Stoke scored two goals inside five minutes to end a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 win at home to Wycombe.

Rhys Norrington-Davies opened the scoring midway through the second half before Harry Souttar wrapped up victory after heading home a corner.

But the Potters were made to work hard by the basement boys with Steven Fletcher and Nick Powell seeing chances go begging during a dominant opening half-hour.

Wanderers failed to make the most of a good spell either side of half-time with Josh Knight and Admiral Muskwe both coming close to an opener.

They paid the price for not taking their chances and never looked like getting back into it after falling behind.

Steven Fletcher scuffed a shot at David Stockdale inside the first 30 seconds as Stoke came out of the traps fast.

Nick Powell headed against the crossbar in the fifth minute after getting on the end of Tommy Smith’s cross.

Fletcher drilled a low shot straight at Stockdale after the ball dropped favourably after 10 minutes.

The Stoke striker made a mess of an attempted header over the keeper after Joe Allen played him in four minutes later.

Norrington-Davies saw a curling effort deflected wide for a 14th-minute corner as Stoke kept up the early pressure.

Uche Ikpeazu headed wide after beating his marker from Joe Jacobson’s 33rd-minute free-kick.

Jacob Brown was inches away from tapping in Powell’s pass across the six-yard box after 38 minutes.

Wycombe had a penalty shout waved away after Muskwe went down easily under a challenge by Norrington-Davies three minutes before the break.

Knight headed wide from a stoppage-time corner before Muskwe had a long-range shot deflected narrowly wide.

Brown blazed a cross-shot over in the 49th minute before Allen failed to find the target with a free header.

Allen missed an open goal from a couple of yards out after 57 minutes after he misjudged the ball and made contact with his standing leg.

Angus Gunn beat away a powerful shot by Muskwe seconds later as the game opened up.

David Wheeler had a shot blocked for a corner after a good first touch and turn created the opportunity.

However, Norrington-Davies calmly slotted through Stockdale’s legs after a brilliant one-two with Fletcher opened up Wycombe in the 64th minute.

Souttar doubled the home advantage after heading home from Smith’s chipped corner after 69 minutes.

Wycombe had shouts for a penalty turned down after Anis Mehmeti went down with eight minutes to go, while Adebayo Akinfenwa headed wide from Mehmeti’s cross late on.