Liam Lawrence had given the Potters the lead in the first half from the penalty spot at a packed Britannia Stadium after Martin Laursen had brought down Rory Delap inside the area.

But John Carew equalised in the 62nd minute when he latched on to a neat flick from Ashley Young and fired past former Villa goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

The Potters, though, took the lead again when Ricardo Fuller brillianty turned Laursen and produced a superb strike from a narrow angle after he was released by the impressive Lawrence in the 80th minute.

Villa levelled for a second time three minutes later when Laursen atoned for his earlier mistake and swept home from close range.

The match seemed to be heading for a draw but Mali international Mama Sidibe, a second-half substitute, rose highest in injury time to head home a long throw-in from Delap and give City a dramatic late victory.

"There is such a terrific spirit about the place and among the players and that spirit will really help us go so far," said Pulis.

"It was a good game - it ebbed and flowed - we had our good moments in the match and they had their good moments.

"Aston Villa are a very good side. With Carew up front they had got great power and have players with great pace and ability around him and I'm sure Villa will finish in the top eight without a question of a doubt.

"But it was a fantastic atmosphere today - which helped the players - and we have got to make that a regular occurrence here.

"It's a place we have got to win games if we are going to push on. What happens away from home will be difficult but it is important that when we are at home we get the crowd behind us and be as competitive as we were today.

"It's a great three points for us and it was great to win it the way we did at the end."

Stoke were dangerous from set-piece situations while Delap's throw-ins were a constant menace to the Villa defence.

But Pulis refuted suggestions that his side can only profit from corners, free-kicks and employ a direct style.

"The thing with the throw-ins is that they can take something away from the football we played," added the Welshman.

"Sometimes we get labelled as one-dimensional which we are not but I wouldn't swap it for anything.

"You speak to Martin O'Neill and I think he will admit that his side didn't enjoy defending against it.

"But I thought we mixed it up well and played some good stuff.

"Villa are a good side and we have to accept that sides are going to come here and have their periods of dominance."

O'Neill admitted a lapse in concentration cost his side a point after they twice fought back from a goal down.

The Villa boss also hinted that defence rather than attack will be the areas which he will seek to improve on the training ground.

"I am still very positive because the fact is we have been beaten today in the last minute of the game," said O'Neill.

"Over the whole period I thought we should have got at least something from the game after we scored two very good goals.

"It is too early to start cutting up players as it were, we have played two games in the Premier League and we've scored six goals.

"So scoring doesn't seem to be our problem at the moment. We scored a lot of goals last season and conceded quite a number.

"If we could cut down the number we conceded we'd have a better chance of getting more points so that's something we'll work on."

O'Neill also felt that his new-look defence - which included recent signings Nicky Shorey from Reading and Luke Young from Middlesbrough - will require a period of adjustment.

He added: "I think that it will take a bit a little bit of time for some players to get to know each other.

"We have three new players and also a centre-back in Martin Laursen who has not played for the last few months.

"But that's not to say we should not have defended the late throw-in better than we did so obviously I am disappointed with that and it has cost us a point today."