reporters Stoke City 0-0 Cardiff City
Stoke's need for a new striker was underlined as Peter Crouch spent more time grappling with opponents and claiming infringements than managing goal attempts but, after one win since August, Mark Hughes, like his opposite number Malky Mackay, the Cardiff manager, will be relieved to gain the point that lifts both sides above West Ham United and Norwich City.
The Cardiff fans welcomed the opportunity to see their side play away to a team bedecked partially in red as it offered them the chance to run out in their traditional colours, nowadays their change kit. "We're Cardiff City, we'll always be blue," they sang with gusto. The travelling supporters have not had much to shout about on the road this season, with only four goals in six away matches, but with Stoke's trouble in finding the net this was unlikely to be a goalfest.
Geoff Cameron did turn the ball over the line just before half-time but was correctly adjudged to be offside as Peter Crouch turned back Oussama Assaidi's header from Marko Arnautovic's right-wing cross. Arnautovic, returning to action after a hamstring injury, was at the heart of much that Stoke created in an attritional first half befitting two sides jostling just above the relegation zone.
The Austrian played a wonderful pass midway through the half, but Assaidi's first touch deserted him as he bore down on Cardiff's goalkeeper David Marshall.
Peter Coates was shown being awarded the freedom of the city during the interval; but the Stoke chairman will have been relieved that his team's defence allowed Cardiff very little liberty. Jordon Mutch had one glancing header parried away by Asmir Begovic but generally Cardiff played their best outside the Stoke danger area.
Fraizer Campbell, at times a very lonely front man for Cardiff, appealed for a penalty nine minutes into the second half when, running goalside of Marc Wilson, their legs became entwined. But referee Michael Oliver shrugged off the claim, much as he had Crouch's in the first half when the Stoke forward found Kévin Théophile-Catherine blocking his path.
Both Crouch and Campbell were cautioned just before the hour mark when the former nudged an arm at the latter as players jostled on the edge of the penalty area awaiting a Stoke free-kick, with the already-cautioned Charlie Adam involved. With an object thrown from the crowd moved to one side by a steward, the mood grew more hostile.
Crouch, his gander up, headed powerfully over from Assaidi's cross. The longer the game went on, there appeared more chance of a red card, as Adam, who had been booked for kicking Campbell in the first half, left an elbow in on Mutch as the ball sailed out for a throw-in.
