Portsmouth 0 Charlton 1 (Ajose 40).

Kevin Nolan reports from Fratton Park.

In Fratton Park's famous cauldron-like atmosphere, transformed by this result into a requiem for Portsmouth's promotion hopes, a stirring, one-for-all, all-for-one performance thrust Charlton into strong contention for the sixth-and last- play-off slot. This was a victory to which every player manfully contributed, none more so than outstanding goalkeeper Ben Amos.

A handful of fine saves, the pick of which was his quite astounding mid-air adjustment to conjure Brett Pitman's treacherously deflected 85th minute free kick over the bar, keynoted Charlton's defensive defiance but was greeted almost matter-of-factly by his colleagues. Inspired by the example of ultra-competitive skipper Jason Pearce, Amos had been protected by a resolute wall and was clearly expected to plug the holes on the rare occasions it was breached. In the heat of battle, emotional outbursts belong in the dressing room where it's safe to assume he was saluted more enthusiastically later.

There will be those among a raucous away following which silenced the local tribunes, who will find it impossible to relate this tight, purposeful side to the rabble which were bullied at Wimbledon and outsmarted four days later at home to Scunthorpe. With the Pompey Chimes degenerating into a poignant dirge, Portsmouth were ultimately broken. There was, admittedly, the odd uncomfortable moment for their visitors before the deed was done.

Clearly sent out by Lee Bowyer to take on the South Coasters, the Addicks dominated the first half, did largely as they pleased but retired for the break ominously only one goal to the good. Frankly dreadful for 45 minutes, the Blues should have been staring down the barrel of comprehensive defeat. Unable to pick out an accurate pass, second to every ball, overpowered and outclassed, Kenny Jackett's men struggled to survive. But survive they did and the second half became a backs-to-the-wall test of Charlton's character. It's a pleasure to report that they passed with flying all-red colours.

Provided stability by the insatiable workrate of Jake Forster-Caskey and Ben Reeve, the Londoners enjoyed effortless superiority without, as the interval approaching, threatening to score. Forster-Caskey came closest when he cut in from the right, beat Luke McGee with a low, left-footed drive but was foiled by Nathan Thompson's goalline clearance. Other than Tarique Fosu's sharply taken shot on the turn, which grazed a post, Pompey seemed likely to escape unscathed until Nicky Ajose's first goal of the season lowered the boom on them with five minutes first half minutes remaining.

An old-school exchange of goalkeeping clearances saw Amos collect McGee's free kick before returning it downfield with interest. An awkward handful throughout, Josh Magennis got the aerial better of Matt Clarke and nodded down for Ajose to spin into space before slotting past the advancing McGee. The goal was a nightmare for the tactical purists but it proved that the long ball still has a useful part to play in any team's arsenal.

Stirred out of their apathy, Portsmouth almost equalised immediately after Ahmed Kashi, returning from injury in time for the last surge, fouled Gareth Evans. His victim's free kick was headed goalwards by Clarke but smartly smothered by the first of Amos' crucial saves.

Prolific scorer Pitman (22 league goals this season) had been spending his time in Pearce's pocket, emerging from time to time to discuss referee Mark Heywood's officiating. He was always dangerous, though, and should have made more of another of Evans' free kicks than to head it lamely over the bar.

After Reeves volleyed narrowly wide, Amos preserved the lead by getting down smartly to save substitute Connor Ronan's raking low drive.

Charlton's compulsion to concede needless but dangerous free kicks was continued by Mark Marshall's thoughtless foul on Stuart O'Keefe in the juiciest of positions for Pitman to try his luck from 25 central yards. The veteran's effort was helped on its way to the top left corner by a wicked deflection until Amos twisted mid-dive to waft it over the bar. If it's true that catches win matches, the same can be said for saves of this exemplary quality.

Worrying injuries to hotshot Fosu and the steadily improving Lewis Page marred the Addicks' heartening performance, with Kashi's timely return offsetting the damage. The near top (Blackburn) and near bottom (Rochdale) of League One now stand in the way of their play-off ambitions, tricky Red Rose county opponents with differing agendas. Bring 'em on one at a time because Charlton have cast aside the crippling self-doubt that hampered most of this exhausting campaign. If they don't make it, they'll go down fighting.

Portsmouth: McGee, Thompson (O'Keefe 46), Clarke, Whatmough (Burgess 46), Haunstrup (Ronan 66), Close, Lowe, Evans, Donohue, Naismith, Pitman. Not used: Hawkins, Kennedy, Chaplin, Bass.

Charlton: Amos, Konsa, Bauer, Pearce, Page (Marshall 62), Reeves, Kashi, Forster-Caskey, Fosu (Dasilva 57), Ajose (Kaikai 90), Magennis. Not used: Phillips, Aibo, Lennon, Zyro

Referee: Mark Heywood. Att: 19,210 (2,448 visiting).

Charlton 0 Scunthorpe 1 (Toney 31).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

It ain't mathematically so. Not yet it ain't. But it's liable to be. Because in every other way, it's becoming obvious. Charlton will be competing again in League One next season. They belong there. When push comes to shove, they're just not good enough even to make the play-offs.

Back-to-back 1-0 defeats by Wimbledon and Scunthorpe thrust the tiresome campaign into sharp relief. The performance near Norbiton was ghastly and for those unfortunate wretches who suffered it, then loyally turned up at The Valley four days later, some sort of therapy might be in order. Nobody should be asked to endure twin nightmares like those traumatic ordeals. Not to mention having to pay for the bitter experience.

