The Potters hearts were broken late on for a third game in a row against Bolton, as Ivan Klasnic secured all threee points for the hosts in injury time.
City can't say they weren't warned, last season an injury time penalty denied them an away win at the Reebok before Matt Taylor scored twice in the last eight minutes at the Brit to turn a victory into a defeat for Tony Pulis' men.
Bolton led at half time, almost a gimme with the Potters this season, after Chung Yong Lee's effort had opened the scoring but Rory Delap ended a near two year goal drought to level the scores from close range. The Potters already felt aggrieved after having been denied what seemed a clear penalty in the first half when Zat Knight threw a fist at a high ball as City pushed for a winner for themselves, the ref waving the appeals away.
Both sides were boosted before kick off after Potters keeper Thomas Sorensen and Boltons talismanic striker Kevin Davies both passed late fitness tests to be included in the starting XI's for their respective sides.
Jermaine Pennant started very lively down the right and his cross was put out for a throw in that brought about city's first chance of the game. Delap launched the ball into the area and Knight managed to nod it away from the ruck of players in the box, but only to Whitehead. The City midfielder hit a vicious first time effort that flew over the bar.
City went close again minutes later as Etherington's fantastic corner was flicked on by Delap, but the ball just evaded Walters and Faye who had made runs towards the goal.
The first real Bolton chance saw the games opening goal as a loose ball was smashed goalwards by Lee, leaving Sorensen no chance from 18 yards.
Stoke were straight back in the game and won a free kick 22 yards out, after a foul on Walters. Pennant fancied his chances and then watched as his effort crashed off the crossbar, with home keeper Jaaskelainen rooted to his spot and well beaten.
Then there was the penalty drama for City as, under pressure from Huth, Knight punched a dropping ball, 12 yards out, but the ref was having none of it and waved away the flabagasted Stoke stars who stood in amazement at not having got the decision.
City may have been feeling sorry for themselves as half time approached, and they had Sorensen to thank for still being in the game at the break after he pulled off a superb save from Petrov before Davies headed wide from the resulting flag kick.
They may have been feeling sorry for themselves prior to half time but they certainly weren't after it as the Potters equalised two minutes after the break. Etherington delivered another superb corner and, with Huth dragging the opposition to the near post, the ball swing over to an unmarked Delap at the far post and he lashed the ball into the net, from 8 yards, before celebrating in front of a packed away end.
The Potters continued to push and Jones and Walters played a great one-two before the latter slid the ball into the well timed run of Whitehead. The energetic £5m midfielder broke free on goal but saw his effort well saved by Jaaskelainen, denying 'Deano' a first Stoke Premier League goal.
City's afternoon took a turn for the worse when, just minutes after replacing Pennant, Ricardo Fuller fell awkwardly on his shoulder and had to helped from the pitch, in obvious agony.
Eidur Gudjohnsen took the Jamaican's place, to great applause from the fans of the club he started his career in England with, and he nearly helped himself to a goal when, after setting Etherington free down the left, he got himself into a position on the edge of the box, received the ball back from City's magic winger but then watched his effort just clear the crossbar.
Bolton then started to press as City looked like settling that it wasn't their day and Collins was alert enough to turn the ball away after Sorensen spilled a Davies header.
That was only a warning though as, ironically from a long throw, the ball dropped to substitute Klasnic. He swivelled and struck his shot through the legs of a defender and past Sorensen to give the hosts the three points.
Klasnic then sacrificed himself to ensure his side came out victorious, stopping two late, late Stoke attacks with deliberate, crude challenges that brought about a pair of yellow cards and the resulting red.