City were left to rue an awful decision by referee Alan Wiley as to why they didn't pick up another three points as they were robbed of a last ditch winner.
City started the game well with Toure forced into putting the ball into the stands, but the resulting throw was headed over by Huth and Shawcross and Whelan both went close in the opening exchanges.
Patrick Vieira was being hurried in the midfield and after conning the referee into giving a free kick he lashed out at Whelan, kicking the midfielder in the groin. To the Irishmans credit he didn't make a meal of it but the referee's decision not to send off the Frenchman was crazy.
Man City were forced back and had to rely on counter attacks to create their own openings, with Whelan on hand to deny Santa Cruz the opener whilst Barry has to be alert to knock away Faye's header from a Lawrence corner.
The game chances weren't exactly flowing but they were appearing at both ends as Barry and Santa Cruz wasted chances at one end and Huth's flick on from another Delap throw in just evading the far post at the other.
As the half time whistle was about to be sounded the Potters dangerman Ricardo Fuller went on a mazy run, taking on six defenders before playing a one-two with Lawrence. The return ball wasn't the best though and was cut out by Given.
After the earlier Vieira incident the second controversial incident occurred when skipper Abdoulaye Faye was dismissed in the 52nd minute. Faye over complicated a clearance and was caught on the ball by Adebayor. The Senegalese star then threw a boot at the ball, and knocked it away from danger, but after consulting with his assistant was somehow deemed to have fouled the Togo striker and was sent off.
After a spell of midfield battling the visitors spurned a chance when Adebayor blasted a loose ball wide before Fuller was denied a clear penalty when Barry pulled him to the floor after the Jamaican had knocked the ball past him in the box. The crowd were truly incensed by the incompetence of the official but it didn't matter on 72 minutes as Whelan intercepted Johnson's clearance and hammered the ball past Given from 30 yards. The ground erupted and a repeat of last seasons 1-0 10 man win over Man City was on the cards.
City then at a bit deeper and went about holding onto their lead and up until the final minutes only had one moment of tension, when Barry had a shot put behind for a corner. That changed though with four minutes remaining as Barry knocked Adebayor's flick onto the post then tapped the rebound into the net with the keeper still grounded.
City didn't deserve that blow and after fighting through the controversy all night they had a mountain more in the fifth minute of injury time as a Delap throw in was nodded in by Shawcross. The defender ran off to celebrate only to be denied by the referee's amazing decision to disallow the goal for a foul on Given. There was no foul anywhere in that piece of play and Wiley's display must go down as one of the worst in recent living memory involving the Potters.