STOKE CITY 0
ASTON VILLA 0
STOKE CITY
Sorensen
Huth Abdoulaye Faye (c) Higginbotham Collins
Whitehead Whelan Delap Etherington
Fuller Kitson
Substitutes: Begovic, Lawrence, Fuller (for Tuncay 54), Kitson (for Sidibe 54), Pugh, Wilkinson, Moult.
ASTON VILLA
Friedel
Cuellar Dunne Collins Warnock
Ashley Young Milner Petrov (c) Downing
Heskey Agbonlahor
Substitutes: Guzan (gk), Luke Young, Sidwell, Agbonlahor (for Carew 77), Delfounesco, Delph, Beye.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee - Kevin Friend | Assistants - S Burt & D Coote | Fourth Official - C Webster
MINUTE-TO-MINUTE
2.50pm: Welcome to stokecityfc.com for live minute-to-minute coverage of this afternoon's game. There's a free 14 day trial as well on Stoke City Player at the moment so why not log on and listen to live match commentary from Nigel Johnson and the boys? There's plenty of pre-match build up videos online too watch as well.
2.53pm: The crowd are here, the stadium is packed, the players are getting into the tunnel, its almost time to get going! Last season we beat Aston Villa 3-2 here at the Brit after a superb end to the game, what will be in store for us this afternoon?
2.57pm: Out come the teams and the match officials. Referee Kevin Friend holds the special red and white matchball that will be used today to make the fight against aids in Africa.
2.58pm: Martin O'Neill has opted to retain the services of John Carew up front following his recent goalscoring run, with the returning Gabriel Agbonlahor on the bench. Carew has three goals in three games for Villa against the Potters.
2.59pm: Tony Pulis has three strikes on the bench today, which surely must be a first, as injuries continue to play a part in the team selection. Kitson is joined by youngster Louis Moult, who made his league debut off the bench at Burnley in midweek, and Ricardo Fuller who has been suffering from a back injury.
3.00pm; Villa have won the kick off and opt to swap ends for the first half.
3.01pm: Glenn Whelan and Tuncay get the game started, with the Potters shooting towards the Boothen End.
1 mins: Villa are actually playing in their home shirts this afternoon and not their third sky blue coloured kit.
4 mins: Both sets of fans are in good voice this afternoon. The visiting support are jeered for trying to claim handball by Sorensen without realising that the referee had infact given a corner at the other end!
7 mins: Whelan drills a shot just over the bar after a knock down from Delap's second long throw of the day.
11 mins: Cuellar is the first name in the book after the Spaniard fouls Etherington down the left flank.
13 mins: Ashley Young chooses to follow Chelsea's tactics by standing a yard from the touchline as Delap hurls a long throw it. It has little affect though as the ball flies in and Dunne is forced to head it behind for a corner.
17 mins: James Collins gets on the end of Ashley Young's right wing corner and glances the ball wide of the far post.
21 mins: Etherington drills a shot just wide of the left post after Whitehead's lay off originating from a Delap long throw.
24 mins: Dunne booked for a foul on the right flank on Tuncay. Etherington's curling ball in is headed clear by Ashley Young.
25 mins: Milner next to be cautioned for a late challenge on Rory Delap in the centre of the field.
27 mins: Sorensen saves low to his left from a quickfire Petrov strike from outside the box. Villa are applying some pressure here.
41 mins: Etherington attempts to liven up a quiet affair with a powerful long range strike. The ball whizzes just wide of Friedel's right hand post, however.
45 mins: Carew does really well to hold off three man and set up Petrov but he shoots wide of the post.
45 mins: Two more minutes says the fourth official.
HALF-TIME. STOKE CITY 0 ASTON VILLA 0.
54 mins: Tuncay comes off for Ricardo Fuller and Mamady Sidibe is replaced by David Kitson.
56 mins: Warnock booked for a late sliding tackle on Whitehead.
56 mins: Free kick to the Potters on the right flank. Etherington curls it in in to Kitson but Carew gets there just in front to head it clear.
57 mins: The City faithful are giving their full vocal backing to the side in an attempt to liven up the game and get a goal.
59 mins: Fuller shows his individual talent there with a weaving run through the Villa defence before putting in a shot at goal.
60 mins: Dunne opts to square the ball across the box instead of shooting when he beats the offside trap to latch onto a Villa free kick. The ball evades the players in the box and Whitehead manages to hack it away.
62 mins: Huth's stinging left footed strike from 20 yards out his saved by Friedel.
63 mins: Today's attendance is given as 27,598.
65 mins: Villa push forward on the counter attack with a left wing cross by Ashley Young finding Downing at the back post. He cannot direct it towards goal though, it insteads just bounces off his shins for the defender to clear.
69 mins: Fuller wins Stoke a corner after his forward run down the right forces Dunne to concede.
70 mins: The Potters continue to lay siege to the Villa goal and Fuller and Whelan combine down the left with the Jamaican then testing Friedel with a low shot from the left.
73 mins: Collins puts in a vital challenge to deny Fuller a goalscoring chance. Kitson had played him in with a neat ball and Fuller's shot was definitely on target before it was deflected over the crossbar.
77 mins: John Carew comes off for Gabriel Agbonlahor.
84 mins: All sorts of problems are being caused in the Villa area from Rory's throws. The first sees Higginbotham's volley at the back post blocked enroute to goal before the second sees the same player volley wide after Friedel's flapping had diverted the ball to him.
86 mins: Milner buys a free kick 25 yards out and then gets up to curl it narrowly wide of Sorensen's right hand post.
90 mins: Fuller and Kitson combine with Fuller running on to goal and shooting, only for Dunne to get back and block the ball for a corner.
90 mins: Etherington floats the ball in and Huth rises to head it just over the cross bar.
90 mins: Three minutes of added time says the fourth official.
91 mins: Ashley Young runs on to Downing's left wing cross and shoots at goal only for Higginbotham to divert the ball over the bar from close range. Both teams still want the win.
92 mins: The Potters counter attack from the corner with Etherington. He runs down the left before his shot flies just beyond the far post.
FULL-TIME. STOKE CITY 0 ASTON VILLA 0.
