West Brom look set to be playing Championship football next season after losing 2-0 at home to a Stoke side that ended their woeful away form with their first victory on their travels this season.
Goals from strike duo Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie proved the difference to lift the Potters up to 13th in the Premier League table, six points from the drop-zone.
The Baggies did little to help their bid for survival with both goals coming courtesy of what has become trademark woeful defending and Tony Mowbray's side now face a near-impossible task of staying up as they lie eight points from safety.
Basement dwellers Albion look doomed to the drop after a run of 11 games without a win and they seldom looked like scoring apart from a Chris Brunt shot which hit the crossbar.
Stoke had the worst away record in the four divisions ahead of this clash - just four points from a possible 45 - but this victory has done much to ease their fears of making a quickfire return to the England's second-tier.
It was a contrast in styles between the passing game of West Brom and the more direct style of the visitors - and there was only likely to be one winner once Fuller had broken the deadlock via Stoke's first attack.
City looked the more menacing on the counter-attack with Fuller and Beattie always posing problems for a typically jittery looking Albion defence.
Beattie has now scored six goals in 10 games since his £3.5million move from Sheffield United during the January transfer window.
The home side enjoyed plenty of possession but were lightweight in attack.
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