City's Academy picked up there first points of the season with a narrow 2-1 victory away at Charlton Athletic.

The Potters emerged victorious thanks to goals from strikers Louis Moult and Warwick Alexander.

Opportunities were at a premium in the first half an hour with the play being evenly shared between two sides who looked as nervous as each other.

Moult was the first player to catch an eye of goal when he received the ball in the area after some good link up play by the Potters, but saw his effort smothered by the Charlton keeper.

Nearly 20 minutes passed before the next shot was struck, as Marc Grocott weak volley trickled into the grateful arms of the home goalkeeper.

A minute later it was Charlton's turn to attack. Jensen in the Charlton midfield floated past a Stoke midfielder and put through Addicks Lewis Perkins, but the striker could only manage a weak shot that trickled through to Tom Harrison.

Seconds later, Charlton had another effort; this time the home sides winger thumped an effort from the right-hand side of the area over the crossbar.

With the game finally in full flow Stoke took the lead on 33 minutes when Warwick Alexander got on the end of a well driven cross and produced a great header from just outside the six-yard box.

His effort bounced off the underside of the bar and over the line.

At half-time Charlton made a double change in an attempt to turn the game around.

Charlton started the second period much the better and were unlucky not be on level terms after 57 minutes, when a chipped pass fell to the Charlton captain, but the unmarked skipper could not quite bring the ball down in the box as the ball slipped passed his feet.

Stoke were defending for their lives and two blocked shots followed by a great save from Harrison preserved the Potters advantage as the Addicks pushed for an equaliser.

Three minutes later, on 67 minutes, Stavrinou had a sniff at goal when the ball was squeezed through to him, but under pressure from the Stoke defence, his shot from seven yards out was saved by Harrison.

The Potters then delivered the sucker punch when, having soaked up all the home sides pressure, they doubled their lead on 73 minutes when Moult profited from Charlton's failure to clear a cross from the left flank.

The ball came to him in the box and his looping shot deceived the Addicks' defence as it dropped into the gaping net.

Stoke's second goal took some of the steam out of the home side and Stoke were nearly rewarded with a third goal late on when Tom Urwin made a surging run into the area.

He was about to let fly with just the keeper to beat when Charlton defender Taylor Sinfield made a great interception.

The game looked as if it was over by the start of four minutes of stoppage time, but the Addicks very nearly made an extraordinary comeback.

With one of the four allotted minutes having passed, substitute Godfrey snuck behind the Potters defence to head a well flighted corner into the net from close range.

The Potters managed to hold on for all 3 points by surviving one last attack in the fourth and final minute of additional time when Stavrinou picked up the ball outside the area.

He let fly but his powerful long-range shot was well held by the impressive Harrison.

CITY (4-4-2): T Harrison, Vauls, McDonald, Connor, Wint, Urwin, Wedderburn, Grocott, J Phillips (J Harrison, 60), Alexander (Vickers, 65), Moult.

by Dan Buxton