Stoke City are firmly in the fight for Championship survival following last weekend’s heartbreaking defeat at Millwall.
Mark Robins’ men seemed to be on course for a worthy 0-0 draw, a point and a hint of momentum as they built on the midweek victory over Blackburn Rovers.
However, the referee’s view that Ben Wilmot had fouled Josh Coburn at a late throw-in gave Mihailo Ivanovic the 92nd minute penalty with which to score a controversial winner.
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Derby County’s win at Plymouth Argyle, their third in eight days, saw the gap on the bottom three cut to just a point. Cardiff’s victory at Ewood Park means Stoke are one of three teams separated by a point.
And while nothing is decided in March, it’s far from guaranteed that Stoke will maintain their second-tier status.
According to statisticians Opta, John Eustace’s Rams have a good chance of avoiding immediate relegation back to League One, but it’s expected to be close and Stoke’s is better.
