Jacob Brown's strike lifted Stoke into the top half of the table and effectively killed off Queens Park Rangers' faint play-off hopes.
Brown fired home in first-half injury time, which proved enough to clinch a deserved victory for Michael O'Neill's side.
Rangers - who needed a win to maintain any realistic chance of scrambling into the top six - created little other than a George Thomas header that hit the post.
The Potters climb to 12th place, just two places and as many points behind QPR.
Stoke, who went into the game with four victories in their previous six, looked the more likely to open the scoring as Lewis Baker and Tommy Smith went close.