Burton hands Stoke a lifeline

Stoke City 1 Cardiff City

For the third successive season, Stoke City are in danger of missing out on the Second Division play-off final.

After losing to Gillingham and Walsall in previous years, Stoke had the substitute Deon Burton to thank for keeping alive their hopes of reaching the Millennium Stadium.

Until his late strike Cardiff were sitting comfortably on a deserved two-goal lead. In the 12th minute, Robert Earnshaw exchanged passes with former the Potters striker Peter Thorne to burst through the home defence and beat the advancing Neil Cutler with a shot from just inside the area.

Stoke's gameplan involved Bjarni Gudjonsson and Marc Goodfellow whipping in crosses from the wings for Andy Cooke and Chris Iwelumo, but too often their delivery was poor. However, they stepped up a gear after the interval and only a superb diving save by Neil Alexander kept out a 25-yard drive from James O'Connor in the 50th minute.

On the hour, Cardiff went further ahead when Graham Kavanagh's free-kick from the left was headed against the post by Spencer Prior and Leo Fortune-West lashed in the rebound from three yards.

Stoke bizarrely waited for another 18 minutes before introducing Burton, whose presence unsettled the somewhat cumbersome Cardiff defence. Six minutes from time O'Connor crossed from the left for Burton to bring the ball down and fire home from eight yards.

"We came here to win and we did that,'' said Cardiff's manager Lennie Lawrence, whose side have now stretched their unbeaten run to 14 games. "Away from home we always set out our stall to get the first goal and it worked. I think the scoreline reflected the game because we weren't two goals better than Stoke.''

Stoke's manager Gudjon Thordarson agreed with Lawrence that the first goal on Wednesday will be vital. "We have nothing to lose at Ninian Park. I think we are capable of putting them under pressure. We have got to be focused and very firm. Deon did ever so well he was a constant threat and very lively."

Goals: Earnshaw (12) 0-1; Fortune-West (59) 0-2; Burton (84) 1-2.

Stoke City (4-4-2): Cutler; Thomas, Handyside, Shtanyuk, Clarke; Gudjonsson (Vandeurzen, 83), O'Connor, Dinning, Goodfellow (Burton, 77); Cooke, Iwelumo (Dadason, 85). Substitutes not used: Viander (gk), Brightwell.

Cardiff City (4-3-3): Alexander; Weston, Young, Prior, Cross; Boland, Kavanagh, Bonner; Fortune-West, Earnshaw (Campbell, 77), Thorne (Collins, 90). Substitutes not used: Bowen, Maxwell, Bywater (gk).

Referee: A Leake (Darwen).

Bookings: Stoke: Cooke, Gudjonsson, Clarke, Thomas.

Man of the match: Kavanagh.

Attendance: 21,245