Frustration. It is fast becoming the by-word at the Britannia Stadium after another ultimately disappointing night where what-ifs and clean sheets dominated the post-match chat.

Cardiff manager Malky Mackay, predictably, hailed a hard-won point and suggested that Stoke’s Charlie Adam was lucky to stay on the pitch for a shove on Fraizer Campbell having been booked earlier. Striker Campbell was certainly incandescent after hitting the ground in the area while players jostled preparing for a Peter Whittingham free kick.

Strangely, however, referee Michael Oliver booked Campbell and Peter Crouch, which suggests he viewed a completely different scenario.

What Mackay did not see, but what was caught on camera, was Adam appearing to throw an elbow at Jordon Mutch so retrospective action might still be taken.

‘If you lay hands on someone and it’s not going to be a sending off then it warrants a booking,’ insisted Mackay. ‘Charlie Adam should have gone.’ Counterpart Mark Hughes neatly sidestepped the issue, insisting all he spotted was ‘Campbell going down very readily but I didn’t see who.’

What Hughes did concede is that his players are struggling with the fundamental of a football match, and that is to score.

‘We needed something to drop for us in the box,’ admitted Hughes. ‘We had a number of half chances but, at the moment we can’t do that most important thing on a football pitch.’

One glance at the table would provide confirmation, if needed, that this match carried all the hallmarks of a pre-Christmas relegation six-pointer. It was certainly forgettable on most levels. Crouch was at the centre of most things, not least as the target of obscene chants about his wife, Strictly Come Dancing’s Abbey Clancy.

Turning a deaf ear, the former England striker was also involved in two penalty appeals – one in either half under challenges from Kevin Theophile-Catherine and the other Ben Turner. Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall had one save to make — from Adam — while Asmir Begovic pushed a Mutch header wide.

While Cardiff fans may relish wins over Manchester City and Swansea, the club’s Premier League fate will be decided by matches like this.

The same goes for Stoke, who ruined valuable win against Sunderland two weeks ago with a thrashing at Everton last weekend. Not surprisingly, the contest started out as a cagey affair. Stoke’s attempts to work up a head of steam generally centred round probing pass from either Charlie Adam or Marko Arnautovic.

Shawcross’s central defensive sidekick, Robert Huth, is out for a month after a knee operation which is a big blow for Stoke and to add to Hughes’s worries, Erik Pieters only lasted 45 minutes after an earlier collision, leaving the home side with what could only be described as a makeshift backline. It was a frustrating night all round.

—Daily Mail