavailable after the death of his mother on Tuesday.

The unchanged Stoke line-up featured two former Sky Blues at centre back as former loanee Luke McNally was partnered by Michael Rose.

After a dull opening 20 minutes, two of the front three linked up when Simms chested down for stand-in captain Godden, his deflected effort clawed away by Jack Bonham.

Collins was forced to save low to his left from Daniel Johnson at the other end with the Coventry back line stood still after the offside flag had been raised and then put down, cueing a chorus of boos from the majority of the 25,003 inside the ground.

Mark Robins’ side started well after the break when Wright headed Godden’s pinpoint cross over the crossbar before the American picked out Jamie Allen in the box, but the midfielder scuffed his effort.

Dwight Gayle forced Collins into a second save in a rare foray forward for Alex Neil’s men whilst Matt Vidigal’s acrobatic effort went wide.

Josh Eccles won possession high up the field and drove forward before feeding Simms but the 22-year-old skewed his effort wide before Wright could only find the side netting when he was played in down the left.

Godden then found a yard in the box but he could only nod Bidwell’s corner wide of Bonham’s goal.

The Sky Blues may have failed to find their all-important goal but a seventh draw of the season meant Robins’ men avoided a fifth straight defeat for the first time since February 2017.

Erol Bulut praised the progress of his Cardiff side despite being held to a goalless draw by Stoke.

The visiting Bluebirds dropped out of the Championship play-off fray after a frustrating afternoon in the Potteries.

Callum Robinson came the closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half as his deflected cutback ricocheted off the post.

And Ryan Wintle, who scored in the same fixture last season, nearly notched a late winner but was denied by Jack Bonham.

However, Cardiff still extended their unbeaten run to three games thanks to a third successive clean sheet, much to the pleasure of Bulut.

“I’m really happy with my players, they’ve made big progress,” said the Cardiff boss.

“It’s not easy for many players here when we remember the last two years with what’s happened and how we started pre-season and the first games.

“It’s not easy to change everything in a positive way. Right now we’ve done it but we need to continue in that way and keep believing in our target.

“We knew that it was going to be a tight game because Stoke have had three great wins against great teams.

“In the first half, we weren’t like what I expect from my team. The second half was so much better and in the end I’m happy with a point.

“We have to look forward and it’ll be good for us to keep our run of clean sheets.

“We had more shots on the goal and we were closer to scoring a goal than Stoke. We had enough chances to score but, in the end, we didn’t.

“Second half, we were much better in our offensive shape but the last pass was not good enough.

“We pressed them higher and got more chances in the second half. If we started like that, maybe the result would have been different.”

Despite three successive wins prior to the tie, Stoke were limited to a solitary shot on target.

However, boss Alex Neil was still encouraged as his resurgent side kept a third consecutive clean sheet of their own.

“A point was probably a fair result but obviously we wanted to win it,” said Neil.

“We played extremely well in the past three games and all our chances today came in the first half.

“We had two or three really good chances to score but unfortunately didn’t take any.

“If we take a chance then it becomes a different game, but then in the second half we played ourselves into trouble when we were trying to play.

“We were wasteful with the ball more than what we’ve been, and that’s the biggest thing I’ll take from the game.

“I put five different players on the pitch to try and influence the game and give us the impetus in the match, but they’re not an easy team to play against.

“The lads are despondent and disappointed but I’m happy with that return [of 10 points from four games].

“That’s the type of game last year that we’d have lost, where we didn’t take our opportunities and then it turns and we end up losing the game.

“If you can’t win, don’t lose. They didn’t deserve to win based on our chances in the first half and we didn’t deserve to win based on our second half.”

Stoke and Cardiff preserved their unbeaten runs as the points were shared in a goalless draw in the Potteries.

The hosts continued their resurgence following three successive wins, while the Bluebirds dropped out of the top six despite a third outing without defeat.

Cardiff forward Callum Robinson looked to continue his rich vein of form against Stoke and came closest to a decider, but his deflected effort was pushed on to the post.

