Championship football returned to The Valley with a 3-1 win for the Addicks.

Lyle Taylor, Chuks Aneke and Conor Gallagher gave Lee Bowyer's side the points as Tom Ince's fierce strike levelled the tie for the Potters in the first half.

Bowyer's side, tipped as relegation favourites before a ball was kicked, now find themselves second in the league.

The visitors started the brighter without creating any real openings.

Charlton, despite looking organised and comfortable, allowing Stoke to have possession, didn’t look threatening as they looked a side with early season nerves.

On 25 minutes however it was the influential Taylor who lifted the mood and it was something out of nothing.

Picking up a long Jonathan Leko ball on the edge of the box, the forward struck a powerful drive past the despairing Jack Butland into the far corner.

A muted celebration followed, a nod to the club of his disappointment of missing out on a Brentford move perhaps?

With the Addicks growing in confidence they were pegged back on the counter-attack.

Ince , picking up a loose ball, unleashed a thunderous effort from 25-yards which flew past Dillon Phillips at his near post.

The equaliser had been coming, with Scott Hogan hitting the woodwork either side of Ince’s strike, as the Potters finished the half on the ascendancy.

The second half started at a frantic pace with opportunities at both ends.

Stoke’s Lee Gregory fired over from close range under pressure from Tom Lockyer following corner, whilst Butland saved at the feet of Charlton’s Leko after a swift counter-attack.

Bowyer, introduced Chuks Aneke for the impressive Leko with 20 to go as he looked to freshen up a tiring front line.

The second half started at a frantic pace with opportunities at both ends.

Stoke’s Lee Gregory fired over from close range under pressure from Tom Lockyer following corner, whilst Butland saved at the feet of Charlton’s Leko after a swift counter attack.

There was no letting up in the pace as both managers turned to their bench in search for a winner with twenty minutes to go.

On 75 minutes it was summer signing Aneke, in his first game at The Valley, who put the hosts ahead once more.

The busy Jonny Williams saw his cross from the left deflected into the path of the substitute to slot home from ten yards.

The Addicks, with the crowd now in full voice, extended their lead on 83 minutes through another of their loan signings, Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.

The 19-year-old arrowed home a corner from 12-yards which Butland had little chance of stopping.

With the two goal cushion the Addicks saw the game out to record their second victory of the season, and the first time they’ve won their opening two fixtures of a second tier campaign since the 1999/2000 season.

Attendance: 17,848

Charlton: Phillips, Solly, Pearce, Lockyer, Purrington, Cullen, Gallagher, Pratley, Williams, Leko (Aneke 67’), Taylor

Subs: Amos, Aneke, Forster-Caskey, Oshilaja, Sarr, Bonne, Lapslie

Stoke City: Butland, Smith, Lindsay, Batth, Ward, Ince, Woods (Duffy 67’), Allen, Clucas, Gregory, Hogan(Campbell 55’)

Subs: Vokes, Verlinden, Cousins, Campbell, Duffy, Federici, Collins