Stoke City Earns Draw at Burnley in Shawcross' Final Match

Stoke City secured a valuable point in a goalless draw at Burnley in their final match under interim manager Ryan Shawcross. Burnley ended the game with 10 players after Hannibal Mejbri received a red card in the 87th minute for stamping on Junior Tchamadeu following a challenge. Shawcross, who had taken over after Narcis Pelach’s departure will return to his role at Stoke’s academy and make way for new manager Mark Robins, formerly of Coventry City.

Stoke, who ended a nine-game winless streak with a victory over Sunderland, displayed strong defensive resolve against Burnley, recording back-to-back clean sheets. Burnley, who currently sit second in the Championship and remain unbeaten in 13 matches, struggled to break down Stoke’s defense. Despite dominating possession, Burnley couldn’t create significant chances. Their only notable attempt in the first half came from a header by Jeremy Sarmiento which narrowly missed.

Stoke’s Lewis Koumas came closest to scoring, hitting the bar with a second-half strike while Tom Cannon forced Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford into a save both before and after halftime. Burnley’s claims for a penalty after a blocked shot by Tchamadeu were waved away. As the game neared its conclusion, Stoke continued to press with Koumas and Sam Gallagher both having chances to score while Burnley’s Josh Laurent missed a late header.

Shawcross praised Stoke’s performance, stating that earning four points from two tough matches showcased the squad’s capabilities. Burnley’s manager, Scott Parker expressed disappointment with his team’s lack of cutting edge despite controlling possession, acknowledging that their failure to test the goalkeeper summed up their performance.