Stoke City vs Derby County. Sky Bet Championship.
Bet365 StadiumAttendance23,863.
Nathan Jones gets first point of the season with Stoke but Martyn Waghorn denies them victory
Sunday 18 August 2019 19:08, UK
Stoke are still waiting for their first Championship win of the season after they were held to an entertaining 2-2 draw by Derby.
It looked like the Potters would get the win they will feel they deserved after they overturned Martyn Waghorn's second minute opener to lead 2-1.
The home side responded superbly to the early setback and levelled on 32 minutes when Liam Lindsay headed home from a corner.
They hit the front 11 minutes into the second half through Scott Hogan's emphatic finish.
But Waghorn scored his second of a high-tempo game with a 70th minute penalty to leave Stoke waiting for that first win.
Waghorn opened the scoring inside the first 120 seconds after he turned home a Kieran Dowell cross with a first-time finish.
Stoke should have levelled six minutes later when Joe Allen hit the post from a yard out after Kelle Roos had brilliantly saved a Sam Clucas header.
Jack Butland beat away Dowell's dangerous inswinging free-kick on 12 minutes as the open start continued.
Lee Gregory had a close range shot turned behind for a corner following a good turn on 31 minutes.
The hosts made the set-piece count when Lindsay levelled with a powerful header from inside the six-yard box.
Tom Ince cracked an effort against the crossbar from 12 yards out on 38 minutes after a blocked shot fell kindly.
James McClean failed to connect with the ball in first-half stoppage time after he pulled away at the back post.
George Evans won a corner for the visitors on 53 minutes as the Rams looked to get a foothold in the game.
But they found themselves behind when debutant Hogan smashed home into the roof of the net on 56 minutes to deservedly put Stoke ahead.
Derby will have been left asking questions over their defending after Lee Gregory was allowed to race on to a long ball over the top, before picking out an unmarked Hogan.
Clucas powered a header just over minutes later as Stoke continued to keep the pressure up.
Tommy Smith and Tom Lawrence both received bookings in the 67th minute for their part in an ugly touchline melee of players following a late tackle by Florian Jozefzoon.
Derby were given an unlikely lifeline after George Evans was brought down in the box two minutes later.
Waghorn, who missed a penalty in last week's 0-0 draw with Swansea, made no mistake as he slotted home straight down the middle to send Butland the wrong way.
Peter Etebo flashed a long range effort just wide deep into seven minutes of stoppage time.
Nathan Jones: "I am devastated with the result to be honest. I work so hard. I do 12 hours a day, seven days a week to plan and put structures in place. I am distraught that we couldn't get one more goal than the opposition, because we created twice as many chances. We had four clear-cut chances in the first half and the game should have been done and dusted.
"We had chances in the second half and should have won it. I am sick and tired of us missing chances because this has cost us today. We should have six points and instead we have one. We are a good side, a really good side. We are an outstanding side outside both boxes, but in the boxes we are an average side. I am used to winning games and we have got to be better than that. We have had enough chances to win two football matches and it leaves me very angry.
Phillip Cocu: "It is a good draw for us and the right result, when you look at the game. Stoke had chances and hit the bar a couple of times so it is a result we can live with. The first goal was a great goal. We started well and it is just a pity we couldn't keep the initiative and get the second goal.
"Stoke kept going in the game and they did well, they had passion and direct play and it was a tough game for us. We switched our formation at half-time so we could dominate from the back with our build up play. If you dominate and have the initiative in the game then you can play very well with our system. If you lose the ball too often you struggle. We were better in the second half."
