Stoke survive after first Ade

Ade Akinbiyi’s headed goal against Reading guaranteed Stoke another season of First Division football.

The Potteries club needed to beat play-off bound Reading to be certain of avoiding relegation and, after a tense and scoreless first half, the former Leicester striker sent waves of relief crashing around the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke would have stayed up anyway because already-relegated Grimsby only managed to extract a point from their meeting with Brighton, who needed to win in Lincolnshire to have a chance of staying up.

Akinbiyi’s goal meant their labours were in vain but Brighton went down fighting, coming back from a goal down after Michael Keane had put Grimsby in front from the penalty spot.

Bobby Zamora replied with a penalty of his own in first-half stoppage time to give the south coast club new hope and a great escape appeared to be on when Danny Cullip put them in front two minutes after the break.

But Richard Hughes levelled for Grimsby at 2-2 three minutes later to ensure Brighton went down.