No reason to go penalty potty, says Neil

Derek Davis

BLUES keeper Neil Alexander vehemently denied Stoke should have had a penalty towards the end of the 1-1 draw with Ipswich.

Potters boss Tony Pulis went potty with referee Keith Stroud for not awarding them a spot-kick when Alexander crashed into Jon Parkin after a Liam Lawrence cross became loose in the box.

Alexander said: “I never touched him, I parried the ball, he fell over on me and I have got the stud marks to prove it.”

Pulis grudgingly accepted the point but felt his side should have had all three. He said: “We came and gave it a go and Ipswich know they have been in a game. With a bit of luck we could have come away with all three points because we should have had a penalty.

“He took his legs completely. it is embarrassing.”

The draw extended Stoke's unbeaten run in all competitions to 12 matches and Pulis admitted it was hard fought.

He said: “Ipswich are a very good team, especially at home, and their front players can all score goals. They gave us some scary moments but we had the best chance of the second half, when their goalkeeper saved from Ricardo.”

Pulis praised goal hero Fuller, who enjoyed a loan spell at Ipswich a couple of years ago.

He added: “Ric's a special player and has been fantastic for us. He's exciting and can do things other players at this club aren't capable of.”

Magilton felt a point each was fair and said: “We started excellently and passed the ball very well.

“We scored a terrific goal from our most dangerous player and at that point everything looked rosy.

“But it was as though we waited for something else to happen. Stoke aren't fourth in the table for no reason. They showed great determination to get a result and, overall, a point each was fair.”