The Potters’ best opportunities fell to Dwight Gayle, who blazed wide and was then denied by Jak Alnwick, both before the interval.

Despite a high tempo end to the fixture, neither side could find a decisive moment of quality to clinch victory.

Cardiff started promisingly as they looked to consolidate their position in the SkyBet Championship play-offs.

Inside six minutes, the travelling Bluebirds had their first effort on goal with Mark McGuinness heading straight at Jack Bonham.

A lively Robinson, who had scored three goals in as many games versus Stoke in his career, also came close early on.

The Republic of Ireland international nearly pounced on a slack Michael Rose back-pass, but an alert Bonham rushed out to diffuse the danger.

Robinson then nearly turned provider when his enticing free-kick delivery wreaked havoc, only for Yakou Meite to head wide from close range.

And Erol Bulut’s side sustained their control beyond the half-hour mark with McGuinness again going close with a glancing header.

The Potters gradually grew into the tie and threatened to snatch the advantage against the run of play.

A delicate Wouter Burger ball found Gayle in a promising position, but the forward snatched at his chance and dragged wide.

The hosts finished the half strongly thanks to Mehdi Leris and Gayle, with the latter denied by stopper Alnwick.

Cardiff nearly broke the deadlock prior to the interval when Robinson’s cutback wrongfooted Bonham, but the Stoke stopper tipped on to the post.

The visitors’ threat was not swayed by the break as Bulut’s outfit continued to impose themselves after the restart.

Karlan Grant nearly notched his second goal of the season after the hour mark, but his strike on the swivel drifted agonisingly wide.

Like the first period, the hosts began slowly but Michael Rose’s free header from a corner handed the Bluebirds a warning sign.

As the clock ticked on and legs began to tire, Alex Neil’s side flexed their attacking muscle but Josh Laurent blazed a volley harmlessly over the target.

And their wastefulness was almost punished in stoppage time by Ryan Wintle, who saw a goal-bound strike stopped impressively by Bonham.

Alex Neil claims the last seven days have shown what his Stoke side are capable of in the remainder of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Having started the campaign reasonably slowly, the Potters have exploded into life in the past week with successive victories over Sunderland, Leeds and Middlesbrough.

The latest of those wins saw them triumph 2-0 over Boro at the Riverside Stadium thanks to first-half goals from Michael Rose and Mehdi Leris.

The win saw Stoke climb into the top half of the table for the first time this season, with Neil confident his side will only get better as his summer signings continue to bed in.

He said: “I think the last three results and performances show where we could get to. It shows the potential.

“I think we look relatively settled now in terms of how we’re going to play, and we’ve managed to churn out three great performances and three great results in a row.

“We’re not getting ahead of ourselves – I think there’s been too many false dawns at Stoke, but I think, for us, we’ve got great potential and great scope. We’re only going to get better, and I’m expecting us to be good this season.”

Stoke’s win was achieved without goalkeeper Mark Travers, who was recalled by his parent club Bournemouth on Friday because of an injury to their first-choice Neto.

Neil said: “We’re gutted. You want as many strong players in your squad as you can. To lose Trav is hugely disappointing, especially because I thought he was coming on to a great game just before he left.

“He was feeling at ease at the club. It’s only just into double figures of games that he’s played for us, but unfortunately he’s had to go back. That’s a blow, but football’s always challenging somewhere along the line.”

Middlesbrough were chasing the game from the moment Rose headed home from a corner in the eighth minute, and fell further behind when Leris fired an angled drive into the bottom corner eight minutes before the break.

Josh Coburn struck the crossbar with a long-range drive, but Michael Carrick admitted his side had fallen short of the standards they had set as they embarked on a seven-game winning run that is now at an end.

Carrick said: “It’s disappointing. You’ve got to put things into perspective as well though. They are a good team, and if you are little bit off it then you get punished in this league.

“It just shows the levels that it takes to win games and look like you’re winning well. We were just a little bit off it really, from the start you could just feel we weren’t quite there.

“Even then, at half-time, I thought we finished the half well enough where there was enough in it there to have a real good go in the second half. It just didn’t really materialise in the end.”