The tactical explanations for Charlton's prolonged demise are many and varied. Some experts advocate the diamond, some pundits prefer a more lozenge-shaped set-up, others argue for three at the back, still more big up 4-4-2. Then you've got your wingbacks, hole players, false number 9s, midfield sitters. To press or not to press, play out from the back or get it up front asap.

It's all so technical that it's likely Stephen Hawking would have failed his coaching exams miserably. On the other hand, he might have concluded that football is a simple practice unnecessarily complicated by theory. Its primary aim is to stick the ball in the net more times than your opponents and, in that regard, both Wimbledon and Scunthorpe had the edge over the Addicks.

Charlton's deceptive total of 54 league goals was swelled recently by the surprising 9-goal burst during the false dawn of Lee Bowyer's first three games in charge. Their lack of a proven goalscorer has cost them dearly in otherwise seemingly winnable games. At Wimbledon, blond-thatched Lyle Taylor seized on Patrick Bauer's disastrous slip and coolly poached the game's only goal. Taylor scored again at Walsall on Saturday and his crucial strikes will almost certainly keep modestly-budgeted Wimbledon in League One. The Dons should have been made an offer they couldn't refuse when his availability became an issue earlier this year. But imagination isn't among Roland Duchatelet's characteristics. He keeps his pragmatism close to his chest, which is where you will also come across his chequebook.

Scunthorpe's matchwinner was claimed by Ivan Toney, currently on loan from Newcastle United. His 1-yard tap-in owed more to the work of its creators Jordan Clarke and Hakeeb Adelakun but was celebrated with religious fervour. Giving thanks to a loftier presence, Ivan crossed himself, knelt in prayer, dedicated his achievement to world peace and generally carried on as if he'd scored the world's first-ever goal . He was just a little over the top which muddies the point that he was also an outstanding leader of the Iron's attack. If his magnificently struck second half volley had not been equally magnificently tipped over the bar by Ben Amos, though, the visitors might have had to collect him at an A1 service station on the way back.

Featuring on loan for Charlton in Saturday's glorious sunshine were Sullay Kaikai and Michal Zyro, neither of whom made much of a contribution. Kaikai is highly rated by Bowyer, which comes as a surprise to fans who see a trier with little else to recommend him. The Addicks improved markedly when he was replaced by feisty Tarique Fosu. Slow and clumsy, meanwhile, Zyro suffered in contrast to Toney's excellence while a third loanee, Stephy Mavididi, who replaced Joe Aribo, was again hugely disappointing.

Apart from Fosu, Amos was the only full-time Addick to emerge with credit. His early one-on-one block with his feet after Adelakun was sent clear by Duane Holmes was the first of three great saves by the defiant keeper. His instinctive, flying tip-over spoiled Toney's bid for Goal-of-the-Season and was followed by another electric reaction to beat clear Adelakun's venomous drive. No blame could be attached to Charlton's stand-alone keeper for Toney's goal.

Sprinting through a square defence on to Duane Holmes's through pass, Adelakun was offside by a whisker, wisely paused for thought, then delivered a firm, low cross which left Toney the easy task of converting from a yard out.

Toney's goal - and Taylor's before it - has probably condemned Charlton to another season in the doldrums of League One. The muffled drums are beating slowly, the fifes are playing lowly, the band is rehearsing the last post and chorus. It'll be time soon for Charlton's promotion hopes to be lowered down and for the massed pipers to lament their death with "Flowers of the Forest."

Unless, of course, they win at Shrewsbury while Portsmouth lose at Bradford, in which case... well, you can never tell with football, bloody football, do you?

Charlton: Amos, Dijksteel, Bauer, Pearce, Dasilva, Aribo (Mavididi 76), Forster-Caskey, Zyro (Magennis 53), Reeves, Kaikai (Fosu 54), Ajose. Not used: Phillips, Kashi, Lennon, Konsa. Booked: Kaikai.

Scunthorpe: Gilks, Clarke, Wallace, McArdle, Townsend, Yates, Holmes (McGeehan 76), Ojo, Moris, Toney (Novak 69), Adelakun (Vermijl 84). Not used: Watson, Bishop, Hopper, Burgess.
Referee: Graham Salisbury.

Att: 11,877 (586 visiting).

AFC Wimbledon 1 (Taylor 45) Charlton 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from Cherry Red Records Stadium.

When the dust settled following this painfully inevitable defeat, Charlton were left hanging on by a fast fraying thread to sixth place in League One. By gamely limiting fifth from bottom Wimbledon to a single-goal win, they defiantly held off doggedly pursuing Portsmouth with two precious goals to spare. The play-offs are still in their grasp. That's the good news.

The not-so-good news is that Charlton were outplayed, out-hustled and outfought by a gritty side who were willing to go an extra yard in their efforts to stave off relegation. The Dons won every 50-50 challenge; were first to every second ball; maintained their intensity from whistle to whistle. Their visitors, as the saying goes, failed to show up.

When lively Lyle Taylor capitalised on Patrick Bauer's ghastly error to score the game's only goal, he did so in the last minute of the first half. Though there were a total of 49 second half minutes available to find an equaliser, the Addicks were already a beaten side. Only the formalities were left to observe. So they huffed, they puffed, then went back and huffed some more. And they were blown away by more determined, resolute opponents.

At Bristol Rovers three days previously, the home side had been gifted the lead by Jason Pearce's woefully underpowered header intended for Ben Amos, on which Ryan Bennett pounced to prod Gas into the lead. Ben Reeves levelled before the break which, to some extent at least, got Pearce off the hook. There was no such luck here for his centre back partner.

