Liam Lawrence had the opening chance when, after collecting a Beattie flick on, he smashed a shot across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick. Birmingham responded in kind and Queudrue took advantage of the Potters midfield backing off to advance towards goal before unleashing a 35 yard rocket that Sorenson was forced to push away.
Citys plans were thrown into disarray shortly after as centre forward Beattie had to go off injured after landing awkwardly on his knee when challenging for a cross. Kitson came on to replace him.
Stoke pressed and pressed for the remainder of the first half, with numerous Delap throw ins causing panic in the area aswell as the wing play of Etherington and Lawrence allowing the Potters to attack cross after cross. Delap blazed an effort over from distance as, for all there pressure, the visitors jiust couldn;t create a clear opportunity.
The second half started with more Potters pressure and, after a throw in was half cleared, Wilkinson headed the ball goalwards and was about to celebrate his first professional goal when a defender flung himself in front of the ball. Delap was flinging in throw ins and crosses time and again but the Birmingham defence was holding firm under the intense pressure, the clearest chance of the game so far actually coming from a Brum attack as Fuller picked up Wilkinson's clearance and beat his marker but failed to get enough on his shot to trouble the keeper.
Etherington then swung in a free kick from the wing and, after it looped off a defender, Fuller was there to head into the empty net only for Fahey to acrobatically kick the ball, literally, off the Jamaicans head.
Birmingham went close to an undeserved lead as O'Connor powerfully headed the ball into the bottom corner, only for Sorenson, with a goal seeming certain, to throw himself to his right and tip the ball round the post.
Kitson, still searching for that elusive first Potters goal, nearly broke his duck as he got in front of his marker but steered Lawrence's great cross just over the bar.
The ball was in the back of the net in the 76th minute as Fuller raced in to meet a Delap throw in but used his hand to prod the ball into the net and received a booking for his efforts.
The last fifteen minute saw more and more pressure applied by the Potters but still no breakthrough whilst at the other end a fantastic recovering challenge by Wilkinson stopped sub Benitez getting on one-on-one with Thomas Sorenson.
Stoke(4-4-2): Sorenson, Wilkinson, Higginbotham, A.D. Faye, Shawcross, Lawrence, Etherington(Whitehead 76), Whelan, Delap, Beattie(Kitson 10), Fuller
subs: Simonsen, Griffin, Pugh, Cort, Cresswell