Lee Bowyer said his Charlton players were not their “normal selves” as they were swept aside by a convincing Stoke City.

James McClean and Tom Ince scored either side of a Ben Purrington equaliser before Nick Powell added the hosts’ third during a dominant second half.

The Addicks were second-best throughout and struggled to cope with a Potters side which has now climbed above them in the table to 20th.

Bowyer said: “Stoke were better than us all over the pitch. They looked hungrier than our players. They outfought us, and that doesn't really happen to us very often, so I'm disappointed.

“Ninety-nine point nine per cent of the time it is but they're human, you know? I don't know why [the fight wasn't there]. I'm not going to make any excuses for them because I don't need to, I know that's a big part of the way we play.

“I just said to the players, ‘We have to be at it and 100 per cent every single game’, because if we don't then we lose. Our squad isn't as strong as a lot of the other squads in this division, that's obvious to see, so we have to be at it and we have to do the right things, and the basics right, because you lose.

“That's why we lost today, because we weren't at it. There were too many players that had an off day at the same time. [When that happens] we have no chance.”

READ: Charlton's survival hopes suffer another blow in Stoke defeat

McClean’s goal arrived from a well-worked set-piece in which Powell headed Sam Clucas’ free-kick back across goal for a simple tap-in.

But Charlton struck back in first half added time when Andre Green’s inch-perfect cross was poked home past goalkeeper Jack Butland by Purrington.

Parity did not last long though, as Joe Allen’s through ball beyond the defence was finished well by Ince, before Powell dispatched Tommy Smith's low and driven cross beyond Dillon Phillips.

Bowyer added: “We weren't good in possession, out of possession, we weren't our normal selves. I don't think the conditions helped, I think that played a part, but I thought Stoke moved it well. I thought they played well.

“There were bits and bobs. Our goal was good, we moved the ball well for the goal well, and there were a few other occasions, but just not enough.

“It wasn't like us from start to finish, I don't know why.”