In unchallenged possession outside his penalty area, Bauer disdained the option to launch the long ball, as Deji Oshilaja and Jon Meades, at the other end, did unapologetically all evening, but instead turned back with the obvious intention of routinely passing back to Amos. Inexplicably, his feet disappeared from under him, leaving Taylor to keep calm, carry on and coolly slot the up-for-grabs ball past the desperately advancing Amos. Playing out from the back is admirable, of course, but it shares similar perils with Russian Roulette. From time to time, there's a self-destructive bullet in the breech.

Chances before Taylor's strike were few but the Dons enjoyed what there was of them. As early as the second minute, Amos bravely left his line to save at Harry Forrester's feet, with Ezri Konsa reacting alertly in blocking Taylor's attempt to convert the rebound. As the home side continued to press, Will Nightingale headed Dean Parrett's free kick narrowly over the bar.

It's difficult to recall a shot on target from the Addicks, though there has been vague mention of one from Saturday's saviour Reeves. Doesn't ring a bell but there were three wildly wasted free kicks from Sullay KaiKai (2) and Jake Forster-Caskey, which brought with them a whiff of nostalgia for Ricky Holmes, twice Wimbledon's tormentor from setpieces. It's true that Pearce headed a Forster-Caskey corner against George Long's right hand post but he seemed unaware of his achievement and it might have been accidental. With most of the final ten minutes spent in undignified scuffling in the far left corner, as far from Long's goal as it was possible to get, Charlton's latest humiliation at the hands of pesky, troublesome Wimbledon petered out tamely.

But they're still a live entry in the struggle to nail down the final play-off spot. Upcoming games at home to Scunthorpe on Saturday and away to Shrewsbury Town and Portsmouth next week line up like murderers' row. If they emerge from that little lot still with a pulse, who knows?

AFC Wimbledon: Long, Fuller, Meades, Oshilaja, Nightingale (Charles 34), Parrett, Soares, Trotter, Forrester (Francomb 82), Taylor, Pigott (Barcham 71). Not used: McDonnell, Abdou, Kaja, Kennedy. Booked: Taylor.

Charlton: Amos, Konsa, Pearce, Bauer, Page, Aribo, Kaikai (Ajose 80), Forster-Caskey, Mavididi (Magennis 56), Reeves (Marshall 70), Zyro. Not used: Phillips, Dijksteel, Dasilva, Lennon. Booked: Pearce.

Referee: C. Hicks.

Att: 4,457 (745 visiting).

Northampton Town 0 Charlton 4 (Reeves 14, Fosu 19, 51, Magennis 79.

Kevin Nolan reports from Sixfields.

With this second impressive victory since taking over temporarily from Karl Robinson, Lee Bowyer improved his chances of landing a permanent job -at least as permanent as it gets at The Valley- as Charlton's new manager.

With the wise counsel of Johnnie Jackson at his elbow, Bowyer's combative attitude has already rubbed off on an increasingly rudderless team. Newly focused, spirited and tenacious, they're being made over to reflect their new boss' unquenchable commitment as a player, not to mention the considerable skill he brought with him in a successful career, which began as a junior Addick and ranged far and wide at the top level of English football.

After the winning start he made by seeing off in-form Plymouth Argyle, Bowyer followed up with this tape-to-tape drubbing of relegation haunted Northampton, currently managed by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, an ex-teammate at Leed United in the late 90s. Ironically, his main rival for the Charlton job is Harry Kewell, a third member of Leeds' Premiership side which trounced the Addicks 4-1 at Elland Road in November 1998. If the club, as has been rumoured, passes into Australian hands, fellow-antipodean Kewell would be favoured to take over. That would, almost certainly, be a mistake to rival the treacherous sacking of Chris Powell in 2014. And be honest, a Valley-full of sobbing, breast-beating Aussies would be difficult for us whingeing Poms to stomach.

Confident and assured, Charlton had this important win wrapped up in little over a quarter of an hour, the time it took them to move effortlessly into a two-goal lead they were never in danger of relinquishing. Smooth and fluent, they carved their way through the Cobblers' right flank, with Lewis Page played clear by Joe Aribo's weighted pass. The left back's perfectly flighted cross was met by Ben Reeves, who beat Shaun McWilliams to the ball before directing his header off Richard O'Donnell's left hand and in off a post. If, as Reeves later confessed, it was his first-ever headed goal, it was taken with surprising ease.

After Matt Grimes skimmed the bar from 25 yards, the visitors responded by doubling their lead with a splendid goal. Breaking over the halfway line, commanding centre back Patrick Bauer zipped a raking diagonal ball to Nicky Ajose's feet, over which the lively forward instinctively dummied. With the bedazzled home defenders heading in the wrong direction like so many Keystone Kops, Fosu weaved sinuously between them, defied Shay Facey's earnest effort to chop him down and created an angle for a low, right-footed drive which homed in on the bottom left corner.

So used to seeing their side falter when in the lead, a healthy contingent of travelling Londoners were unusually relaxed about their immediate future. Clearly the Cobblers' superiors, Charlton had no intention of resting on their laurels and Jason Pearce's header from Jake Forster-Caskey's corner was hacked off the goalline by Grimes. There was no sign of the nerves which so often unmanned them when in front during this exasperating season and resulted in so many disastrously conceded late goals. Calmer on the touchline than he was on the pitch, Bowyer always had a healthy distaste for losing. His new charges have inherited his hardnosed attitude. Like dogs and their owners, football teams and their managers get to resemble each other. Charlton have adopted their new gaffer's terrier-like tenacity.

Game but limited, meanwhile, Hasselbaink's men fell further behind six minutes after the interval, through another beauty from Fosu. Supplied by the quietly effective Michal Zyro, the rejuvenated wide midfielder jinked past a posse of defenders, drew a bead from 25 yards and left O'Donnell sprawling helplessly with another low shot into the bottom left corner.

