CRUEL BRITANNIA; The FA CUP e-on THIRD ROUND Stoke City 0 Newcastle 0 Potters scare for Prem strugglers Unlucky Stoke miss out on Toon scalp as relieved Allardyce survives onslaught.

Byline: Simon Bird

SAM ALLARDYCE is supposed to be safe in his job as Newcastle boss but his stock will hardly have risen last night after narrowly avoiding a damaging FA Cup upset.

Unconvincing in attack, lacking match-winning quality and outplayed in the second half, the Geordie goal led a charmed life at times, and Allardyce was ultimately relieved to see the end of a blood and thunder tie.

Newcastle needed a trio of goal line blocks to deny Ricardo Fuller and Jon Parkin after the break to record only their second clean sheet in 19 games dating back to mid-September.

That was the major positive for under-pressure Allardyce. However, the lack of conviction in attack - with Mark Viduka slow and static and Michael Owen still rusty - meant they barely caused the home side a problem after the break.

Ultimately though, the Geordies might just be pleased to have survived after the turmoil of the last fortnight and earn a replay on Wednesday week.

This was certainly not a corner being turned by a spluttering squad who have yet to gel under Allardyce's guidance half way through his first season in charge.

Stoke will never get a better chance to turn over a Premier League side after having Newcastle on the rack for a hectic 20-minute period in the second half.

But the home fans' taunt of 'you're getting sacked in the morning', had a premature ring.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley returned from his holiday and made the trip to the Britannia Stadium having given strong indications all week that even a defeat would not be the end of Allardyce.

The billionaire retailer even showed his support for his boss by pitching up in the changing rooms before the game in a jocular mood, giving no hint of a man ready to wield the axe.

And BBC pundit Alan Shearer, an inexperienced option to be the next boss, used the pre-match build-up to insist Allardyce will be given the whole season to prove he can take the club forward.

The visit to Stoke was never going to be an easy one and so it proved. Tony Pulis's men were unbeaten in 11 games dating back to November 10, in stark contrast to the Geordies' run of three defeats.

Newcastle acquitted themselves really well in the first-half, looking comfortable and making chances. But as in previous matches, they failed to capitalise and let Stoke into the game and had a string of lucky escapes towards the death.

Oba Martins and Geremi were absent on African Nations Cup duty while James Milner was ruled out with a bug.

Turkey international Emre was also missing from an inexperienced bench, hinting his days at Newcastle could be numbered and his commitment in question after not getting a call-up for this tie. However United did manage to pair Damien Duff and Michael Owen, with four seasons between them at the club, in a starting line-up for the first time.

Owen proved rusty on his return from a thigh injury when he was presented with United's best chance of the first half.

Viduka dropped deep and clipped a through ball down the middle for Owen who couldn't get a firm contact under pressure from keeper Steve Simonsen. Winger Charles N'Zogbia had two powerful drives, one was blocked and the other well saved.

Following a flurry of Newcastle attacks that petered out, Stoke got up a head of steam before the break. Fuller found himself through on goal after slipping Alan Smith's tackle but had his shot blocked by Abdoulaye Faye.

Liam Lawrence and Richard Cresswell also carved out decent openings but failed to breach the defence. Stoke tried to invoke the spirit of Stanley Matthews to inspire a packed crowd of 22,861 and their players worked their socks off as well as producing some good passing football that matched the visitors in effort and quality.

After the break Newcastle hit the post with a Steven Taylor header and when the ball was hooked back into the box Owen couldn't jump high enough to nod into an open goal. Then Stoke caused mayhem in attack as Taylor bravely blocked a Lawrence shot and sub Parkin triggered a major offensive push on his introduction.

He fed Fuller who skipped past Given and pulled back only for Taylor to again block on the line from Parkin. Moments later Parkin mis-hit a volley from six yards that Given juggled and the big striker had a free header from Lawrence's corner saved.

Newcastle's goal remained in tact with Taylor then blocking Fuller's shot. And in the last minute Fuller once again had an effort scrambled away by Given.

At the other end sub Andy Carroll failed to squeeze home N'Zogbia's cross and hit the side netting.

STOKE CITY: Simonsen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Cort, Dickinson, Lawrence, Eustace (Pulis 90), Pugh, Cresswell, Sidibe (Parkin 65), Fuller (Pericard 90).

NEWCASTLE: Given, Rozehnal, Taylor, Faye, Jose Enrique, Duff (LuaLua 74), Smith, Butt, N'Zogbia, Viduka (Carroll 87), Owen.

STOKE NEWCASTLE

39% POSSESSION 61%

4 SHOTS ON TARGET 2

4 SHOTS OFF TARGET 7

0 OFFSIDES 0

10 CORNERS 3

20 FOULS 8

1 YELLOW CARDS 1

0 RED CARDS 0

ATTENDANCE: 22,861

MAN OF THE MATCH: Cresswell

CAPTION(S):

CHEST RIGHT: Taylor blocks Cresswell's fine bicycle-kick effort; PARKY'S THE TALK: Stoke's Parkin went closest to scoring last night with this effort that just skimmed a post while (right) Simonsen gets the ball ahead of a grounded Taylor