Stoke held off a stirring second-half fightback from Southampton to keep their Coca-Cola Championship promotion bid on track at the Britannia Stadium with a 3-2 win.

Liam Lawrence inspired the Potters to a 3-0 lead at half-time, with Darren Powell's own-goal as well as Ryan Shawcross and Mamady Sidibe's headers all coming from the midfielder's corners.

However two goals in the first seven minutes of the second half from Stern John ensured the home support were forced to endure an unexpectedly uncomfortable second half.

The result was enough to move Stoke into third in the league table after West Brom were held to a 0-0 draw by Sheffield United.

Danny Griffin and leading scorer Ricardo Fuller were handed recalls by Potters boss Tony Pulis, while Jhon Viafara, Marek Saganowski, Alex Ostlund and Inigo Idiakez came into the Saints' starting line-up.

Stoke, who have lost just once in last 15 league games, looked purposeful every time they ventured forward and Rory Delap, facing his former club, should have done better from one superb Lawrence right-wing delivery.

Saints, who have appointed John Gorman and Jason Dodd as managers "for the foreseeable future", may be struggling in the bottom half, but there was little wrong with their away form entering the game.

Unbeaten in six away from St Mary's - the last five of them draws - the Saints created chances of their own and could have taken the lead when Steve Simonsen flapped at a corner only for Viafara to fire over.

They were soon made to pay in the 27th minute though after failing to deal with Lawrence's corner.

Shawcross' initial shot was saved by Kelvin Davis but the ball ricocheted around the area before deflecting off Powell and into the roof of the net.

Defender Shawcross soon continued his fine goalscoring form for the Potters, however, with a bullet header from another Lawrence corner giving him his eighth of the season after 35 minutes.

It could have been three when Fuller cut in superbly from the right but selfishly elected to shoot with Sidibe better positioned in the centre.

Soon after it was though, as Sidibe crashed home his first goal of the season from another superb outswinging Lawrence delivery a minute before half-time.

But the game was turned upside down at the break.

The crowd were barely back in their seats by the time John pulled a goal back with a 25-yard strike just four seconds into the second half.

The deficit could have been reduced further moments later when Jason Euell's teasing cross evaded the lurking Saganowski at the back post by inches.

A rare foray forward from the home side ended in Delap blazing over and by the 54th minute the lead had been cut to one as John lashed an Andrew Davies cross in from close range.

Suddenly, Stoke's previously solid rearguard looked vulnerable and three times in quick succession John had opportunities to claim his hat-trick.

Pulis' side could count themselves fortunate when one deflected shot spun agonisingly past the right post with Simonsen wrong-footed.

However, they survived the onslaught and finished the stronger side.

Lawrence seemed set to get the goal his efforts deserved as his inswinging free-kick evaded everyone in the box and spun towards the far corner but Davis did superbly to push it away for a corner.

The former Sunderland midfielder was denied a fourth assist late on when Cort headed his corner the wrong side of the post.

The Saints were unable to force an equaliser though as Stoke held on for three precious points.

Teams:

Stoke Simonsen, Griffin, Cort, Shawcross, Pugh,Lawrence (Zakuani 87), Delap, Diao, Whelan, Sidibe, Fuller.

Subs Not Used: Hoult, Parkin, Gallagher, Pericard.

Booked: Pugh, Fuller.

Goals: Powell 27 og, Shawcross 35, Sidibe 44.

Southampton Davis, Davies (Wright-Phillips 80), Powell,Ostlund, Wright, Viafara, Surman, Saganowski,Idiakez (McGoldrick 88), Euell, John.

Subs Not Used: Hammill, Lallana, James.

Booked: Saganowski, Idiakez, Ostlund.

Goals: John 46, 54.

Att: 19,481

Ref: Nigel Miller (Durham).