Having played his full part in a team effort, Zyro was replaced by Josh Magennis, who promptly rubbed salt in Town's wounds. Picked out by Reeves' cleverly chipped cross at the far post, the selfless target man nodded in a fourth goal to round off a soggy but satisfying Good Friday afternoon in the rain.

It might prove to be too little too late but Bowyer has breathed life into Charlton's promotion ambitions. It seemed as good as over just two short weeks ago. Now they dare to hope again. Bowyer in!

Northampton: O'Donnell, Moloney (Ariyibi 41), Taylor, Buchanan, McWilliams (Bunney 52), Long, Crooks, Van Veen (Mathis 68), Facey, Grimes, Turnbull.

Not used: Cornell, Barnett, Hoskins, Pereira. Booked: Moloney, McWilliams.

Charlton: Amos, Dijksteel, Bauer, Pearce, Page, Aribo, Reeves, Fosu (Kaikai 80), Forster-Caskey, Ajose (Mavididi 64), Zyro (Magennis 66). Not used: Phillips, Konsa, Marshall, Sarr. Booked: Pearce.

Referee: Gavin Ward.

Att: 6,416 (1,208 visiting).

Charlton 2 (Page 3, Zyro 17) Plymouth Argyle 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Emboldened by their four-month unbeaten run and roared on by over 3,000 of Paul Whitehouse's cocky Green Army, Plymouth Argyle pulled into The Valley clearly expecting to leave a few hours later with all three points.

Argyle's brimming confidence, to be fair, was justified. They were visiting a football club which has become the butt of a joke with the longest punch line in history. Every time you think the last laugh has been wrung from Charlton's antics, they come up with another zinger to keep the mirth alive. Off the field, they've been a toe-curling embarrassment; on the park recently -don't go there, just don't go there. Unless, of course, you want to discuss Saturday's game.

During the week preceding the Pilgrims' arrival, even the departure of Karl Robinson descended into knockabout farce. His resignation was tendered to a slimline board which had been reduced from three members to two since Katrien Meire took it on her toes in January. Its chairman is a lugubrious old Belgian badger, who has prudently stayed out of England since the government declared war on his secretive species. Meanwhile, poor Richard Murray has carried the can alone and has found it lonely at the top.

Already lined up with a job at Oxford, Robinson's resignation became a mini-saga. He found it difficult to find someone qualified to accept it although a tea lady gamely volunteered to forward it. His first effort was eventually rejected, apparently on a split 1-1 vote, so he sought a re-count. This time he was successful and got his way 1-0 with one abstention. Off he trundled to the shires and Plymouth's fate, though far from obvious at the time, was sealed.

Lying in wait for the tearaway Westcountrymen were caretaker manager Lee Bowyer and his right-hand man Johnnie Jackson, both of them boasting solid Charlton pedigrees and each with a point to prove. They had prepared a revitalised side in a re-jigged 4-4-2 formation and unleashed them on unsuspecting Argyle. The visitors were taken by the scruff of their necks and handed a comprehensive hiding in comfortably the Addicks' best performance of an otherwise wretched season. They were never in with a chance.

Bowyer's men announced their aggressive intentions as early as the first minute when Remi Matthews bravely whisked Nicky Ajose's clever flick off Michal Zyro's toes. Plymouth's relief was short-lived as the outstanding Anfernee Dijksteel's cross from the right was inconclusively headed clear by Oscar Threlkeld to Lewis Page, unmarked over 30 yards from goal. A cushioned chest touch set up Page's left-footed volley which screamed beyond Matthews' despairing grasp on its way into the top right corner. Charlton had been given the perfect start on which to build and made a masterclass of it.

Largely untroubled as his side called the tune, Ben Amos promptly did his bit with a key contribution to keep out Argyle's best chance. Plunging low to his left as Ryan Taylor met Gary Sawyer's cutback from the byline, Amos fingertipped the low shot on to the post and safety. The importance of his save increased when the Addicks almost immediately doubled their lead. A sharp interchange of passes after Ben Reeves shrewdly switched play from right to left culminated in Ajose's cross which eluded a packed penalty area but was retrieved by Joe Aribo wide of the far post. The midfielder shifted the ball to his left foot before providing a perfect delivery which Zyro powered past Matthews.

Required to protect their lead for over 70 minutes, Charlton coped almost effortlessly. Centre backs Patrick Bauer and Jason Pearce were ruthless stoppers, unbeatable in the air and never reluctant to put a foot through the ball when necessary. Dijksteel compensated for the odd positional misjudgement with blistering speed and muted the threat offered by playmaker Graham Carey; on the opposite flank, left back Page followed his wonder strike with a sound, sensible performance.

Reeves was a busy, constructive influence in midfield alongside Jake Forster-Caskey's man-of-the match display, Aribo continued his impressive improvement, Tarique Fosu's pace and trickery frequently tied Argyle in knots. Up front, the skilful Ajose deserved a goal while, in Zyro, Bowyer has a centre forward capable of protecting the ball, passing it accurately and clearly with a goal in his repertoire.

"They were all men today," summarised a pleased but down-to-earth Bowyer, "I have no doubt we'll make the play-offs." Plymouth's reaction to rare defeat was slightly more puzzling. "Argyle continued to be the side who dictated the pace of the game" is a typical comment lifted from the club website's relentlessly optimistic match report. And with history duly re-written, the visitors probably enjoyed their long journey home. They were laughing when they arrived. And still managing faint smiles as they left. They might fade, though, when the truth kicks in.

Charlton: Amos, Dijksteel, Bauer, Pearce, Page (Sarr 88), Aribo, Reeves (Maloney 90), Forster-Caskey, Fosu, Ajose (Marshall 82), Zyro. Not used: Phillips, Kaikai, Lennon, Umerah. Booked: Bauer, Forster-Caskey.

