Medhi Benatia was unmarked at his far-post header found the corner.
But Marko Arnautovic ought to have scored for Stoke on 67 minutes and the substitute and former Liverpool striker, Peter Crouch, enjoyed the last word when he headed home unmarked from Diouf's cross.
Modibo Diakité's effort was ruled out for a tight offside decision and Mario Gómez had a clear chance 60 minutes in, when he was left unmarked at the far post.
Pepped by their increasingly impressive display, Maribor eventually chiselled out a lead when Mitja Viler's deep cross found Agim Ibraimi unmarked in the corner of the penalty area.
Carver's defence are hopeless at set pieces, though, and, unmarked, Nélson Oliveira soon headed in a corner.
Huntington was completely unmarked as he struck, which summed up Swindon's sloppiness and lack of focus on a day when, as Cooper admitted, the team let themselves down.
The ball was switched out wide to Eric Dier on the right and from his inviting first-time cross Kane of all people was left unmarked at the near post and steered a header beyond Howard into the far corner.
What is unusual this time is that the contest of personalities has been unmarked by the usual character assassination, innuendo and glibness.
Crossroads are often unmarked; the only choice is to take one road at random, and then ask the first person we come across.
Two were unmarked and marked versions of the same song; a third was a different song with the same watermark.
Yet last September, the 30th anniversary of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was left to pass unmarked.
