Newcastle 0 - Stoke 0: Mitrovic hits the post as Butland stars to earn a Hughes a point

Jack Butland produced a number of key saves to help his side earn a point at Newcastle

JACK BUTLAND was head and shoulders above the rest - and Joe Hart had better watch out.

Many more displays like this, and Stoke keeper Butland will be giving England boss Roy Hodgson a serious selection headache.

Manchester City's Hart has advertised a particular brand of shampoo - but it was Butland who worked up a lather here with a stunning performance.

The spot-kick-saving hero of Stoke's Capital One Cup shoot-out victory over crisis-torn Chelsea on Tuesday, when he decisively denied Eden Hazard, was absolutely unbeatable on Tyneside.

Butland produced a succession of astounding saves to frustrate Newcastle as the home side tried to bounce back with a win after their 3-0 derby defeat at Sunderland a week ago.

 

Newcastle may have managed to get skipper Fabricio Coloccini's red card against the Black Cats overturned on appeal.

But the Magpies were still hit by suspension, with midfielder Jack Colback serving a one-match ban - although he is now out for around six weeks with a knee injury.

The Potters were stoked up by their cup heroics, but Newcastle played their part, too, in a fast and furious opening.

Alexsandar Mitrovic looked lively, but his fourth-minute effort lacked the power to pose any real problem for Butland.

Stoke then felt they were denied a free-kick at least when Bojan Krkic went down on the edge of the 18-yard box under the attentions of Paul Dummett.

 

Aleksandar Mitrovic hit the post for Newcastle

Newcastle had cause for alarm again on 17 minutes. Charlie Adam produced a wicked left-wing delivery that Newcastle centre-back Chancel Mbemba completely miskicked as it flew across the face of goal - before Stoke striker Jonathan Walters failed to reach the ball at the far post.

But the home side came desperately close to a breakthrough in the 28th minute.

Moussa Sissoko centred from the left and Mitrovic's header hit the back post before the offside flag went up against Gini Wijnaldum as Butland frantically scrambled the ball away.

But after all the promise of the opening minutes, it was a first half that had largely fizzled out.

Newcastle striker Ayoze Perez attemptd to conjure something special three minutes into the second period when he cut in from the left but curled his finish wide of the far upright.

The Geordies were then awarded a free-kick after Wijnaldum was held back by Glenn Whelan.

And Wijnaldum's 25-yard effort had enough dip on it to force Butland to tip over.

But crucial stop at the other end kept the scoresheet blank on 53 minutes. Marko Arnautovic supplied a left-wing cross and Walters' header brought a point-blank save from keeper Rob Elliot.

The volatile Mitrovic was then spoken to referee Roger East after a flare-up with Stoke centre-backs Ryan Shawcross and Philipp Wollscheid.

Butland defied Newcastle again on 55 minutes when he turned over Sissoko's finish after the Frenchman had gone in on goal from a one-two with Wijnaldum.

And from the resultant left-wing corner by Perez, Mbemba headed wide of the near post.

As the frenzied pace of the game continued, Butland had to push away a stinging shot from Perez.

Mitrovic was in the thick of things once more on 63 minutes, earning himself a booking along with Wollscheid after falling theatrically when they squared up to each other on the byline.

Stoke left-back Erik Pieters made a magnificent goalmouth block from Mitrovic in the 72nd minute, but it didn't matter as the flag went up.

Arnautovic was booked for a hefty challenge on Newcastle substitute Siem de Jong before Butland pulled off another great save, turning aside Sissoko's sizzling drive.

And Butland still had one more act of defiance left in him as he foiled Newcastle's other sub, Jamaal Lascelles.

Perez served up a right-wing free-kick which Lascelles met with his head, but Butland tipped it over.

Newcastle: Elliot 7, Janmaat 6 (Lascelles 83), Mbemba 6, Coloccini 6, Dummett 5, Sissoko 6, Anita 5, Tiote 5 (de Jong (71), Wijnaldum 7, Perez 6, Mitrovic 6.

Stoke: Butland 8, Johnson 6, Shawcross 6, Wollscheid 6, Pieters 6, Shaqiri 5 (Crouch 90), Whelan 6, Adam 6, Arnautovic 6, Bojan 6 (Afellay 59), Walters 6.

Referee: R East.