The Potters were made to pay for some wasteful finishing and slack defending late on as Bolton came from behind to turn the game around late on.
City started well and cruised through the first period, opening the scoring through David Kitson, whilst Bolton failed to have a single shot in the first half. The second half saw the Potters fall deeper and deeper as Bolton took the initiative yet the Potters still wasted a trio of golden opportunities to net a second before a Matt Taylor double secured the points for Wanderers.
Stoke started well and Delap nearly capitalised on hesitation in the defence when he nipped inbetween Knight and Jaaskelainen but his header was too strong and took the ball too wide. Huth was next to go close when he headed a Delap throw over before the deadlock was broken on 13 minutes. Tuncay controlled the ball before turning and feeding it through to Kitson. The striker raced onto the weighted through ball, rounded the keeper and slid it home to send the crowd wild.
Stoke continued to dominate the game, passing the ball around well as the visitors struggled to look interested, and Huth headed another Delap throw onto the far post before the rebound hit Lawrence and went out for a goal kick.
City weren't finished before half time and Huth bombed forward before being sent flying through the air as he set himself to shoot from the edge of the box. The free kick came to nothing but just seconds later a lovely flick from Tuncay put Kitson through on goal. The striker looked to have timed his run to perfection but the linesman thought otherwise and raised his flag for offside.
The second period saw Stoke let Bolton back into the game as thr visitors had a lot more of the ball, but still failed to test Sorensen for a long time, Klasnic curling one shot wide whilst Whitehead blocked a free kick by the same player. The striker then made it a trio of near misses before the home mark when he played a one two with Davies before again flashing his shot wide.
City were still inh the game but had let their energy levels drop but Whitehead still had the chance to secure the points when he went through one on one but the keeper made himself big and denied the midfielder a first league goal for Stoke.
After Matthew Etherington replaced Liam Lawrence the winger, and probably City player of the year, set about finishing the game off and his bursting run down the left ended with him picking out Tuncay by the penalty spot. The Turkish star controlled the ball before hitting the inside of the post. The ball rebounded out to Kitson but his shot, from underneath the bar, was deflected over by the outstretched boot of the defender. Great defending, even though the ref gave a goal kick, but Tuncay should have buried the initial effort.
As the game ticked into the final five minutes the game was turned on its head as two quickfire goals turned a comfortable victory into a despairing defeat. Referee Stuart Attwell was at the centre of the first goal when, after initially waving play on after a Whitehead tackle twenty yards out, he decided to bring the play back as City broke. Matt Taylor stepped up and smalled the ball into the net, the free kick deflecting off the wall and wrongfooting Sorensen, ending the defence's 370 minute run without condeding a goal.
The next goal wasn't that far away though as Weiss tricked his way past Collins, turning the defender inside out on the wing, before rolling the ball into the danger area. Taylor timed his run to perfection and a deft flick from the ex-Portsmouth man saw the ball squirm in at the far post and the pocket of Wanderers supporters in the Seat Stand went crazy as they took a vital lead.
They could, and should, have been silenced at the death when, following a corner kick, the ball fell to Faye 6 yards out. The defence froze and allowed the Senegalese defender time and space to hammer the ball into the net but he rushed his effort and ballooned his shot well over and into the Boothen End.