Hellberg described Boro’s opening to the Sky Bet Championship game as “terrible” as Slovakian Tomas Rigo’s first goal deservedly put the Potters in front.

However, a double interval substitution turned the game the visitors’ way – to Hellberg’s delight.

“It was easy to feel sorry for ourselves,” agreed the Swede as Boro moved second behind leaders Coventry. “But this group worked through it against tough opponents.

“No one was happy with the first half, especially the first 25 minutes. The last 15 minutes were better and we started to turn the game round.

“But it was not good enough. The second was much better,” added Hellberg, who brought on Delano Burgzorg and Leo Castledine at the break.

He explained: “It was better to do the two subs directly after half-time to have the best opportunity to turn the game around.

“Thankfully, I have a lot of good players and we had a good second half.

“We were brave trying to solve everything but we weren’t active enough in doing the right decisions.

“Luckily, we turned it around and that made me most proud. It would have been easy to go in another direction and start doing somewhere else. But we kept trying harder to solve it.”

Injury-hit Stoke – playing without a recognised striker – dropped to eighth, suffering their first defeat of the New Year and conceding for the first time in five games.

A man down after Bosun Lawal’s 75th dismissal, they might have snatched an added-time draw, only for Sol Brynn to save Lamine Cisse’s close-range header.

“We have very limited options and we are running on fumes,” said boss Mark Robins. “But they are giving me everything they can.

“We got our nose in front with a good goal from our perspective, though they will be disappointed it went through the goalkeeper.

“We had probably the best of the chances in the first half. In the second though we looked half a yard off it.

“The energy needed to change but players are giving everything. We just weren’t good enough to see the game through against a good team.

“We gave them the two goals and helped them on the way with a poor decision or wrong decision.

“It was a good performance but both goals were poor from our perspective. And that’s not like us.

“But they are a good team and have been in the top two for most of the season.”