Blackburn Rovers won their first game since the departure of boss Jon Dahl Tomasson as they earned a timely first league victory in two months.
With newly appointed Rovers boss John Eustace sat watching in the main stand, and first-team coaches Damien Johnson and David Lowe in charge, the hosts scored thee times in the first 37 minutes.
Tyrhys Dolan got the first and the third, either side of Championship top scorer Sammie Szmodics scoring his 17th goal of the season.
Stoke new boy Niall Ennis, signed from Blackburn late on deadline day, got his first goal of the season two minutes later.