An injury-time winner at the Bet365 Stadium stung Stoke City on Tuesday night, but defender Ben Wilmot says the dressing room has already moved on. Middlesbrough's late strike ended a six-match unbeaten run that had delivered 16 points from a possible 18, yet the centre-back is adamant the Potters carry no lasting damage.

A performance to build on

Wilmot told BBC Radio Stoke that the manner of the defeat, rather than the result itself, gave him cause for optimism. "The positive is that we put in a good performance and shouldn't have lost," he said. "And I'm sure we'll soon get back to winning ways."

The defender acknowledged that Middlesbrough controlled possession through much of the opening 45 minutes, yet noted they created relatively little from it. Stoke wrestled the ball back after the break and created enough to merit at least a point before the decisive moment arrived in the final seconds.

"We took our time to get into the game," Wilmot said. "They dominated the ball in the first half without creating loads, which we were fine with, but we knew we needed to get more of the ball, which we did second half. It was then the little moments that cost us in the second half and that's disappointing."

Youth and confidence driving the Potters

Stoke had opened the season with three successive Championship defeats before Mark Robins' squad responded with that impressive points haul. The stark early-season slump and the swift recovery it produced appear to have hardened the squad's belief rather than left it fragile.

"We're young and we're learning but we're still full of confidence," Wilmot said. "We were good value for at least a point."

The youth of the group, frequently cited as both a vulnerability and a long-term asset, now looks like the key factor in how quickly the team resets. A young squad can absorb a narrow defeat and rediscover its shape without the weight of entrenched bad habits dragging it back.

Favourable fixtures to come

The schedule now turns in Stoke's favour. Saturday brings a trip to Derby, managed by former Stoke player John Eustace, before the Potters return to the Bet365 Stadium for back-to-back home fixtures against Bristol City and then bottom club Preston North End. Two of those three opponents currently sit in the Championship's bottom two, giving Stoke a clear opportunity to rebuild their points tally quickly.

Turning a one-point night into three points on Saturday would confirm that the Middlesbrough loss was an aberration rather than a sign the early momentum has faded. Wilmot and his teammates appear determined to make that the case.

With the Championship table still tight, dropping points to injury-time goals hurts; what matters is whether the response proves the run of form was built on something real. On the evidence of how Stoke performed against Middlesbrough even in defeat, the indications are that it was.

Frequently asked

Why did Stoke lose to Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough scored an injury-time winner at the Bet365 Stadium on Tuesday to end Stoke's unbeaten run. Defender Ben Wilmot said small moments in the second half proved costly, despite Stoke improving significantly after the break.
What are Stoke City's next fixtures in the Championship?
Stoke travel to Derby on Saturday, then host Bristol City and Preston North End in successive home games. Two of those three opponents are currently in the Championship's bottom two.
How long was Stoke City's unbeaten run before the Middlesbrough defeat?
Stoke had gone unbeaten for six Championship matches, collecting 16 points from a possible 18, before Middlesbrough's late winner on Tuesday brought that run to an end.