RAW AGGRESSION, personal animosity and nervous tension proved powerful undercurrents in a game of strong emotions but erratic quality which left Sunderland on the brink of crisis.
A rare clean sheet will be scant consolation for Steve Bruce whose expensively assembled Wearsiders have not won a Premier League game since beating Arsenal here in November and are now on the verge of a relegation battle.
In a piece of transfer business reputed to have hurt his ego, Dean Whitehead was effectively replaced here by Lee Cattermole and the Stoke midfielder should have been shown a straight red card rather than a lenient yellow for a horrific high and off the ball retaliatory kick on Cattermole.
Genuine scoring chances were rare but Stoke really should have taken the lead early in the second half when Danny Higginbotham flicked on a Glenn Whelan free kick but, somehow, Mamady Sidibe saw his strike from three yards hacked off the line. The rebound fell to Whitehead only for his apparently goalbound shot to be deflected to safety.
Sunderland thought they should have had a penalty when Robert Huth appeared to handle in the area but replays suggested referee Howard Webb, was right to ignore the protests of Cana and company.
With Whelan impressing in midfield for Stoke and too many of Bruce’s bigger “names” underperforming Pulis’s side were fully worthy of the draw.
GuardianService
SUNDERLAND:Gordon, Mensah, Turner, Kilgallon, McCartney, Malbranque (Campbell 69), Cattermole (Henderson 89), Cana, Reid (Zenden 69), Bent, Jones. Subs not used: Fulop, Bardsley, Meyler, Da Silva. Booked: Cattermole, Mensah.
STOKE CITY: Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye (Wilkinson 17), Higginbotham, Diao (Delap 74), Whitehead, Whelan, Etherington, Sanli (Fuller 62), Sidibe. Subs not used: Simonsen, Lawrence, Beattie, Collins. Booked: Whitehead, Fuller, Wilkinson.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
