Southampton's Champions League hopes suffered blow as they were condemned to defeat by a late strike from Stoke's Charlie Adam.
A Kelvin Davis error allowed Mame Diouf to equalise after Morgan Schneiderlin's first league goal since September, and Adam delivered the knockout blow six minutes from time.
Two weeks ago Adam scored a stunning long-range strike from his own half against Chelsea. On Saturday he fired in from much closer range to seal a 2-1 win.
That is not to say the winning goal lacked quality, as the Scot, who came off the bench at half-time, swivelled away from his marker and fired low under Davis after the ball had bounced around the box.
The win, Stoke's first in five matches, means they edge to within four points of a 50-point tally for the season.
For Southampton, dreams of qualifying for the Champions League appear faint. They remain in sixth, five points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who play against West Ham on Sunday, and one point behind Liverpool.
And Ronald Koeman's problems worsened at the end when key defender Toby Alderweireld was carried off on a stretcher with a leg in a brace after falling awkwardly.
Stoke looked very much like a team that had failed to win in six weeks during the first half.
Apart from an early opportunity for Steven Nzonzi, which he blazed high and wide, they could not create any decent openings.
Southampton were playing far more confidently, turning defence into attack thanks to some precise passing and impressive running from Sadio Mane.
The pacy Saints midfielder thought he should have had a penalty in the 11th minute when he was bundled over by Stephen Ireland, but referee Mark Clattenburg waved play on.
Jose Fonte saw yellow for a late tackle on Diouf during a rare attack from the hosts.
Saints were soon back on the attack. Mane turned and slid in Graziano Pelle, and he fired a fierce shot into the side-netting.
The visiting fans were mocked for thinking the ball had gone in. Four minutes later they were cheering a real goal.
Fonte met Steven Davis' corner and glanced it past Asmir Begovic. The defender was just about to start celebrating his first goal of the season, but Schneiderlin nicked it off him by smashing the ball in from less than a yard.
Nathaniel Clyne wastefully blasted a shot into the stands when Pelle was free at the back post and the right-back then went into the book for clattering into Erik Pieters.
Nzonzi was handed an opportunity to equalise just before the break, but shinned wide from two yards wide following Geoff Cameron's flick-on.
Stoke looked a completely different team in the second half. Adam replaced Ireland at half-time, and within two minutes the hosts had equalised.
Davis, who had barely had a thing to do all match, was stuck in two minds when deciding whether to catch Nzonzi's shot. He could have easily gathered the ball but decided against it, and it struck the angle and fell to Mane, who lashed in.
Begovic came racing out of his box, but Mane beat him to the ball and squared to Dusan Tadic, but his weak shot was cleared off the line by Glenn Whelan.
The match was a real end to end affair with both teams going for the winner.
And Adam made sure of the victory with six minutes to go after Jon Walters' shot was blocked by Fonte.
Substitute Peter Crouch missed a great chance to score a third, but the game had already been won.
nguon : espnfc
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