Goals:

0-1: Wickham (1, Begovic failed to hold Buckley’s cross from the right and Wickham pounced inside the six-yard box to prod a tap-in home at the second attempt)

1-1: Adam (27, Capitalised on van Aanholt’s failed clearance and with no-one closing him down, rifled into the top corner from 17 yards)

Bookings: Cattermole (18, foul), Diouf (56, foul), Wollscheid (60, dissent), O’Shea (62, foul), Jones (80,foul)

Referee: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) Plenty of pressure on him from both sets of players and their passionate fans but handled a high-tempo, high-octane game with composure and good sense. 7

Attendance: 26,706

Entertainment: ****

STOKE CITY (4-2-3-1): Begovic 5; Cameron 6 (sub Bardsley 87), Shawcross 7, Wollscheid 5, Pieters 6; Nzonzi 6, ADAM 8; Walters 7 (Odemwingie 80), Ireland 7, Arnautovic 6; Diouf 6 (Crouch 71). Subs (not used) Butland (gk), Whelan, Wilson, Sidwell.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2)

8 Pantilimon: Made two stunning second-half saves to keep Sunderland on level terms and was a rock at the back throughout.

6 Jones: Adds a real attacking dimension at full-back and linked up with Buckley for Sunderland's opening goal but will still be kicking himself he couldn't convert a great second-half opportunity to put his side ahead.

7 Coates: The towering, young centre-half justified his inclusion ahead of Santiago Vergini with an assertive and disciplined performance.

7 O’Shea: The skipper led by example - refusing to quit despite a boot in the face which saw him leave the field bloodied, bandaged and with an ice-pack over an eye. He returned second-half and marshalled a defence which was tested to its limit.

6 van Aanholt: Occasionally exposed at the back but his pace rescued him and was an asset to Sunderland going forward.

6 Buckley: Coates and Buckley were Dick Advocaat's surprise inclusions and both justified their selection; chiefly, in the winger's case, by supplying the assist for his team's goal.

8 Cattermole: The driving force of his team, but a trademark over enthusiastic challenge earned him a booking midway through the first-half which must have restricted his ability to influence the game as he would have liked.

5 Rodwell: The £10m man failed to sparkle. More prominent in the second-half with some decent tackling and closing down but Sunderland fans expect more from a player with a big price tag purchased from the league champions.

5 Gomez: Busy and looked to stretch Stoke but was too often anonymous, while his reputation for going down too easily did him no favours: he got nothing from the ref all afternoon.

7 Wickham: The enigma man was at it again – scoring an early goal but missing several other good chances. Still, the former England Under 21 striker put himself about well, has now scored in consecutive games, and is hopefully coming into his best Great Escape form.

6 Defoe: The striker put a great shift in – doing as much defensive work as he did attacking – but he couldn't make anything of the couple of decent chances that came his way. Needs to be receiving the ball more in the danger areas.

Subs:

Graham (for Buckley, 46): Brought on as an extra striker to improve Sunderland’s attacking options. Held up the ball well and provided fulcrum for second-half attacks. 6

(not used): Mannone (gk), Reveillere, Vergini, Bridcutt, Honeyman, Agnew.

Man Of The Match: COSTEL PANTILIMON – A couple of magnificent reaction saves from the giant keeper caught the eye but he was class throughout and there's no doubt Sunderland will need the stopper to be in his very, very best form for the end of season run in.