Jack McGlynn orchestrated Stoke's first away win since January with a deserved 2-1 success at Watford.
A 1-1 draw at Cardiff in midweek had ended a sequence of nine consecutive defeats away from Staffordshire, and the Potters were good value for their first win in 11 road trips - and their third success in four Championship games.
McGlynn opened the scoring for Stoke on half-time with Eric Bocat doubling the lead 13 minutes into the second half. Amin Nabizada's reply came too late for the Hornets.
Fortified by 10 summer signings, including United States international McGlynn from Houston Dynamo and £10million former Manchester United academy midfielder Ethan Galbraith from Swansea, Stoke were superior until they survived a late scare.
In the opening eight minutes alone Bocat, in plentiful space, sliced wastefully wide from 10 yards out and the French defender's cross was headed down, but over the top, by Lamine Cisse.
Then Galbraith tested home keeper Federico Ravaglia, the Italian making a sharp low save, as Watford struggled to break the Potters' press.
It took the Hornets 35 minutes to register a goal attempt of any description, Othmane Maamma firing a speculative volley way off target to end Stoke's monopoly of 10 shots without reply.
The home side went close when Ukraine international Maksym Talovierov's last-ditch challenge thwarted Mamadou Doumbia, diverting his fierce effort over the top.
But Watford, already depleted by a glut of injuries, were further disrupted by full-back Jordan Zemura's withdrawal before half-time and they could not make it through to the interval unscathed.
Lamine Cisse had already had a goal discounted for offside before McGlynn struck in the last seconds of added time, firing high and handsome beyond Ravaglia from the edge of the box to give the visitors a deserved lead.
Livewire McGlynn, signed on deadline day for a reported £4 million, kept Watford's hard-pressed defence under pressure with his set-piece delivery and his double act with Galbraith was outstanding.
Stoke continued to call the tune after the break, Cisse rattling the underside of the bar before Northern Ireland midfielder Justin Devenny shovelled a glorious chance wide from Ben Johnson's low centre.
But they were on course for the points when Bocat broke through the inside left channel and fired low across Ravaglia into the far corner to double the Potters' lead 12 minutes into the second period.
Watford lacked energy, cohesion and, crucially, options to change the course of the game from the bench, where head coach Alessio Dionisi named two goalkeepers, two right-backs, two centre-forwards and no midfielders among his eight substitutes.
Former West Ham striker Michail Antonio, who signed a one-year deal on Friday, was among Dionisi's replacements but his last appearance in English football was back in December 2024 and he was effectively included as window dressing.
Substitute Nabizada's brilliant, curling 25-yard effort, his third goal of the season, reduced the deficit on the stroke of 90 minutes, and Stoke then had to live on their nerves for six minutes of stoppage time before ending their 251-day wait for an away win.
Watford's Alessio Dionisi:
"My players are tired - it's normal when you play every three days for 10 matches, and we are a good team when we have them all (available), but I know our situation.
"If we stick together and we believe in the future, I'm sure the future will be better.
"Amin has scored three goals and I'm very happy for him, but we need other players to help because it is impossible for him to arrive at 10 goals (for the season) - I hope he does, but it will be difficult. The players need to reassert themselves."
Stoke's Mark Robins:
"It's been a long time coming. It was a really good performance, but no-one gets carried away. We have to grab hold of it and make sure we are getting better all the time.
"It's all about players and their quality. Our players showed they have quality. They have to carry out a game plan and be brave. They were all of those things. They made it work. It's a testament to them.
"Jack's a really good lad - very humble and really excited to be in England and playing in the Championship, but he's under no illusions that we want to do better and better.
"We had a long, long time last season with a lot of players out and we couldn't find a way of picking up points to keep our season alive.
"We wanted to change that. The owner has been fantastic and backed us incredibly well again. Now we have a decent balance and the makings of a really enjoyable team to watch.
"This team has been put together only very recently, so they deserve a lot of credit for taking information on very quickly - and this isn't the finished product. We've picked up 10 points from 12 after a poor start and it's a really good step forward and a really good spot to be in."
