Saturday 2 May 2015 19:49, UK
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes felt his side paid the price for lacking a cutting edge in their 2-0 defeat to Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.
Second-half goals from Jefferson Montero and Ki Sung-Yueng either side of a Marc Wilson sending off secured all three points for Garry Monk’s side.
Stoke struggled to create any clear-cut chances in the game and Hughes admitted that ended up costing his side.
“We allowed the game to drift away from us in the second half,” Hughes told Sky Sports.
“Certainly in the first half, we were dominating possession and I didn’t feel we came under any real pressure from the home side.
“We had the majority of possession without really having that cutting edge in the final third. In the second half they pressed us a little bit more.
"Our retention of the ball wasn't quite good enough to get people up the pitch and in the box.
"Our creative play was missing and that was disappointing because I felt it was a real opportunity to get something out of the game."
On Wilson's dismissal – the first time Stoke have had a player sent off in the Premier League this term – Hughes said: "The first was a coming together and probably looked more than it was.
"It was a foul but I'm not sure if it was yellow card. But when you've got a yellow card you've got to steer clear of those situations Marc found himself in.
"He's tripped the lad going through and unfortunately he's had to go off, and from that point it was difficult to affect the game."
