Evans: It Was A Tough Battle At Stoke

Jonny Evans felt both sides deserved a point after United drew with Stoke City on New Year's Day, but admits the Reds had to battle at the Britannia Stadium.

The Reds were a goal behind after only two minutes when Ryan Shawcross pounced at a corner, but Radamel Falcao’s equaliser ultimately turned out to be the only other goal of the game on a testing day in the Potteries.

"We didn’t play as well as we have done in recent games," Evans told MUTV. "It's a tough place to come and the weather makes it tough especially in the second half when the wind was against us. So, you could maybe say that the draw was a fair result.

"It's not ideal to concede that early, but I thought towards the end of the first half we started to play a bit better, we were controlling the game and I think we deserved the goal at the time."

The hosts wasted a chance to go further ahead between the game's two goals when Mame Biram Diouf latched onto an error from Evans in the United area. The Senegalese former Reds striker put his shot wide, to the relief of his former team-mate who added: "I think everyone was relieved, especially me!

"The conditions were tough and the ball was holding up in the wind, so it was hard to judge the bounce. As it came over my head, I thought it was going to land on my head but then it seemed to kick on a bit. I should have done better to clear it, but I was pleased to see him put it wide.”