Three goals in the last eight minutes sealed a rout for Stoke at Portman Road, with a Wilnis own-goal cancelled out by Haynes before Bangoura, Chadwick and Russell sealed the win for the potter's in an ineffectual display from a Town side that had hoped to put on a performance before the early season ticket renewal deadline on Thursday.
With five games left to play going into today's match the first-half reflected a typically mediocre mid-table clash, with Stoke's Darel Russell having the best of the opportunities.
Joe Royle's men adopted a 4-4-2 formation, with Alan Lee being joined in attack by Dean Bowditch and 18 year old Chris Casement getting his full debut at right-back, with Wilnis slotting into left-back in place of Jay McEveley. Richard Naylor reverted back to defensive duties alongside Jason De Vos, after another outing as a make-shift forward at Kenilworth Road.
Stoke, who had been denied all three points against Sheff United the previous week from a late equaliser, made a number of changes, with Johan Boskamp putting his faith in an out-of-form Sammy Bangoura to spearhead a 4-5-1 formation. Blackburn's on loan Paul Gallagher was the attacking option down the left and young Andy Wilkinson was given his chance at the back. Michael Duberry returned to the starting line-up to captain the side, whilst former Norwich City man, Darel Russell, was given a license to roam in central midfield.
Ipswich started rather shakily, with Casement and Naylor both slipping over on the ball inside the first two minutes but neither error proved costly.
Town then carved out the first clear opening of the afternoon when a good pass from Garvan found Casement's run down the right and the Northern Ireland U19 International hit a shot-cum-cross that had to be diverted behind by Simonsen in the Stoke goal but the resulting corner had the referee blowing up for a foul on the former Everton goalkeeper.
Russell then broke quickly for Stoke down the left-hand wing but pressure from Naylor made sure he was restricted to a feeble high shot and Kopteff then forced Supple into action but the young Irishman had the shot comfortably covered.
Alan Lee was getting no change out of the burly Stoke centre-halves and went down under a few challenges but Mr Miller, in his first Championship game, felt he was falling too easily. Lee then managed to get a shot in but his effort after 17 minutes was well over Simonsen's crossbar.
New Guinea international, Bangoura was being crowded out by the Ipswich defence but found some room on 19 minutes to tee-up Russell on the edge of the area, with his shot getting a corner, to the bemusement of the home fans.
Matt Richards' left-foot shot from 24yards out earnt Ipswich a corner but it came to nothing. Garvan then went close with a left-foot free-kick to the right-hand side of the Stoke 18 yard box, after Bowditch had been hacked down but the strength of the shot was never going to trouble Simonsen.
Stoke ended the half the stronger side, with Gallagher and Russell raiding down the Town left, with Russell cutting inside and hitting a right-foot effort that skimmed the outside of the side netting, with some Stoke fans thinking that it had crept into the other side.
Ipswich came out for the second-half kicking towards the North Stand end and making one substitution, with Spaniard Sito-Castro replacing Chris Casement at right-back, whilst Darren Currie and Matt Richards switched wings. Immediately Dean Bowditch went close from a Richards cross from the left with a header.
It was Stoke who took the lead though. Five minutes into the second-half, Dutchman Fabian Wilnis put the ball beyond his own goalkeeper. Dave Brammer put a cross in from 35 yards out on the left side which went over De Vos and Wilnis got to the ball ahead of Kopteff, but could only convert the cross beyond a helpless Supple in the Town goal, as it came off his knee.
Garvan then received the only Town booking of the afternoon after a heavy challenge on Russell in the centre-circle with a momentary flare-up being controlled by Mr Miller.
Magilton and Haynes came on to replace Garvan and Bowditch as Royle looked to provide some much needed creativity in midfield and an injection of pace upfront, utilising his remaining options from the bench.
Good play from Alan Lee on the edge of the Stoke area then set-up Richards for a shot that deflected out for a corner, from which Richards volleyed the headed clearance just over.
Gallagher should have extended Stoke's lead and many of the travelling fans will have wondered how he managed to miss from just four yards out after a perfectly driven in cross from deep on the right by Hoefkens almost fell onto his left boot but the effort went over Supple's bar.
Stoke then made a change of their own with former Manchester United winger Luke Chadwick replacing Peter Kopteff down the right but Town got back into the game minutes later when Danny Haynes became a super-sub after tucking in from a few yards after Stoke failed to clear a Jimmy Juan shot.
The equaliser, after 67 minutes, seemed to act as a wake-up call to Stoke though, who moved up a gear as Chadwick and Brammer both fired in shots at the Town goal before Naylor saved the Blues from going behind again with a goal-line clearance from Bangoura, after Supple had sliced his clearance.
Lee's cross from the right then nearly found Haynes but Simonsen got his hands on it just in time.
Bangoura gave a glimpse of his class on 78 minutes, with a smart touch in the box that brought him the room to access his options before finding Brammer, who wasted the chance by blasting over.
Ipswich were riding their luck at the back and deservedly went behind again after 82 minutes when Gallagher's cross from the right was taken on the chest by Bangoura and hit first-time with his left beyond Supple's reach, from the edge of the six yard box, to the jubilation of the travelling support.
A pivotal point in the match then occurred as 18 year old Haynes showed good footwork to cut inside from the left but his run was thwarted when he was knocked down in the penalty area but the referee waved play-on, much to the astonishment of everyone in the stadium and to the relief of the Stoke players.
A quick break from Stoke then resulted in a 3-1 lead. Chadwick was put one on one with Naylor and turned him inside out twice before planting a right-foot shot into the bottom left corner.
As the game entered into added time, many of the Ipswich fans began to filter out of the exit doors but the goal action was not complete until former Norwich man Darel Russell made it four for Stoke, at the second attempt, to condemn Town to an embarrassing home defeat.
Royle had wanted to use this game to convince more of the 23,000 crowd to invest in season tickets for next year but on this performance he may of deterred some of ‘the waverers' and without a win in six now will have to ring the changes before Brighton come to Portman Road next week.
The result moves Town back down into the bottom half of the table, in 13th position, whilst Stoke's fifth game without a defeat moves Boskamp's side up to a comfortable 11th in the Championship table after by far their best win on their travels this season.