To paraphrase Rowan Atkinson’s Blackadder character, Stoke are in a stickier situation than when Sticky the Stick Insect got stuck on a sticky bun.

This was billed as a game Stoke had to win but Paul Lambert’s survival mission appears increasingly forlorn after an 11th Premier League game without a victory.

They were spirited and resilient, taking the lead through Badou Ndiaye, yet ultimately lacked the attacking threat to drag them closer to safety, epitomised by the travails of Mame Diouf up front. Diouf, and perhaps Stoke, never recovered from a dreadful miss late in the first half.

Ashley Barnes’ equaliser, his sixth goal in eight games, will maintain dreams of European excursions for Sean Dyche’s Burnley next season, while Stoke must now be fearing a one-way ticket to the Championship.

Lambert’s team are four points adrift with three games left; one of which is at Champions League semi-finalists Liverpool on Saturday.