Stoke City smash Charlton 4-0 in sensational bet365 Stadium performance

Stoke City produced a sensational attacking display at the bet365 Stadium as they swept aside Charlton Athletic 4-0 in the Championship.

Charlton started brightly, but once the Potters found their rhythm, the visitors simply could not cope.

Justin Devenny opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 15th minute, before Ethan Galbraith doubled Stoke's advantage just seven minutes later with a composed finish.

And Stoke weren't finished.

George Hirst made it 3-0 in the 25th minute, sending the home crowd into a frenzy as the Potters ripped through Charlton's defence.

Then, just before half-time, Devenny capped a remarkable debut by grabbing his second goal of the afternoon.

Four goals inside the opening 45 minutes left Charlton facing an almost impossible task after the break.

Stoke in complete control

The second half was largely a procession for the Potters, who controlled possession and comfortably protected their huge advantage.

Charlton's misery deepened just five minutes after the restart when substitute Danny McNamara was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in quick succession.

Stoke could have added even more goals, but by then the damage had already been done.

The 4-0 victory delivers a huge boost for Stoke following their difficult start to the Championship campaign and gives the Potters plenty of reason to believe this could be a major turning point.

For Charlton, meanwhile, it was a brutal reality check.

Their unbeaten start to the Championship season was brought crashing down in emphatic fashion, while Stoke City suddenly have plenty to smile about after one of their most impressive performances of the campaign.