Mark Hughes blames inability to see out game for Stoke draw with Leicester
Sunday 18 December 2016 07:32, UK
Mark Hughes cursed Stoke City's inability to see out the game as 10-man Leicester came from two goals down to snatch a dramatic point on Saturday.
The Potters were 16 minutes away from victory after goals from Bojan Krkic and Joe Allen put them in firm control against the champions, after Jamie Vardy had been sent off.
But goals from Leonardo Ulloa and Daniel Amartey snatched the most unlikely of points for Claudio Ranieri's men.
"It was a situation that we allowed to develop," Hughes told Sky Sports. "We were quite comfortable in the game at 2-0, in the first half our play was excellent and we were full value for the lead we established.
"But you've got to get the job done and we didn't in the second half, we needed to keep the ball away from them, disappoint them, not encourage them and then see the game out.
"We gave them a little bit of encouragement, didn't mark as cross came over, we had three players free and Ulloa had a free header in the six-yard box. That's poor from our point of view.
"Obviously another ball into our box, we know that's their game plan and their very good at and from two chances they got back on level terms.
"But credit to Leicester, they were down to 10 men and they just went for it and why wouldn't you under those circumstances. We just didn't deal with that."
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Having played the majority of Wednesday's goalless draw with Southampton with 10 men following Marko Arnautovic's red card, Stoke failed to make their man advantage count as Leicester claimed only their second away point of the season.
Hughes blamed hesitancy and fatigue to letting the victory slip, but refused to take nothing away from the Foxes.
"We were trying to protect what we had, that's always a danger," Hughes added. "But up until the first goal they weren't causing us any problems but the goal encouraged them.
"We have to factor in the game in midweek when we were down to 10 men for 70 minutes. A lot of the boys played in that so I just think towards the end we were a little bit dull in terms of fatigue and that allowed them to get a foothold in the game.
"You have to hold your hands up, there is a reason they were champions last year, they've got a load of energy in the side and that hasn't changed.
"Were disappointed because we put in a good performance in the first half, but we didn't maintain that unfortunately."
