Bristol City responded to successive home defeats as they bounced back to hold Mark Robins' Stoke City in the weather-hit Potteries.

Storm Boelo was the only winner as both sides played out their first goalless draw of the season.

Visiting boss Michael Skubala rung the changes, chiefly making a big decision in goal as he brought in former Barnsley and Coventry City keeper Brad Collins for Sam Tickle.

And it helped them earn a draw as the visitors maintained their decent away record this season - nine of their 15 points having come away from Ashton Gate.

At a ground notorious throughout world football for its all-year round weather outlook, it was not surprisingly wet and windy in Stoke right from kick-off time as Storm Boelo blew in.

Robins' side were knocked out of their stride by the early loss of the injured Lamine Cisse, who wasted an early opening before he was replaced by George Hirst.

Defender Ben Wilmot went even closer with a half-volley from the edge of the area which was just too high and Bosun Lawal also fired over the bar on the volley from close range following Jack McGlynn's corner.

But the visitors had two chances of their own, both for Gibson Yah.

Yah fired wide just from 15 yards following good work down the fight between Jason Knight and Rio Cardines, then curled another effort just over.

Stoke came closest to breaking the deadlock after the interval as they wasted two chances in quick succession.

Substitute Hirst had a header blocked, then August signing Ethan Galbraith shot just over the bar from the edge of the box, while McGlynn had a late chance which flew just inches wide.

Bristol City striker Dom Ballard also headed over late on from Cameron Pring's corner over, but the visitors have now gone three games without a goal.

They now sit 14th in the Championship table, while Stoke slip out of the top eight as they dropped points at home for the second game running following their cruel late 3-2 defeat by Middlesbrough 11 days earlier.

Robins' Stoke are at home again next Saturday, to bottom club Preston North, followed by two away trips inside five days to Blackburn, then Portsmouth.

By contrast, Skubala's Robins are on the road again next Saturday, at Bolton, then face successive home fixtures against Wolves and Norwich.

Stoke City boss Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:

"I can't be too critical and I don't want to be, because I don't think it's warranted. It was really difficult.

"They've changed shape. They've come for a difficult game and then the weather made it doubly so. But, if you can't win, don't lose.

"We've tried to do everything that we could to get a goal, but I didn't think we were good enough.

"When a team comes and sits like that, and it's the first time a team has come and done that, we've just got to take some learning from it."

Bristol City manager Michael Skubala told BBC Radio Bristol:

"The game was difficult for both teams. A typical Championship, windy game of football, but it was a really good character performance from ourselves.

"We created some excellent moments, some good box entries where we probably didn't have the last bit.

"But we came with a plan to set up and hit them on the counter-attack and we did that well at times, so I'm really pleased with a good point on the road.

"We knew how tough it would be because they've started the season very well here. They've got some really fast players on the top line, put some teams to the sword here, but we defended very well."