The striker from Aston Villa Darren Bent back another segment of the faith shown in him by absence of manager Gerard Houllier to rescue a point against Stoke at Villa Park.
Houllier, who is recovering from chest pains at the hospital, paid to Sunderland an initial ?18 Bent million in January and here scored his seventh goal in 12 games for Villa.
It overrides the goal of the opening of another former Black Cats in Kenwyne Jones from Stoke.
Villa have now taken eight points from the last four games for almost another season of first division football.
But the Stoke FA Cup finalists would have been happy with a part of the spoils after losing their seven games away from home before.
Stoke looked the more dangerous side in the first half and Villa were indebted to another fine display of goalkeeper Brad Friedel.
The home side dominated the second half territorially but rarely seem to violate the rearguard of Stoke.
Stoke were first resolved and twice came close to take the initiative.
A long shot from Rory Delap was pushed by Jones to Robert Huth, whose fierce shot in the Middle volea from the edge of the box of leaned over the bar by Friedel.
Friedel then produced an excellent reflex save to keep out led powerful Jones from a corner of Matthew Etherington.
Villa fans were becoming frustrated at the length of Rory Delap was done with his long shots.
But one of them was that Jones broke the deadlock after 20 minutes.
Stoke striker went above the Villa defence to divert his header past Friedel at the corner of the net.
It was 31 minutes before Villa creates an appearance of a chance, but Emile Heskey could not keep his center-right of Kyle Walker header.
Doubled in vain for a penalty after claiming that he was pushed by Huth attacking a cross of Nigel Reo-Coker.
It was largely against the execution of the work that Bent brought Villa in terms of another demonstration of its ability to target levels.
Walker provided the cross from the right and oblique head of Bent 15 yards which defeated the immersion of Asmir Begovic, mail, once he had from Ryan Shawcross.
Villa attempted to build some momentum at the beginning of the second half, but Stewart Downing was excluded on the edge of the box Stoke.
Richard Dunne took the opportunity to try Begovic, after Stoke defend retreating.
But instead, he attempted to found Heskey with a deft pass and the opportunity was begging.
Marc Wilson became the first player to be yellow carded after 56 minutes for a challenge in the line of contact in Downing.
Glenn Whelan followed portable arbiter of Chris Foy seven minutes later for wasting time.
Begovic was relieved to see a deviant fly wide Downing shot after being bad legs.
Heskey then resbalada at the near post to make contact with a centre low of Nigel Reo-Coker, but his effort was extensive.
Fuel substitute Ricardo Fuller took the ball in the net from a Jones flick - on but had diverted slightly offside.
Stoke tried to wind down the clock in the final stage and Begovic was booked to lose time.
The visitors finished the game with 10 men after using his three sub when Fuller was stretchered off with what appeared to be an Achilles injury.
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