Goalkeeper Neil Cutler produced a string of good saves to earn newly-promoted
Stoke a point at Sheffield Wednesday.
The home side, though missing summer signings Lloyd Owusu and Leon Knight up
front, still created enough chances to have secured an opening day win.
Leigh Bromby's second-half header from just three yards brought the best of
the saves from former Aston Villa reserve keeper Cutler.
And twice inside a minute Wednesday were denied when they tested Cutler from
long range. First Alan Quinn struck a right-footed effort from 25 yards, then
the keeper saw Gerald Sibon's 30-yard free-kick late as it came through the wall
but still managed to get down smartly.
Simon Donnelly missed a good chance after 64 minutes when Derek Geary's cross
presented him with a headed chance with Cutler exposed, but his effort went over
the crossbar.
Stoke midfielder Kris Commons twice came close to marking his debut with a
goal in the first half. He surprised goalkeeper Kevin Pressman with a shot from
just inside his own half that only just cleared the crossbar.
Three minutes before the break he struck a powerful effort that beat Pressman
but came back off the woodwork.
Wednesday dominated for a spell in the first half, Sibon forcing Cutler to tip
round his low shot at full stretch. And when Shefki Kuqi set up Quinn in a
crowded penalty area, the goalkeeper again got down well to keep out the effort
from six yards.
Stoke, weakened up front by the absence of summer signing Chris Greenacre,
relied on Chris Iwelumo for their main goal threat. He almost gave them an early
lead when his shot from 20 yards was saved, and felt he was denied a penalty
late on when Trond Egil Soltvedt challenged him to substitute Brian Wilson's
cross.
Teams
Sheff Wed: Pressman, Bromby, Soltvedt, Burrows, Geary,
Donnelly, Quinn, Armstrong, Beswetherick, Kuqi, Sibon.
Subs Not Used: Evans, Haslam, Crane, O'Donnell, Maddix.
Stoke: Cutler, Gunnarsson, Andy Handyside, Sergei Shtaniuk,
Clarke, Gudjonsson (Wilson 81), O'Connor, Henry,
Commons (Vandeurzen 89), Goodfellow, Iwelumo.
Subs Not Used: Viander, Neal, Marteinsson.
Att: 26,746
Ref: A Hall (West Midlands).
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