Kiev late show pegs back Potters

Cameron Jerome
12 April 2012

Stoke were denied a winning start to their Europa League Group E campaign by Dynamo Kiev's late equaliser in the 1-1 draw at the Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium.

The Ukrainian hosts dominated the first 45 minutes and should have gone ahead midway through when Andriy Yarmolenko blazed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Having weathered the storm, the Potters - who fielded eight changes from the side that beat Liverpool at the weekend - took the lead 10 minutes into the second half when debutant Cameron Jerome finished from Ryan Shotton's cross, but after Oleksandr Aliev had hit the bar for Dynamo, Ognjen Vukojevic levelled in stoppage time.

Dynamo should have made it 1-0 in the 20th minute when Sorensen parried a fierce strike from Popov, but Yarmolenko could not convert the follow-up from close range.

That seemed to stir the Potters a little and Shotton drilled wide after the hosts failed to clear a corner. Dynamo were soon back on the front foot, though, with Milos Ninkovic shooting into Sorensen's arms and Shevchenko thumping a free-kick into the Stoke wall.

The home side went close again just after the half-hour when Artem Milevskiy's drive bounced off Sorensen, but the Dane dived to catch the ball at the second attempt.

Stoke looked brighter after the restart and were in front after 55th minutes. Jones released Shotton down the right and the youngster's cross was missed by goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy, arriving at the feet of Jerome, who calmly dispatched it into the roof of the net.

The hosts responded by surging forward and Sorensen was called upon to deal with efforts from Shevchenko, substitute Aliev and Popov. Shevchenko then latched onto a delivery over the top but lifted the ball too high.

Dynamo continued to press and were inches away from an equaliser when Aliev cracked the ball against the crossbar from outside the area.

It seemed Stoke had secured the victory and there was even time for Jones to fire in a shot that Shovkovskiy saved. But Dynamo were not done and in the final seconds pulled a goal back as Vukojevic stabbed in Yarmolenko's cross at the back post.

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