Plymouth: Matthews, Sawyer, Songo'o (Fletcher 54), Ness, Carey, Lameiras (Taylor-Sinclair 54), Makasi, Threlkeld, Vyner, Fox (Paton 72), Taylor. Not used: Letheren, Ainsworth, Grant, Sangster. Booked: Paton.

Referee: John Busby.

Att: 13,989 (3,034 visiting).

Charlton 0 Fleetwood Town 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

As losing contributors to the ghastliest game of football any of its traumatised witnesses will wish to recall, Charlton quickly followed up their midweek horror show at Blackpool with another performance of soul-destroying incompetence. With the unapologetically negative co-operation of point-seeking Fleetwood Town, they came nightmarishly close to re-running the Bloomfield Road shambles for the benefit of their home fans. But they fell short. That standard is all but impossible to duplicate.

For one thing, the Addicks held Fleetwood to a draw. That's an improvement in itself. And for another, they also recorded a rare clean sheet and even went so far as surviving three added minutes without collapsing into rubber-legged defeat. Not only that, the stand-off helped them maintain their 13-point advantage over the Cod Army, who currently sit fifth from bottom in League One. It's time to relax, Charlton are safe from relegation. Well, safeish.

There was little else to comfort beleaguered boss Karl Robinson, who watched his side dominate possession, while peppering the visitors with 17 shots, only 2 of which were actually on target. "That's the story of our season", he groaned, "there was only one team in it...it was as simple as that. It's two points dropped today." It's hardly helpful to point out that those two dropped points might well have swelled to three, had Town made more of the two clearcut second half chances they created on the end of lightning counter-attacks.

The first of them saw Ben Amos' outstretched right boot foil Ashley Hunter in one-on-one confrontation after the dangerous winger was sent clear by Kyle Dempsey; but Charlton should have been punished for Jason Pearce's catastrophic error when Paddy Madden broke away to set up a shooting opportunity which substitute Conor McAleny, Oxford United's matchwinner here last season, screwed wastefully wide.

At the other end, Alex Cairns was relatively untroubled. Charlton's 17 shots were mostly comically feeble efforts, the last minute aberration skied by Naby Sarr into a derisive North Stand painfully typical of their boss-eyed marksmanship. It's frankly hard to recall the pair of attempts alleged to have arrived on target but it's safe to claim that neither of them unduly inconvenienced Cairns.

Weaving their usual tippy-tapping patterns around the edge of the visitors' penalty area, the Addicks were toothless where it counted. Their early chances fell to Ben Reeves whose free kick, after Tarique Fosu was chopped down by Madden, rebounded to him off the wall and was volleyed well wide. Reeves then charged down Gethin Jones' clearance, darted clear but fired a low drive across goal and wide of the far post. For Fleetwood, Madden met Wes Burns' cutback from close range only to drive his shot against Patrick Bauer. Hunter was their main man and after depositing Ezri Konsa on his posterior, his left-wing cross whizzed to safety through a congested six-yard box. And that, stand on me, does justice to the first half "action."

Things didn't exactly take off in the second period, either, to be honest. The Addicks buzzed around in possession of a ball they passed to each other like a hot potato. It became a bit bewildering at times as the Cod Army formed up stoically and channelled them into meaningless cul-de-sacs. The occasional shot sailed harmlessly high or wide, unlike those beauties we wistfully watch on Channel Five every Saturday evening, being skilfully bent, chipped or blasted home for the likes of Accrington Stanley or Lincoln City by blokes we've never heard of. And all expertly analysed for us by a writhing, gurning, lip-licking Clinton Morrison, who also assures us that some manager or other "is doing a great job." Clinton's savvy is invaluable because he has turned out for almost every club from the Championship down to League Two.

So it's farewell, meanwhile, to Blackpool and Fleetwood, next door neighbours whose back to-back partnership exploded Charlton's last lingering fantasy of play-offs qualification. But hold on a minute. Plymouth Argyle are up next, only five points ahead of the Addicks, who have a game in hand. What if we beat Argyle? That would put Charlton only two points behind the Pilgrims, still with that game in hand. Hold up...tell that fat lady to stick around but not to actually start singing yet...

Charlton: Amos, Konsa, Bauer, Pearce, Sarr, Aribo, Forster-Caskey, Marshall (Kaikai 66), Reeves (Ajose 60), Fosu, Magennis (Zyro 60). Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Jackson, Lennon, Dijksteel. Booked: Kaikai.

Fleetwood: Cairns, Coyle, Eastham, Bolger, Jones, Sowerby, Dempsey, Diagouraga, Hunter, Madden (Hiwula 87), Burns (McAleny 75). Not used: Neal, Pond, Grant, Maguire, Glendon. Booked: Diagouraga.

Referee: Mark Heywood. Att: 9,865 (105 visiting).

Peterborough United 4 (Hughes 44, Maddison 59,pen, Marriott 81, 84) Charlton 1 (Zyro 74).

Kevin Nolan reports from London Road.

Capable of plumbing unexplored depths of ineptitude, Charlton's play-offs credentials were exposed as fanciful by bright, buoyant Peterborough, whose victory catapulted them over their victims into the last play-offs spot. As usual in this mediocre division, favourable results elsewhere sustained the mathematical illusion that the Addicks are still alive and kicking. Indeed, if they win the first of their games in hand, in the last chance saloon at Blackpool on Tuesday evening, they could feasibly force their way back into the top six. The standard is frankly that poor.

