Ben Wilmot opened the scoring in the first half before goals from Kasey Palmer, Regan Slater and a Wilmot own goal sealed a 3-1 victory for the visitors.
Stoke started with Liverpool loan-signing Lewis Koumas but he failed to make an impact for the Potters and was substituted.
Walter said: "They showed real bravery and that's why I'm really proud of them, that they kept going in our style of play, that they tried to defend and play forward and it was good to see.
"After conceding the goal we stayed brave and we showed a lot of courage because we tried to create more, we played a bit faster.
"We showed we can score again and that's good to see, because I've never had five winless games. It's good for us and it's good for all of the lads because they kept going, they believed in us, trusted each other and now they get to know each other better."
New Stoke manager Narcis Pelach was left to rue missed chances in his first game in charge after the Potters dominated the opening half-an-hour.
The Spaniard said: "In the first 20 minutes we were on the front foot, we won some balls back up the pitch which was the game plan, because we knew they tried to pass a lot and play a lot of passes.
"I'm happy with this 30 minutes, I saw my team, what I want to try to create. The last 15 of the first half we lost control.
"Second half I'm not quite happy, but it's thin lines."
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