Stoke City and Barnsley played out a 1-1 draw in their EFL Championship match at the bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night.

Sam Surridge put the Potters in front in the 17th minute and Barnsley goalkeeper Bradley Collins denied Mario Vrancic from the penalty spot before Cauley Woodrow hauled the Tykes level in the 38th minute. 

Story of the match

Shortly after a powerful Woodrow shot had tested Joe Bursik in the Stoke goal, The Potters went up the other end and with their first real attack, took an early lead.

Joe Allen played a perfectly-weighted through ball to Tommy Smith, who was clear down the right. His ball in took a deflection off a Barnsley defender but Surridge’s finish gave Stoke the lead.

Seven minutes before halftime, Woodrow was the catalyst for the Tykes leveller with a wondrous free-kick from 25 yards, beating Bursik as the ball curled into the top left corner.

Jacob Brown fizzed a shot just over the bar and in first-half stoppage time, Surridge found himself one-on-one with Collins inside the box, but fell to the ground under no contact from the onrushing goalkeeper. 

Mario Vrancic stepped up to take the penalty onto the bar, hitting it straight down the middle with Collins tipping it onto the bar to keep the match even. 

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In the second half, two quick corners, one leading to a Vrancic cross finding Surridge unmarked at the back post, was brilliantly saved by Collins. He then denied Brown's close-range effort from the resulting corner.

It was the hosts who then a golden opportunity to grab all three points as Sam Clucas nearly converted a Josh Tymon cross with a back-post header.

He soon made another fine stop to deny Vrancic's header and at the other end, Woodrow saw a deflected free-kick turned behind by Bursik and Callum Brittain fired wide from the edge of the box.

Collins again spared Barnsley's blushes, pulling off another incredible save to deny Surridge from three yards out.

Stoke had to see the game out with ten men when Smith was sent off with six minutes remaining after a heavy tackle on Claudio Gomes.

Man of the match: Bradley Collins

This is an obvious choice. Without his heroics, Stoke could have had three or four goals. He made several outstanding saves throughout the entire match.

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