In contention during all but the last minute of an even first half, the Addicks were looking forward to the break when, with an inevitability sickeningly familiar to their long-suffering fans, they conceded in chaotic circumstances. It was downhill from that point with a missed penalty compounding their misery.

Forced into further changes by recent injuries to Jay Dasilva and Ahmed Kashi, Karl Robinson boldly named Naby Sarr at left back while delegating holding midfield responsibility to Johnnie Jackson in what appeared to be a 4-1-4-1 departure from the tried but untrue 4-2-3-1 formation. Neither move was an unqualified success. As huge as Dasilva is diminutive, Sarr tried his best but struggled to cope in his unfamiliar role; Jackson, meanwhile, contributed neat touches and constructive passes but the advancing years have eaten into the dynamism which galvanised so many games during a stellar career. He also played a passive part in the missed penalty which, it could be argued, effectively ended Charlton's prospects.

Opening positively, the visitors forced a flurry of early corners and created the better chances. After nine minutes, Joe Aribo's pass allowed Josh Magennis to cut inside from the left to sting Jonathan Bond's palms with a rasping drive; Sarr's long throw was then knocked down by Magennis for Jake Forster-Caskey to bury a volley into the keeper's midriff; Ezri Konsa and Aribo freed Sullay Kaikai to fire an angled shot against the intelligently positioned Bond. At the other end, Omar Bogle's enterprising run made an opening through which the dangerous striker burst to rattle Ben Amos' right-hand post. A competitive but goalless first half was petering out when Posh predictably broke through.

Marcus Maddison's left-sided free kick was met by right back Andrew Hughes's header at the far post but was briefly scraped clear to Joe Ward. With the Addicks in disarray, Ward's cleverly flighted cross was dispatched via Hughes' skilfully cushioned volley into the bottom right corner. A man on a singleheaded mission to revitalise the centre parting, new Peterborough boss Steve Evans hastily revised his intended interval address accordingly.

There was a rude shock in store for weight-watching Evans immediately after resumption as Liam Shepherd's needless shove into Magennis' back was belatedly punished by referee Huxtable, with the help of a rather more eagle-eyed assistant. Assuming spot-kick duties for the first time, Magennis planted a tame effort wide, with better bet Jackson clearly reluctant to step up to the mark.

The effects of Magennis' miss were still being assessed when Maddison earned and helpfully demonstrated the right way to take a penalty. Accelerating past Sarr into the area, the left-footed setpiece expert suckered the novice left back into leaving a foot where a foot didn't belong and tumbled under the boneheaded challenge. From 12 unopposed yards, Maddison was never likely to miss. Nor did he.

With nothing to lose, Robinson turned to Michal Zyro, who replaced the disconsolate Magennis with 25 minutes remaining. The tall, well-built Pole settled down confidently and did enough to stake a valid claim for selection at Blackpool. His well-judged header deftly glanced fellow substitute Ben Reeves' accurate cross past Bond to reduce the arrears and inspired brief hope of an unlikely second recovery from 2-0 down against Posh. Grotesquely botched headed chances by Tarique Fosu, from Zyro's fine cross and Forster-Caskey's corner respectively, hardly helped the cause before hope was quashed by a pair of late strikes from Jack Marriott, League One's top scorer.

Marriott's first goal owed much to the persistence of Danny Lloyd, who refused to accept that Chris Forester's long raking pass would run out of play over the left byline. His lungbursting commitment was capped by a cutback squeezed across to Marriott, who swept home his 20th league goal of the season at the near post. His 21st followed three minutes later as Referee Huxtable applied intelligent advantage when Sarr clumsily wiped out Maddison on the right touchline, allowing Shephard to run on to the loose ball and deliver a low, bouncing centre which Marriott stooped to nod past Amos. The rout was complete. Yet another tour-de-farce from Charlton. And unless the worm begins its turn at Bloomfield Road, still one more season in the steady decline of a club with a proud past, a decaying present and an uncertain future.

Peterborough: Bond, Shephard, Hughes, Baldwin, Forrester, Maddison, Marriott, Ward (Doughty70), Da Silva Lopes (Anderson 83), Bogle (Lloyd 76), Taylor.Not used: O'Malley, Morais, Freestone, Cooper. Booked: Baldwin.

Charlton: Amos, Solly, Konsa, Pearce, Sarr, Jackson (Ajose 68), Aribo, Forster-Caskey, Kaikai (Reeves 64), Fosu, Magennis (Zyro 64). Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Bauer, Marshall, Lennon.

Referee: B. Huxtable.

Charlton 0 Shrewsbury Town 2 (Rodman 52, Beckles 67).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

If only Charlton had capped their blistering start to this game with a goal, you might have been reading a different story; and you might be feeling more optimistic about their prospects of escaping this dreadful division. But "if ifs and ands were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers' hands". Charlton failed to score during their brief purple patch and, unless you're a usefully employed tinker, you might feel it's time to give up on promotion. If only... two words which begin every lament for losers.

Charlton's first mistake, apart from failing as usual to finish what, for ten irresistible minutes, they so skilfully started, was in making such a fuss of this fixture. Because when the chips (or bacon sandwiches) are down, whenever they provide free travel to "Operation this or Operation that", disappointment hitches a ride. It's written into the club's constitution, not that you ever get used to it. Well, yeah, you do get used to it, actually. What you don't do is learn any lessons from it.

All the necessary ingredients to make this game special were in place on a bitterly cold afternoon which announced winter's intention to go out like a lion. The latest football for a fiver offer had attracted a bumper crowd; Karl Robinson's men had expressed their determination to prove that last weekend's victory at MK Dons was no flash in the pan but the springboard for a determined promotion push; the opera singer was unavailable but the build-up otherwise readied us for another of those days to remember.

