Mark O’Mahony’s debut goal will be of little consolation to a fanbase that made the eight-hour return r journey to the Bet365 Stadium for the Wednesday night kick-off but, in true Blue fashion, the 1,721 travelling supporters backed their team until the full-time whistle.

Follow live coverage as Stoke City face Portsmouth in the Championship today. An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.