Million's the man!

Dutch winger gives Potters the lead but City boss frustrated by another draw

- Peter Smith STOKE CITY

MILLION Manhoef looked like he'd secured a win for Stoke City at Blackburn to cap a tough week but Stoke fell back and conceded a late equaliser. In the end, they might have conceded a late winner too. Here are the talking points from Ewood Park...

STOKE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT NEARLY MEN A note through an encouraging first two months of the season has been to make sure that Stoke are ruthless at both ends of the pitch. That clinical touch when chances are being created at one end and taking responsibility to avoid conceding goals that are avoidable. It's always going to be frustrating to concede a late equaliser but to turn down a series of opportunities to clear their lines at that stage of the match, in those conditions, in a second away game in a row at the end of a threegame week, was doubly so.

Stoke are clearly so much better and more coherent than the last couple of seasons, at least, but no matter how much they can dominate, a load of games in the Championship will still be decided by moments and the consistently successful teams get more of those moments right. That's nothing none of you don't already know.