HAT-TRICK hero Ricardo Fuller single-handedly ended Albion's five-match unbeaten away run in a frosty top-of-the-table encounter at the Britannia Stadium.
The Baggies have not won on Potters soil for more than 25 years and that hoodoo never looked like being exorcised after the Jamaican netted in the fifth and 38th minutes.
Tony Mowbray made a double change at the break by bringing on 20-goal strike duo Kevin Phillips and Ishmael Miller and fielding a bold 4-3-3 formation.
But, against the run of play, Fuller put the game beyond the Baggies in the 67th minute with his fifth goal in just two games.
Roman Bednar pulled one back five minutes later - his sixth goal in as many matches - but it proved too little, too late despite Albion laying siege to the City goal for the final 15 minutes.
Dean Kiely returned from a two-game absence with a broken toe to replace Luke Steele between the sticks.
Right-back Carl Hoefkens also got the nod to face his former club over Jared Hodgkiss after shaking off a hamstring injury.
The Baggies were also given a triple boost on the bench, with knee-injury victims Morrison, Miller and Albrechtsen named among the substitutes.
Hoefkens, back on his old stomping ground for the first time since his summer move, got a good reception from the home hordes.
But there was nothing else warm about this Britannia Stadium clash on what was a bitterly cold afternoon in the Potteries.
The hosts took a fifth-minute lead when they punished Chris Brunt for conceding possession cheaply in midfield.
Mamady Sidibe flicked ithe ball through for strike partner Fuller to drive into the box and slot home coolly low to Kiely's right.
The goal sparked strong protests from the Baggies defence as they claimed a hand had been used to fashion the opener.
The claims fell on deaf ears and Fuller gave Albion further problems in the 13th minute when he pounced on a long punt forward by keeper Steve Simonsen .
Fortunately for Mowbray's men, Bostjan Cesar managed to make a crucial block for a corner.
Two minutes later, Simonsen had to be alert to snaffle the ball at Bednar's feet as the Baggies striker attempted to get on the end of Zoltan Gera's throughball.
Gera then nodded down for Bednar in the 19th minute and he managed to turn Danny Pugh and get to the right by-line, only to see Leon Cort cut out his attempted centre to Filipe Teixeira in the six-yard box.
The visitors' best opportunity to date came five minutes later when Bednar powered onto Gera's pass before smashing an effort over from just inside the box.
Albion kept probing and Gera tried his luck from distance in the 27th minute. The Hungarian had Simonsen scrambling to his right as the ball flew just past the post.
Teixeira followed that up a minute later with a 20-yard snap-shot which the former Tranmere keeper smothered comfortably.
Brunt centred on the half-hour mark but Gera could not guide his free 12-yard header on target.
Following a sustained spell of Baggies pressure, the Potters finally broke out in the 35th minute.
Liam Lawrence cut inside Robinson before forcing Kiely to beat out his powerful drive.
Three minutes later, Stoke punished Albion when they failed to deal with Lawrence's right-wing free-kick into the box.
The unmarked Fuller pounced at the back post to slam the ball low past Kiely.
Nine-goal Ishmael Miller, on his comeback from a four-week knee-injury lay-off , and 11-goal Phillips came on for Brunt and Teixeira at half-time as Mowbray went for broke.
Simonsen had to be alert in the 48th minute to tip away Robinson's dangerous left-wing cross and deny Phillips a free header on goal.
Jonathan Greening then fed Hoefkens out on the right and the Belgian's ball into the box fell to Koren, who fired first-time at Simonsen when he had the whole goal to aim for.
The Potters had another lucky escape five minutes later when Miller headed Gera's right-wing cross goalwards but saw Cort clear his effort off the line.
But it was game, set and match to Tony Pulis's men in the 67th minute when Albion were caught by a sucker punch.
Albion lost possession in the Stoke half and the ball was fired out to Fuller on the left.
The ex-Preston ace turned Cesar inside out before drifting past Pele and slotting neatly home from 15 yards to complete his hat-trick.
Back came Albion and when the Potters only partially cleared a corner, Pele headed to Gera whose diagonal ball was headed home by Bednar with 18 minutes left.
Four minutes later, Koren tried his luck from 25 yards but Simonsen held his curling effort at the second attempt.
Albion were presented with a golden opportunity when Bednar intercepted a weak Cort back-pass in the 82nd minute.
The giant Czech raced goalwards but could not beat Simonsen, who saved with his legs.
Despite constant pressure on the City penalty area in the dying stages, the Baggies could not find any further cracks in the hosts' sturdy defence.
STOKE (4-4-2): Simonsen; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Cort, Pugh; Lawrence, Eustace, Delap, Cresswell; Sidibe (Dickinson 84), Fuller (Parkin 90). Subs not used: Hoult (gk), Zakuani, Pulis.
ALBION (4-4-1-1): Kiely; Hoefkens, Pele, Cesar (Albrechtsen 69), Robinson; Gera, Koren, Greening, Brunt (Miller HT); Teixeira (Phillips HT); Bednar. Subs not used: Steele (gk), Morrison.
GOALS: STOKE - Fuller (5, 38 & 67). ALBION - Bednar (72).
BOOKINGS: ALBION - Brunt (foul 17), Cesar (foul 35).
REFEREE: M Halsey (Lancashire).
ATTENDANCE: 18,420.
ALBION STARMAN: Robert Koren.
PIC: HOT STREAK...Bednar celebrates his sixth goal in six games at Stoke
