City frustrated as Fuller earns FA Cup replay

Stoke striker Ricardo Fuller cancelled out a Shaun Wright-Phillips goal to earn a 1-1 draw at Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.

Roberto Mancini's City are desperate to end their trophy drought, which stretches back to 1976, and they looked like they were on their way into the quarter-finals when Wright-Phillips gave them an early lead in bizarre circumstances at Eastlands.

But they struggled to press home their advantage and conceded an equaliser in the second half when Fuller headed in from Rory Delap's long throw.

As well as travelling to Stoke in the Premier League on Tuesday, City will now have to come through a replay at the Britannia Stadium on February 24 to stand a chance of ending their long wait for silverware.

With Wayne Bridge impressing with his early attacking play in front of watching England manager Fabio Capello, City took the lead with just nine minutes gone.

Stephen Ireland chipped over the top for Wright-Phillips and the England winger lifted the ball over goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Covering defender Ryan Shawcross failed to get any contact with his attempted clearance and only succeeded in losing balance, with the ball hitting his head before Wright-Phillips touched into the empty net for his sixth goal of the season.

Fuller shot over from the edge of the area as he attempted to get Stoke back on level terms.

City winger Martin Petrov curled wide with a free kick from 30 yards but after Fuller glanced wide with a header from Liam Lawrence's cross, Bridge showed his defensive qualities.

Pablo Zabaleta mis-judged Fuller's pass and Tuncay sent over a cross to the far post that was met with a thumping effort by Lawrence, only for Bridge to block six yards from goal.

Petrov wasted a decent opportunity to put Stoke under pressure by driving a free kick high and wide from a tight angle.

Stoke lost two wingers, Matthew Etherington and Liam Lawrence, to injury in the opening period, but they weren't disrupted by those blows and went close again when Danny Higginbotham's long-range shot flew narrowly wide of goal.

And 11 minutes after the break, Stoke pulled level with the kind of goal they have become renowned for.

Delap sent a long throw into the area that beat both Shawcross and Kolo Toure and Fuller, who had lost marker Ireland, glanced in from close range for his seventh goal of the season.

As City desperately attempted to restore their advantage, Higginbotham pulled off a timely block as Ireland tried to thread the ball through to Wright-Phillips.

A quick Tuncay free kick allowed Glenn Whelan the time and space to shoot only for Shay Given to pull off a solid save.

City were still struggling to carve out good chances and Emmanuel Adebayor lifted a shot well over the bar as their frustration mounted.

Such was Whelan's growing confidence that he attempted to beat Given from 40 yards only for his shot to fly over the bar.

City finally threatened when Wright-Phillips found space on the right and his cross was met by Gareth Barry's header, which was tipped away by Sorensen.

Wright-Phillips also hit the side-netting after substitute Patrick Vieira inspired a quick breakaway from the hosts.

Shawcross made up for his mistake by clearing off the line from Roque Santa Cruz as Stoke held out for a draw.