RED WOE FOR CITY AS RIVALS BOUNCE BACK

INJURY-HIT Stoke City looked tired as they let a halftime lead slip to lose at home against Middlesbrough as they ended with 10 men.

- Peter Smith

HOME AGONY: Stoke City let a lead slip to lose 2-1 at home to Middlesbrough in the Championship last night.

Tomas Rigo's first Stoke goal gave his side a deserved advantage by the break and, missing two more starters since the weekend, it was a performance full of team work and energy. Million Manhoef hit the bar too as they chased a second.

But Boro were a changed team in the second half and Alan Browne's equaliser was followed up by a close range finish from Tommy Conway to put the visitors ahead.

Stoke looked gassed, there didn’t seem to be the belief they could pull it back around - and there were no senior attacking options on the bench for Mark Robins to try to change the game as he had been able to do just a couple of weeks ago.

Robins had made two changes to his starting XI following the loss to injury of Divin Mubama and Gavin Bazunu. Tommy Simkin returned in goal while Manhoef was back on the right wing, with Lamine Cisse pushed into the centre-forward role.

Stoke might have been ravaged by injuries but it was clear the last men left were determined to make a stand. They pressed in a pack and sniffed blood at times, hammering down the yards when Middlesbrough took chances in their own third.