City picked up a clean sheet in their opening friendly, but couldn't put away their own chances, and had to settle for a draw at Meadow Lane.
The Potters were the better side, as was expected due to the two division gap between the sides, but left their shooting boots at home in thus game between the worlds two oldest league clubs.
County striker Lee Hughes was a menace as always and gave the Potters defence a good workout, with one clear chance falling to the hitman, but he couldn't find the target at the back post.
Stoke had numerous chances though, Tuncay forcing the keeper into a fine reaction save, after earlier nodding an Etherington cross wide of the far post.
Mama Sidibe, starting alongside Tuncay, missed a glorious opportunity when he flung himself at another Etherington delivery but somehow managed to head the ball over the bar, from a yard out.
The front two were replaced by James Beattie and Ricardo Fuller before the hour mark, as the Potters used all eight subs within ten minutes of half time, but there was no luck for those two either, Beattie being denied by a supreme save from the home keeper whilst Fuller trickery narrowly failed to create him a shooting opportunity on more than one occasion.
Michael Tonge, another sub, also went close but his curling effort was watched wide by the keeper.