And this day will indeed be fondly remembered -but only by 1,254 sons and daughters of Shropshire, who hugged each other in delight as their favourites weathered, thanks to the excellence of goalkeeper Dean Henderson, a torrid 10-minute going over before recovering to put their hosts firmly in their place. A place which, in the wake of this chastening lesson, is now outside the top six - but, let's not forget, with two comforting games in hand. The second of those games is away to...er, Shrewsbury. So probably one game in hand.

The Addicks' opening salvo was resisted singlehandedly by Henderson. When Sullay Kaikai and Josh Magennis combined to set up a clear shooting chance for Jake Forster-Caskey, the midfielder's fierce low drive was saved at full length by the defiant keeper. While the visitors still struggled to find their feet, Kaikai found Jay Dasilva, whose accurate cross was headed firmly by Magennis but brilliantly blocked on the line by Henderson's outflung right leg. The rebound reached Joe Aribo but the on-fire keeper spectacularly tipped the in-form youngster's vicious blockbuster over the bar. We didn't know it then but Charlton's bolt had already been shot.

Organised by Jon Nolan, a copper-topped Scouse-Irish busybody, the Shrews composed themselves and exerted a grip they were never likely to relinquish. Henderson could, in fact, have knocked off early and not been missed. Charlton quickly unravelled and were exposed as a side without substance, a soft-centred collection of self-absorbed will-o' the-wisps with more wisp than will to them. Beaten to every second ball, pressed into panicky clearances, caught regularly in dawdling possession dangerously close to their goal, they somehow bumbled along until half-time, thanks mainly to Nolan's missed penalty. Bundled over by Ezri Konsa, the ginger dynamo's spotkick was bravely parried by Amos and his rebound header smacked against the bar.

Completely unruffled by Nolan's act of generosity, Town duly lowered the boom seven minutes into the second half. Wide man Alex Rodman had been torturing Chris Solly with a succession of weaving runs, the latest of which carried him inside the right back from the left flank to unleash a superbly curled shot off the far post and in behind Amos. The keeper was given no chance, which won't silence the whispers that "he could have done more." While on the subject of armchair snipers, those anonymous critics of Solly, the very heartbeat of Charlton for several seasons, are invited to "do one." This marvellous pro is struggling right now but gives nothing but his best. He is heavily in credit.

Midway through the half, the visitors took care of business with a second goal. The Addicks' six-yard cover parted almost biblically as Omar Beckles rose unchallenged to head Shaun Whalley's outswinging corner down past Amos.

The last word belongs to Robinson, who frankly admitted that "we weren't good enough. They were the better team. We got old-schooled today and I've told the players we need to drop our egos because we are a good team." He might have added that they need to toughen up, fight for the right to play and, in old-fashioned parlance, get stuck in. It ain't all about crooking your elbows and striking stylish poses on the ball. You can do that after scoring. As long as you do score, you can do it as often as you like.

Charlton: Amos, Solly, Konsa, Pearce, DaSilva (Ajose 71), Kashi, Marshall (Fosu 87), Aribo, Kaikai (Zyro 90), Forster-Caskey, Magennis. Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Jackson, Bauer, Reeves. Booked: Kashi, Magennis, Forster-Caskey, Solly.

Shewsbury: Henderson, Godfrey, Sadler, Beckles, Whalley, Ogogo, Carlton Morris (John-Lewis 90), Bolton (Hendrie 10), Nolan, Nsiala, Rodman. Not used: McGillivray, Thomas, Bryn Morris, Eisa, Payne.

Referee: Christopher Sarginson. Att: 17,581 (1,254 visiting).

Charlton 1 (Magennis 24) Bradford City 1 (Robinson 80).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Still smarting from the calamitous surrender of five points from their two previous games, Charlton squared off with close rivals Bradford in a make-or-break clash for a place among the play-offs contenders. Even with a third of the season remaining, there's a distinct, psychological advantage to being among the top six teams.

By beating City, the Addicks would have leapfrogged the sixth-placed Bantams to lead them by a point with two useful games in hand. Throw in a superior goal difference and the prize for victory was huge. Simple arithmetic shows that defeat, on the other hand, would have represented a devastating body blow. So Charlton took the third option and, in painfully familiar circumstances, not to mention their patented 1-1 scoreline, marked time and continued to press their noses against the window to the holy grail.

Pegged back yet again by a late equaliser, this latest setback heaped more disappointment on Karl Robinson's men. Setting out with their usual elan, they were denied an early breakthrough when Colin Doyle brilliantly tipped Mark Marshall's bottom-corner bound shot against a post to safety. The keeper then kept out Sullay KaiKai's venomous volley with his legs before doing his resourceful best to prevent Josh Magennis from giving Charlton the lead midway through the first half.

The spadework was provided by Marshall, whose jinking run made space on the right to deliver a cleverly dinked cross aimed for Magennis. Climbing above two defenders, the back in-form striker generated just enough power in his downward header to squeeze the ball inside the left post, despite Doyle's frantic efforts to scrape it back in play. Referee Nicholas Kinseley, whose laissez-faire attitude to City's uncompromising physicality hardly endeared him to an openly mutinous Robinson, was ideally positioned to rule in Charlton's favour.

And this was where we came in. For having played the visitors off the park with a beguiling but all-too-brief blend of pace, power and skill, the Addicks began to falter as usual. While contributing little beyond the searing drive from Adam Chicksen which skimmed the bar shortly before the break, City retired with a toehold in a game which had threatened to run away from them. And as they improved, so their opponents' self-belief evaporated.

With only a single goal to protect, Charlton began the second half in frankly unconvincing quest of a second. Tariqe Fosu went close with a right-footed drive narrowly too high, then briefly troubled the Yorkshiremen with a corner which was awkwardly cleared at the near post.

