Stoke City summer signing Andre Vidigal scored his third goal in two games by scoring a second-half winner as West Bromwich Albion suffered an EFL Cup first-round exit.
The Portuguese forward struck on 65 minutes to win from close range, just 60 seconds after Brandon Thomas-Asante had levelled for the Baggies.
Stoke had the better chances in a game that livened up after the break after Albion, who made nine changes, made a ruck of substitutions.
But the Potters were good value for their half-time lead, when Wesley’s power forced Kyle Bartley into an error and his powerful low shot went in via the post and young keeper Josh Griffiths.
And Alex Neil’s side saw out victory well against an Albion side who, after a confidence-sapped pre-season, have now lost their opening two games.
Both sides ring changes
Stoke made six changes to their starting line-up from Saturday’s 4-1 opening-day win over Rotherham, which meant a debut for on-loan Burnley defender Luke McNally and full debuts for 16-year-old Sol Sidibe, fellow striker Wesley and on-loan Wolves midfielder Chiquinho.
Albion made nine changes from Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Blackburn, bringing in keeper Griffiths, along with Bartley, Erik Pieters, John Swift, Alex Mowatt and Taylor Gardner-Hickman, who were all part of the line-up that finished the game at Ewood Park.
Conor Townsend and Nathaniel Chalobah were the only two to keep their place, while Corberan also picked three 20-year-olds, one of whom, striker Ethan Ingram was making his debut.
Stoke went ahead when on-loan Ki-Jana Hoever fed from the right, Wesley and backed in to Kyle Bartley, but the Albion defender allowed him to turn, and the summer signing from Aston Villa fired a low right-foot shot which was kept out by a combination of Griffiths and the right post before spinning across the line off the young Albion keeper.
Improved Albion had two chances when sub John Swift had a shot cleared by Hoever from almost on his own goalline before a Pieters follow-up effort was beaten out by home keeper Mark Travers.
They then levelled when Conor Townsend crossed from the left and Thomas-Asante met it at the near post with a subtle flick of his outstretched right boot.
That looked like salvation for the 1,357 faithful travelling fans in the crowd of 10,583. But just a minute later, Albion were behind again when Baggies old boy Dwight Gayle cashed in on a Mowatt slip to play Vidigal into space inside the box – and he coolly slotted home.
Albion boss Corberan, already weakened by summer departures, is now set to lose another as keeper David Button is set to sign for relegated League One side Reading.
