Stoke 3-1 Charlton: Potters see off relegation rivals

Improving Stoke boosted their survival hopes with a 3-1 win at home to relegation rivals Charlton.

Tom Ince and Nick Powell both scored second-half goals to earn the three points and stretch City's unbeaten home run to six matches in the Sky Bet Championship.

James McClean gave the hosts the lead with his sixth goal of the season but Stoke went into the break all square after Ben Purrington equalised in stoppage time.

Ince scored his first goal since August 10 to put Stoke back in front just after the restart, before Powell made the points safe.

The result moved Stoke one point above their opponents, who are one place and four points above the bottom three.

Sam Clucas had a second-minute shot well blocked on the edge of the box by a defender as Stoke came out fast.

The home fans were left shouting for a penalty when Joe Allen's powerful shot was charged down by Purrington after 12 minutes.

Ince had a shot blocked following a Clucas corner minutes later as Stoke kept up the pressure.

An unmarked Jason Pearce failed to connect with a corner after 17 minutes for the Londoners, before he headed over seconds later following another corner.

The Potters went ahead in the 28th minute when McClean tapped home at the back post after Powell headed a Clucas corner into his path.

Dillon Phillips was called into action as he kept out a dipping volley from Clucas in the 34th minute.

Charlton drew level in first-half stoppage time when Purrington beat Tommy Smith at the near post to fire home Andre Green's cross.

But two minutes into the second half Stoke restored their advantage when Ince finished well after Allen played him in on the edge of the box. The goal had a hint of offside about it with the Charlton defence staying static as they waited for the flag to go up.

Lyle Taylor failed to hit the target with a header after 57 minutes and was then inches away from getting on the end of a Pearce header six minutes later as the visitors began to apply some pressure.

City doubled their advantage when Nick Powell got on the end of Smith's cross to slot home at the near post after 66 minutes.

The visitors were once again left angry at the officials following the award of a throw-in to Stoke in the build up to the goal.

Charlton came close to a consolation but Taylor fired an effort wide on the stroke of full-time as Stoke saw the game out.

What the managers said...

Stoke's Michael O'Neill: "I am delighted with the performance. We played very well in the first half and deserved to be in front. We had total control of the game so to concede was disappointing, but the reaction was superb. Overall the team played in the way I would like to see my team play. We had control for large periods of that game and looked assured at the back - there is a lot to be positive about.

"We need to look at game management regarding their goal, we could have defended better and we are always striving for perfection. The important thing is we went out and continued how we had started the game. It was important that we got the reaction we did. We are creating chances and the wide players scored which is a bonus. We were worthy winners. It is nice to put distance between ourselves and the bottom three."

Charlton's Lee Bowyer: "It was not good enough from start to finish. They were better than us. Too many players weren't at it today. Too many were nowhere near playing as well as they can play. We have a squad that have to be at their best to compete in this division and they weren't today and that is why we lost.

"Stoke should not be where they are in the league, they have got some proper players in their side and they showed that today. You have to be at your best, you have to do the basics right and we did not do that today.We had a lot of players out there today who have just returned from injury. They were not at their peak and that is part of the reason why we struggled. We go again on Tuesday and it is important that we learn from this defeat. We have a fight ahead and need to be at our best."

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