Cardiff and Stoke City settled for a point apiece in a drab 0-0 draw that does little to help either side in their bid to reach the play-offs.

Chances were at a premium in a contest where neither side were at their best.

Perry Ng's spectacular clearance denied Stoke's Jordan Thompson in the first half, while Kieffer Moore missed two late chances for the Bluebirds.

The draw sees Cardiff drop down to ninth in the Championship, six points adrift of sixth, while Stoke are 11th.

In truth neither the Bluebirds or Potters can be too disappointed to only take a point in a contest with few chances and a very limited amount of creativity on show.

Both managers opted to make tactical changes after hugely disappointing results at the weekend with three changes apiece to their starting XIs.

Cardiff tasted defeat for the first time under Mick McCarthy's management on Saturday as they lost 2-1 to Watford, while Stoke were hammered 3-0 at Middlesbrough.

The headline team news in South Wales was certainly in goal for Stoke. Welsh goalkeeper Adam Davies - fresh from earning back a place in the Wales squad - was named for his first start since Stoke's 2-0 defeat at Swansea back in October, after a long-term injury.

Davies did not have long to wait until he was called into action, saving Leandro Bacuna's shot from the edge of the area on 10 minutes, before Stoke almost scored when Dillon Phillips saved Steven Fletcher's effort and Ng contorted like an acrobat to somehow clear Thompson's rebound off the line.

Cardiff were living dangerously with Nick Powell curling just wide of the post as Fletcher found him after Aden Flint gave the ball away, but the hosts did threaten when Bacuna again tried his luck from range, with Davies saving low to his left.

Fletcher was forced off after a knock to the head and substitute Sam Vokes replaced him, with his first sight of goal coming on 39 minutes, but he headed straight at Phillips.

Cardiff's chances were few and far between, with a free-kick before the interval just evading Sean Morrison, while top scorer Moore fired over on the hour mark after Will Vaulks' long-throw was not dealt with by Stoke.

Vaulks volleyed wide with 20 minutes remaining as both sides showed plenty of industry without much quality, with Stoke ensuring Cardiff's goalkeeper Phillips was a virtual spectator in the second half.

Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi did find a sight of goal with 14 minutes remaining, but Phillips saved easily, while Moore finally found a route to goal on 80 minutes, but Davies showed no rustiness to rush out and smother the ball.

Moore missed another good chance with seven minutes remaining when Tom Sang's long ball sent him clear, but he lifted the ball over Davies and wide of the post with Cardiff perhaps ruining how long it took them to show the intensity they did in the final exchanges.

The final chances came when Davies flapped at Vaulks' monster throw on 89 minutes, but the ball just evaded the far post, with Stoke's best chance of the whole half arriving in the last minute of stoppage time with former Swansea favourite Joe Allen heading against the crossbar from eight yards.

Cardiff manager Mick McCarthy told BBC Sport Wales:

"I assess that as a hard-earned point, I don't think either team were at their best.

"I wasn't happy at half time, we weren't intense enough, it was a poor first half.

"The second half was significantly better and I thought we had the better chances, but they hit the crossbar in the last minute, so maybe we carried a bit of luck.

"But if you can't win it, don't lose it and it was a tough, tough game."

Stoke manager Michael O'Neill told BBC Sport Wales:

"It was a better result certainly than Saturday and it was important to get a good reaction to that.

"We had the better chances in the game to win, especially in the first half when we were the better team.

"We were put under pressure from long throws and set-plays, you have to defend it and I thought we did that very well tonight.

"We should have been 2-0 up at half time, but we didn't take our chances."