Stoke City's Academy side collected all three points in a well deserved win away at Bolton.

Tom Thorley grabbed the winner, netting a well timed strike, in the 24^th minute.

After a run of disappointing results for the Academy, they really needed the win to boost their confidence.

The game started with a display of end to end football with both sides struggling to gain the ascendancy, but in the 24^th minute Stoke got the breakthrough.

Tom Thorley picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and scored with a strike from the edge of the box into the top corner.

City's confidence was given a big boost and this enabled them to ride their luck into the second half. In the second half the youngsters had found their rhythm and kept possession of the ball well.

In the last half an hour of the game Stoke had to do some backs to the wall defending as Bolton tried to snatch an equaliser.

But Bolton weren't the only people trying to grab a late goal, Nathan McDonald had a very good chance in the last 15 minutes to wrap the game up, he picked up a very good move between Marc Grocott, Tom Urwin and Tom Thorley and he just put it over the bar.

City keeper Tom Harrison made a couple of excellent saves to maintain the visitor's clean sheet, and City absorbed the pressure well to claim the game and all three points.

Stoke City (4-4-2): Harrison, Keys, Watson, Thorley, Connor, Owens, Phillips, Grocott, McCormick (Urwin 62), McDonald (Parsons 78), Forrester. Subs (not used): Diao-Jimenez, Ryan, Ho.