'FOR US IT'S ALL TO PLAY FOR'

MARK Robins wants his Stoke City players to embrace and enjoy the challenge as they head to Cardiff in a potentially pivotal game at the bottom of the Championship.

- Peter Smith

Stoke have beaten Queens Park Rangers and drawn with Preston North End and Luton Town after returning from the final international break but they were kicking themselves for not picking up at least two more points, having lost a lead in injury-time in mid-week against Luton.

It leaves them 20th before this weekend's fixtures, four points above second-bottom Luton and two above third-bottom Cardiff, with five games remaining.

Robins admitted the changing room was quiet after full-time on Tuesday but the team’s fate is still in their own hands in a relegation battle still involving at least eight clubs.

He said: “As you expect from the game and in the moment, the disappointment that you feel in those circumstances occur and the fact that it’s happened three times in six games hurts, there’s no doubt about it - but you have to quickly get over it. There’s no alternative.

“Yes, it smarts, it hurts for a bit but we picked a point up along the way, the results the night afterwards were interesting as well.