Steve Simonsen's late penalty save ensured Ryan Shawcross' debut goal gave Stoke the perfect start to their Coca-Cola Championship season at Cardiff.

The on-loan Manchester United defender was on hand to volley home after 27 minutes to score the only goal of the game but his blushes were spared late on when Simonsen saved Steve MacLean's spot-kick after he had been brought down by the youngster.

It was tough luck on the home side, who had dominated for long spells but struggled to find a way past Stoke's stubborn rearguard.

Dave Jones may have been unable to call on the services of the injured Robbie Fowler, but another former England international would have given them an early lead but for Simonsen.

Trevor Sinclair, one of five players making debuts, opted to take Stephen McPhail's pass first time on the volley and the Potters goalkeeper did superbly to claw the ball beyond the advancing Warren Feeney, another player making his first appearance in a Cardiff shirt.

Fellow new arrivals Gavin Rae, Tony Capaldi and Steve MacLean all tried their luck from 20 yards, while at the other end on-loan Middlesbrough keeper Ross Turnbull was called into action to deny Mamady Sidibe, tipping the striker's close-range effort around the post.

But it was one of Stoke's new faces who opened the scoring, Shawcross making no mistake from Liam Lawrence's corner from the right, finding the bottom left corner from 12 yards.

Shawcross came to the rescue at the other end when he cut out Kevin McNaughton's cross 10 minutes before the break and Lawrence blocked Rae's 20-yard drive soon after as the Potters' defence held firm.

Ex-Manchester City and West Ham winger Sinclair continued to look a class act in the second period, with Dominic Matteo and Ricardo Fuller both managing to clear dangerous crosses.

The 34-year-old was keen to get on the ball at every opportunity with the majority of the Bluebirds' creativity coming through him, while Stoke seemed more than happy to sit on their lead, creating little in the way of chances.

Simonsen was in fine form, on one occasion showing strong hands to deny MacLean from 18 yards, tipping the former Sheffield Wednesday' forward's left-footed shot beyond the post.

Chances became more and more hard to come by for the home side as Stoke, who also included on-loan Sunderland full-back Stephen Wright in their starting line-up, defended from the front.

But the introduction of Peter Whittingham, on as a substitute for Stephen McPhail, gave the Bluebirds fresh impetus.

The midfielder twice delivered dangerous crosses into the Stoke penalty area in the final 10 minutes, the second of which fell to Sinclair but again Matteo was on hand to charge down the effort.

But their best chance of the game arrived in the 86th minute when Shawcross fouled MacLean inside the box but yet again Simonsen was equal to it, pushing away the striker's placed penalty towards the bottom-right corner.

MacLean almost atoned for the error moments later from six yards but the outcome was the same as the goalkeeper made the save.

Teams:

Cardiff Turnbull, McNaughton, Loovens, Johnson, Capaldi,Ledley, Rae, McPhail (Whittingham 71), Sinclair,Feeney (Parry 62), MacLean.

Subs Not Used: Oakes, Purse, Gunter.

Booked: Loovens, Rae, Whittingham.

Stoke Simonsen, Dickinson, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Wright,Cresswell, Matteo, Delap, Lawrence, Fuller (Eustace 80), Sidibe.

Subs Not Used: Hoult, Parkin, Pulis, Wilkinson.

Booked: Cresswell, Wright, Shawcross.

Goals: Shawcross 27.

Att: 18,840

Ref: S Tanner (Somerset).