Mark Hughes says Stoke didn't 'deserve to lose' to Liverpool in PL clash

Stoke City boss Mark Hughes believes that his side didn't deserve to lose to Liverpool by a goal, thanks to Glen Johnson's late header, in Saturday's Premier League clash.

Johnson's brave late header ended Liverpool's run of three successive Premier League defeats as captain Steven Gerrard was dropped to the bench on the 16th anniversary of his first-team debut.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insisted that Gerrard was left out of his starting line-up with an eye on a busy forthcoming programme, but it was still a major call at a time of intensifying pressure, The BBC reported.

With Gerrard already introduced as a substitute in the 75th minute and only five minutes left, defender Johnson reacted quickly after Rickie Lambert's header hit the bar to beat Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic and dive to head in.

Stoke provided plenty of anxious moments throughout, mainly through the gifted Bojan Krkic, who struck the post and forced a magnificent flying fingertip save from much-criticised Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet during seven minutes of stoppage time.

The roar that swirled around Anfield at full-time was testimony to the fans' huge relief after such a poor sequence and the collapse of the optimism of last season, when Liverpool came so close to winning their first title for 25 years.

Gerrard has been Liverpool's inspiration for much of the past 16 years, and it was a commodity completely absent in a desperately poor first 45 minutes, which saw Mignolet get the rough end of the hosts' tongue for the time he was taking over goal kicks.

After the break, Liverpool finally attempted to press Stoke into making mistakes, although it was the visitors who created two glorious chances to take the lead.

Liverpool's best chance came after 68 minutes when Sterling drove into the box and set up Joe Allen, who scooped over the bar when he looked certain to score. But, Johnson's courage secured a crucial win for the hosts just five minutes before time to the huge relief of the fans.

A disappointed Stoke manager Hughes said that they were disappointed to lose the game at the end like that, adding that on balance of play he doesn't think anyone really deserved to win.

Hughes said that they certainly didn't feel that they deserved to lose, adding that for long periods in the game they were in the ascendancy. He said that his side just got undone by a long ball into the box, adding that Rickie Lambert has made it his own and a Liverpool player was the first to react.

However, the Stoke boss claimed that he was really pleased with Krkic, who was most the most accomplished player on pitch.

Hughes said that the disappointment from their point of view is that his side can't keep a clean sheet at the moment and that is holding them back.