Sabri Lamouchi’s men got off to a nightmare start as they paid the price for not being at the races in the first half. Michael Dawson cleared off the line with two minutes gone, but just eight minutes later the Potters took the lead.
Brice Samba did well to tip away a Peter Oghenekaro Etebo free-kick. However, from the resulting corner, Tom Ince’s deflected effort fell kindly for Lee Gregory to thump the ball home.
When Dawson was forced off clutching his ribs just past the half hour mark, the evening threatened to go from bad to worse.
The Reds, though, were having none of it.
Joe Lolley levelled with 36 minutes gone when Jack Butland dropped Matty Cash’s cross, and the visitors emerged a different side in the second half.
Cash played his part again two minutes after the break, sending across the ball for Sammy Ameobi to head home.
And Lewis Grabban made it 3-1 just after the hour, providing a poacher’s finish following good work down the left by Ameobi, with the move kept alive by Lolley and Tiago Silva. There was still time for Stoke to set up a nervy finish when James McClean pulled one back with a header, six minutes from time. But Forest held on as they bounced back from Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup exit with a win which made it eight games unbeaten in the league.
Meanwhile Sammy Ameobi won the man of the match for his performance while compatriot, Oghenekaro Etebo put in decent shift for the Potters.
By Olamide Oyetunji
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