Stoke thrash Coventry to end their unbeaten runStoke brought Coventry's nine-game unbeaten run to an abrupt end as they crushed the Sky Blues 4-0 to dent their hopes of reaching the play-offs.
Jacob Brown tapped the ball in at the back post to put Stoke a goal up only six minutes in, before Tyrese Campbell doubled their advantage just before the break.
Will Smallbone made it 3-0 midway through the second half, slotting the ball into the bottom corner before Ki-Jana Hoever capped an excellent afternoon for the Potters with a superb solo effort 13 minutes from time.
Stoke are now unbeaten in four games and move up a place to 13th, while Coventry fall four points behind the top six.
Coventry are looking to make ithe play-offs for the first time since being relegated from the Premier League 22 years ago, but their good run of form took a hit as they fell to their first defeat since 3 February and their biggest home loss of the campaign.
Despite a dominant opening few minutes from the hosts, Stoke took the lead with their first attack of the game as Campbell's cross on the counter picked out Brown, who tapped in from close range.
It set the tone for the half as Campbell's shot was well saved by Ben Wilson, Ben Wilmot had a header cleared while Campbell saw another volley denied by an excellent Wilson stop.
Campbell finally got his just rewards five minutes before the break, running onto a long ball into acres of space, beating the offside trap - to protests from Coventry - and slotting the ball beyond Wilson to make it 2-0.
Mark Robins made three changes at half-time in an attempt to get back in the game.
Viktor Gyokeres struck a volley from distance but saw it saved by Jack Bonham and Fantaky Dabo curled his shot narrowly the wrong side of the post as Coventry desperately searched for a lifeline.
Yet just as earlier in the match, Coventry were punished on the counter attack as Stoke pushed forward for the first time 25 minutes into the second half.
Brown and Smallbone combined with a one-two on the edge of the box and Smallbone slotted home to all but wrap up victory.
On-loan Wolves defender Hoever then added the icing on the cake as he broke down the wing and around numerous Coventry bodies before finishing coolly into the bottom corner.
Coventry manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"You're playing against a really good team. We said yesterday, they're going to come after you, they're going to put you under pressure and they've got quality in the side.
"They had better legs, they had better qualities, they made it tell. We backed away, gave them too much room, didn't have any quality, couldn't get anything going.
"The consequence of that was the distance between the back lines and front lines was too big and we didn't solve that problem, and it's an easy problem to solve in the middle of the park.
"We just got out-fought, out-worked and they had more quality. When you put those together it was a long afternoon."