Jack Butland, helped his side leave Tyneside with a point and a clean sheet on another frustrating day at Gallowgate. The England international made a series of noteworthy stops but Moussa Sissoko in particular will rue a couple of missed chances, while Aleksandar Mitrovic headed against a post.

In front of a hushed St. James' Park, Ayoze Perez was also twice denied while Jamaal Lascelles almost made the breakthrough late on after coming on to replace Daryl Janmaat, only for in-form Butland to tip his header over the Leazes End bar.

Fellow defender Chancel Mbemba had earlier headed narrowly wide soon after another Sissoko effort was blocked while Georginio Wijnaldum's 25-yard free-kick was pushed over the bar on what was one of those days for the black and whites.

Mitrovic and Stoke's thuggish centre-half pairing of Ryan Shawcross and Phillipp Wollscheid continued a running battle throughout the game but thankfully our man managed to collect only a booking after some continued provocation.

However, the Serbian's reaction to being nudged in the face by Wollscheid was frankly embarrassing, indulging in some very amateur dramatics when falling to the ground in a manner akin to the absent Steve Taylor. 

Rookie goalkeeper Freddie Woodman was on standby for a Premier League debut as Rob Elliot faced a pre-game fitness test, but the Ireland international completed 90 minutes and pulled off one notable stop from a Jon Walters header (although his international squad mate handily blazed another couple of half-chances wildly wide). 

Elliot looked in obvious pain throughout the afternoon though, visibly wincing when kicking the ball and resulting Woodman warm up at one point in the closing stages as a precaution. The echoes of last season when Elliot succumbed to injury after replacing the crocked Tim Krul and Jak Alnwick then ended up between the posts are obvious - with the added bewilderment of another senior 'keeper in the shape of Karl Darlow also currently sidelined. That takes some doing.    

Aiming for their fourth successive 1-0 away win in all competitions, the Potters seldom looked like scoring and were second best to United, but to the frustration of coach Steve McClaren, his side failed to make the vital breakthrough for the second game in succession.

It's certainly evident that the black and whites have improved their general play and are putting in more coherent performances with less long balls - although being more slightly more stylish alone doesn't have a positive effect on the league table.

The bugbears of sloppy passes, cheaply surrendering possession and providing wildly variable crosses on the rare occasions we got down the flanks remain - with Siem De Jong's second half appearance from the bench hardly boosting our sometimes pedestrian forward play.

If nothing else though, those who turned out to watch their team appreciated the efforts to turn one point into three and the final whistle brought applause rather than abuse from home followers.

The point took United above the mackems - who were leathered 6-2 at Everton on Sunday - into 18th but a win would have moved us out of the bottom three.

Bournemouth's 0-2 loss at Southampton on Sunday mercifully stopped the Cherries from extending their single point advantage over us, but our maiden top flight visit there on Saturday remains an absolute must-win. Rock bottom Villa's Monday night loss at Spurs meanwhile was also a boost, ahead of their new managerial arrival and possible upturn.

Quite who will be in goal though remains to be seen, amid claims that Elliot's likely addition to an injured list that already includes Darlow and Krul may result in an emergency loan arrival at Gallowgate. It's never dull round here - it's just the good stuff that's still in short supply.

Biffa