Dynamo Kiev 1-1 Stoke
Last updated on .From the section Football
Stoke were cruelly denied a victory at Dynamo Kiev when Ognjen Vukojevic equalised for the home team during injury time in the Europa League.
The hosts had the better of the first half but missed a close-range chance when Andriy Yarmolenko shot wide.
Stoke scored in the 55th minute when Ryan Shotton cut the ball back for debutant Cameron Jerome, who produced a neat, eight-yard finish.
The visitors held on until Vukojevic tapped in Yarmolenko's cross.
Manager Tony Pulis should take credit despite the disappointment of conceding late on. He played five at the back, reducing Dynamo's considerable threat from the channels, with all three centre-backs - Robert Huth, Ryan Shawcross and Matthew Upson - booked in a resolute display.
Stoke were happy to give their opponents the ball, confident that their defence could keep them at bay. When Jerome scored, it looked like the plan had worked perfectly but then came the late disappointment.
Once Dynamo went behind, they threatened but the home team had been restricted to long-range efforts in the first half with Andriy Shevchenko coming close and Yarmolenko shooting wide from seven yards after Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen had parried a Goran Popov shot.
The surprise Stoke goal came from their first shot on target as Shotton made a decent run then supplied Jerome. The striker took a touch and lifted the ball cleverly into the net.
Shevchenko carried on being wasteful as his team pressed forward. The former Chelsea striker volleyed over near the six-yard box in the 70th minute, after the impressive substitute Olexandr Aliyev had chipped the ball over the top.
Just a minute later, Aliyev rattled the bar from 22 yards with a powerful shot after Shevchenko had teed him up. Ideye Brown also had a close-range header stopped by Sorensen, but Dynamo's pressure eventually paid off when Vukojevic finally prodded in.
