Ten-man Stoke won their first home game since November, and ended a run of 13 games without a victory.

And against a Manchester City side, whose starting line-up cost over £90million, it was a major boost to Stoke's battle to avoid relegation.

The home side's first XI cost less than £10m, but even after Rory Delap was sent off after 37 minutes, the defiant Potteries side produced a resilient display to claim three priceless points.

For City boss Hughes it was a sorry display to witness, 24 hours after high-level London talks over the club's transfer policy with chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, who was a spectator at the Britannia Stadium.

City will now try to push through deals to bring goalkeeper Shay Given and striker Roque Santa Cruz to the club before the transfer deadline on Monday.

Hughes pointedly claimed that his side did not have a physical, attacking, presence against a competitive Stoke.

Hughes said: "There is a reluctance to knock balls into the box because we do not have that physical presence, and defenders are likely to clear balls from those areas.

"We just didn't create enough chances to break them down. We had a lot of attack-minded players on the pitch at the end, we looked for every option, but this time it did not work.

"It is hard to make space on a very tight pitch, one on which Stoke are running hard and closing everyone down."

He added: "I've not heard anything more on our transfer targets. Bids are on the table but they have gone no further.

"I was with the chairman yesterday to discuss a plan to go forward, the bids are on the table (for Given and Santa Cruz). We have not made a bid for Kolo Toure."

Hughes said: "It was difficult to break them down in that second half, they are resolute as we know and they get lots of people behind the ball.

"They had the benefit of the goal we conceded so late in that first half.

"And when a team finds itself in that position with a goal to defend and something to battle for, even though they are down to 10 men, it makes it even more difficult to break them down.

"The one time we did break through, Micah Richards was taken out in the box for what was a clear penalty. It was blatant, but not given."

The Potters fans were left to celebrate a famous victory, against a team who are on a different financial planet to their own side.

The eventual winner came four minutes into first-half injury time when the club's two new signings combined to punish a City side who were half-asleep to the danger.

Matthew Etherington's excellent cross from the left flashed into the box with barely any attempt to block it, and James Beattie rose unchallenged at the far post to head home.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis had no complaints over Delap's red card, but was furious with the decision seconds earlier not to punish Shaun Wright-Phillips for a poor challenge on Etherington that had a direct effect on what followed.

Wright-Phillips should have been penalised, but Delap chased him and tripped him from behind before kicking the ball at the fallen player.

But Pulis was keener to praise his 10-men for their battling display. He said: "We showed tremendous resilience throughout, but in the second half we were outstanding.

"We work hard on our defending. We do a tremendous amount of work with our defensive eight against 11 in training, because we know we will constantly be up against it against very, very good teams.

"I tell them, it's life, this is what you are going to have to do. You have to stick in there when we are put under pressure like that by very good players.

"As for the sending-off, I have no complaints about the decision because Rory should not have done what he did.

"But I am desperately disappointed with the decision seconds earlier not to penalise Wright-Phillips for his tackle on Etherington.

"He slid in and got nowhere near the ball. The decision not to penalise that was very poor. But I cannot condone when Rory did."