Stoke sub Jacob Brown came off the bench to earn a point at Huddersfield
Stoke City substitute Jacob Brown blasted a superb second-half equaliser to earn Michael O'Neill's faltering Championship play-off contenders a point at sixth-placed Huddersfield.
It looked like the Potters' luck was out when Josh Koroma's hugely deflected goal put the Terriers ahead just six minutes after he could have been sent off for a totally unpunished knee-high challenge which connected with on-loan Stoke defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Stoke then had two strong penalty claims turned down before they finally drew level when Brown shot home from 18 yards, after on-loan Aston Villa midfielder Jaden Philogene-Bidace had been denied by the post.
That was enough to lift Stoke a place to 10th before the rest of the weekend Championship fixtures.
- Relive Huddersfield's draw with Stoke
In the end it was a fair result from a game which began slowly, with the hosts in the ascendancy, but ended with Stoke on top, regenerated by the half-time arrival of Wales midfield dynamo Joe Allen and supplemented by the introduction of fit-again Nick Powell and Scotland international Brown.
It could also have ended so differently had referee Gavin Ward viewed two key moments in a different light as, in the space of less than 10 first-half minutes, Stoke suffered three horrendous moments of fortune.
Josh Koroma's opening goal came just six minutes after he could have been sent off
First, on 21 minutes, Harwood-Bellis - on loan from Manchester City - got caught on the knee by a shocking studs-first challenge from clumsy home striker Koroma.
Then just six minutes later, Koroma opened the scoring with a right-foot shot that took a big deflection to loop over Potters keeper Jack Bonham.
And almost straight after the goal, Stoke were denied a chance to equalise when they had what looked a stonewall penalty claim turned down after Tyrese Campbell went down in the area under a challenge from home defender Tom Lees.
But, despite having lost six of their previous nine league games, O'Neill's Potters showed what they are made of and fought back well, especially after being turned down with another shout for a spot-kick.
They finally got their breakthrough when Philogene-Bidace pounced to intercept a loose pass before blasting a right-foot shot against the left post, which rebounded across the box to Campbell.
But Ben Wilmot calmly picked up the loose ball, squared to his left and Brown let fly with a superb right-foot strike which flew into the net and beat the keeper all ends up.
- Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text
Line-upsHuddersfield
Formation 4-4-2
21Nicholls20Turton4Pearson32Lees3Toffolo16Thomas6Hogg8O'Brien10Koroma24Sinani25Ward
- 21NichollsBooked at 79mins20Turton4Pearson32Lees3Toffolo16Thomas6Hogg8O'BrienBooked at 83mins10KoromaSubstituted forHolmesat 73'minutes24SinaniSubstituted forHighat 79'minutes25WardSubstituted forRhodesat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Rhodes14Ruffels15High19Holmes23Sarr37Russell42Bilokapic
Stoke
Formation 4-2-3-1
13Bonham16Wilmot19Jagielka24Harwood-Bellis14Tymon42Baker15Thompson10Campbell8Vrancic47Philogene-Bidace9Fletcher
- 13Bonham16WilmotBooked at 44mins19Jagielka24Harwood-Bellis14Tymon42Baker15ThompsonBooked at 5minsSubstituted forAllenat 45'minutes10CampbellBooked at 79mins8VrancicSubstituted forPowellat 59'minutes47Philogene-Bidace9FletcherSubstituted forBrownat 64'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Smith4Allen7Clucas18Brown25Powell29Fielding32Wright-Phillips
Referee:Gavin WardAttendance:16,342Match StatsHome TeamHuddersfieldAway TeamStokePossessionHome42%Away58%ShotsHome13Away16Shots on TargetHome5Away8CornersHome3Away5FoulsHome8Away10Live TextPost update
Match ends, Huddersfield Town 1, Stoke City 1.
90'+7'Full Time
Second Half ends, Huddersfield Town 1, Stoke City 1.
90'+7'Post update
Attempt saved. Jacob Brown (Stoke City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
90'+7'Post update
Attempt blocked. Jacob Brown (Stoke City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
90'+5'Post update
Jacob Brown (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90'+5'Post update
Foul by Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town).
90'+5'Post update
Attempt blocked. Lewis O'Brien (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
90'+4'Post update
Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Joe Allen.
90'+3'Post update
Attempt saved. Scott High (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Harry Toffolo.
90'+1'Post update
Attempt missed. Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jonathan Hogg.
90'Post update
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90'Post update
Foul by Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town).
89'Post update
Phil Jagielka (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
89'Post update
Foul by Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town).
89'Post update
Foul by Josh Tymon (Stoke City).
89'Post update
Oliver Turton (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
87'Post update
Jaden Philogene-Bidace (Stoke City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
87'Post update
Foul by Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town).
83'Booking
Lewis O'Brien (Huddersfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
81'Post update
Lewis Baker (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Source: bbc.com