This bottom of the table dogfight got off to a predictably scrappy start before Tom Soares, on his full debut, missed an outstanding chance to give City a seventh-minute lead.
Excellent work by Dave Kitson and Rory Delap carved the opening but Soares, ten yards out and with the goal at his mercy, allowed Heurelho Gomes to make a comfortable save.
A controversial game appeared to swing Stoke's way in the 19th minute when Gareth Bale was sent off for a professional foul on Soares and Danny Higginbotham put away the resulting penalty.
The strong winds moved the ball off the penalty spot on four occasions before Higginbotham held his nerve to drive a low shot just inside Gomes' left-hand post.
Alarm bells must have been ringing in Ramos' camp, but his side began to play considerably better with ten men.
Tottenham drew level in the 25th minute when Darren Bent fired in from close range after Alan Hutton's cross had been deflected into his path off a home defender.
And the visitors, with Aaron Lennon suddenly bursting to life, took the game by the scruff of the neck with Stoke looking like the team with reduced numbers.
Stoke's confidence looked shot, but they regrouped at half-time and applied steady pressure before scoring the winner in the 53rd minute.
Soares found Mamady Sidibe on the right and he curled a low cross to the far post where Delap slammed the ball into an empty net from three yards.
Stoke were forced to change their goalkeeper in the 65th minute when Thomas Sorensen suffered a cut head in a clash with Hutton, which earned the full-back a booking.
But there was soon serious concern at the other end of the field as Vedran Corluka took a knee in the jaw from his own keeper Gomes, rendering the defender unconscious.
Tottenham's medical staff and several ambulance personnel tended to the stricken Croatian for almost ten minutes before he was stretchered away and replaced by Michael Dawson.
It was scrappy and physical stuff now and Stoke were next to lose a player, with Ibrahima Sonko making way for Ryan Shawcross after he was helped off the pitch with a thigh injury.
Stoke were awarded a second penalty during 11 minutes of stoppage time when Jonathan Woodgate fouled Soares.
But Fuller's penalty struck both posts before Delap's follow-up attempt smashed against the bar.
Dawson was shown a straight red for a poor challenge on Sidibe shortly afterwards and there was still time for Fuller to waltz past Woodgate and fire against the bar during a dramatic finale.