Peter Crouch scored against Newcastle yet again to deny the Geordies all three points in their home fixture against The Potters this afternoon. Newcastle thought they had won the game courtesy of Jack Colback's thunderous left foot effort from the edge of the box, around 15 minutes from time. However the experienced English striker salvaged a point for the visitors, just 30 seconds from the end of normal time when he beat Tim Krul with a looping header from fellow substitiute Geoff Cameron's deep right wing cross.

The only bright spark in a fairly tame first-half from both teams was Newcastle playmaker Remy Cabella who did his best to make things happen in midfield. The Frenchman nearly opened the scoring just ten minutes in when he glanced Moussa Sissoko's left wing delivery goalwards from just six yards but Asmir Begovic made a fine save to deny him. The little maestro was involved again just a couple of minutes before the interval, when he dispossesed Glen Whelan high up the pitch and then released Ayoze Perez on the right side of the box who drilled one across goal but just past the left post.

Stoke's only real chance of the first 45 came in stoppage time when Stephen Ireland delivered a low cross from the right which Mame Biram Diouf stooped to head home but Krul was quick to react, pulling off a fine save low to his left. The match actually got worse as a spectacle as time went on and did not really pick up until Colback broke the deadlock a quarter of an hour from the end. A patient move from the hosts saw replacement Gabriel Obertan deliver a decent low cross from the right which Sissoko controlled himself before laying back to Colback on the edge of the box who then put his left foot through the ball and saw it sneak in via the inside of the left post.

John Carver's men then had a couple of chances to wrap the game up on the break but both Obertan and Perez fluffed their lines with the goal gaping. Then with the fourth official about to put up his board, late sub Crouch punished Newcastle for their missed chances. Cameron delivered an early deep cross from the right which Crouch won at the far post and somehow got the power on the ball for it to loop over Krul and under the bar despite an attempt of a clearance to send the travelling fans wild.


Player Ratings:

Newcastle (1) Stoke (1)
Krul 6 Begovic 6
Janmaat 6 Bardsley 6
Coloccini 7 Muniesa 7
Williamson 6 Wollscheid 7
Haidara 6 Wilson 6
Anita 6 Whelan 6
Colback 7 N'Zonzi 6.5
Sissoko 6 Diouf 6
Ameobi 6 Ireland 5
Cabella 7 Moses 5
Perez 7 Walters 6.5
Substitutes:
Obertan 6 Cameron 7
Cisse 6 Crouch 8
Abeid N/A
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About the author
Jamie Joslyn
20 year old sports journalism at Sunderland University, huge Sunderland fan