But the pendulum had swung and it required a fine save from Ben Amos to keep out the volley with which Chicksen met Tony McMahon's inswinging corner from the right. Interval substitute Paul Taylor beat Amos on the rebound but Magennis, a tower of strength to his side in both penalty areas, cleared his effort off the goalline.

On 67 minutes, the Addicks survived a scare which suggested that sheer luck might, on this occasion, come to their rescue. Setpiece specialist McMahon stepped up to a free kick, awarded for Fosu's earnest attempt to decapitate Chicksen 20 yards out, and left Amos helpless as he sent it crashing against the bar.
Shortly after the escape, Fosu made a final effort to finish off the resurgent Bantams. A regular target, along with Kaikai, for City's cynical litany of fouls (Charlton were no angels themselves), he hauled himself up after being decked by McMahon to curl the free kick towards the far top corner. Backpedalling urgently, Doyle pawed the fast-dropping ball to safety, his vital save setting the stage for an increasingly inevitable equaliser.

Banished to the stands as the exchanges grew tetchier, Simon Grayson probably masterminded the 76th minute replacement of the embattled Chicksen by Tyrell Robinson from his new vantage point. If so, City's new boss was handsomely vindicated by the newcomer's first significant contribution. Stealing a yard on Chris Solly as he moved to meet Charlie Wyke's faintly deflected centre, Robinson firmly headed City's point-saver inside the right post. And there it was again - a delirious Jimmy Seed stand celebrating late salvation while the home tribunes looked on in sullen resentment. So is there a solution to the problem? Well, we could try kicking the other bloody way for a change. If it's broke, fix it!

Charlton: Amos, Solly, Konsa, Bauer, DaSilva (Lennon 90), Kashi, Marshall (Zyro 84), Forster-Caskey, Kaikai (Ajose 87), Fosu, Magennis. Not used: Phillips, Jackson, Reeves, Aribo. Booked: Fosu, Solly, Forster-Caskey.

Bradford: Doyle, McGowan, Knight-Percival, Vincelot, Chicksen (Robinson 76), Dieng (Taylor 46), Warnock, Gillead, McMahon, Guy, Wyke. Not used: Raeder, Law, Poleon, McCartan, Lund. Booked: McGowan, Guy, McMahon.

Referee: Nicholas Kinseley. Att: 10,650 (830 visiting).

Charlton 2 (Kashi 63, Magennis 78) Oxford United 3 (Henry 76, Kane 88, Ledson 90).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

It's no surprise that Charlton are not among those clubs who refer to their ground -often on the thinnest of evidence - as a fortress. If they did stoop to such posturing, the building codes bureaucrats would split their sides laughing.

They don't go in for any of that "This is Anfield" or "Run for your Lives, you're at Millwall" intimidation at The Valley. It's a cuddly, cosy place where visiting teams are encouraged to think they're in with a chance. So as mildly shocked Oxford United made off gleefully with all three points on Saturday, they departed to the cheery Cockney strains of "Call round any old time, make yourself at home, put your feet on the mantelshelf, open the cupboard and help yourself." Or less lyrically, the door's unlocked so spit on the floor and use the last of the milk because our casa is your casa. Thanks for coming, we'll clean up after you.

Charlton fans know the sickening drill all too well. They've grown wearily used to scenes of wild rejoicing in the Jimmy Seed stand as the travelling fans celebrate late equalisers or winners scored conveniently in front of them thanks to Charlton's set-in-stone, presumably pre-arranged habit of attacking the covered end in the second half. It might be time to switch that around because it's no secret that the worst disasters occur at the away end. When you're in a rut, it makes sense to step out of it.

This latest collapse almost defies description but we'll give it a shot. With two minutes of normal time remaining, the Addicks were still pouring forward in undisciplined search of a clinching goal to make it 3-1. Caught on the break as John Mousinho got behind them on the left, they were wrongfooted by the Oxford skipper's precise cutback and helpless to prevent United debutant Todd Kane from ramming a second equaliser past Ben Amos.

The announcement of five added minutes brought a roar of local anticipation but instead served as a clarion call for the buoyant visitors. A disorderly rabble by now, Charlton were rabbits mesmerised by headlights as Isaac Buckley-Ricketts eluded Jay DaSilva on the right and set up Ryan Ledson to crash home an increasingly inevitable winner inside the right hand post. In retrospect, the low shot directed by Buckley-Ricketts against the woodwork shortly before Kane scored, seems less like a lucky escape than an unheeded warning.

Nothing in an orderly, routine first half hinted at the mayhem in store. Charlton began brightly and had marginally the better of things, with Tarique Fosu's rasper stinging Simon Eastwood's hands and Mark Marshall directing a free header wastefully wide. For the visitors, Jon Obika, a pre-kick-off replacement for Wes Thomas, turned brilliantly to smash a looping volley harmlessly off the right-hand post. The near thing was Obika's last, meaningful contribution as he limped off later to make way for Malachi Napa. To be fair, Oxford coped manfully with the disruption.

A persistent, skilful thorn in United's side, Josh Magennis opened the second period by moving on to Fosu's pass and shooting ferociously on the run. Eastwood saved smartly, as did Amos from Napa's accurate low drive. But just past the hour mark, Karl Robinson's newly gung-ho side broke through. Fosu made the initial breach, through which Magennis and Ahmed Kashi poured. Magennis' effort was blocked but Kashi picked up the pieces, moved away from the goalmouth carnage and shot home off Eastwood's right hand.

The breakthrough brought with it the usual nervousness both on and off the field. Chronically uncertain when protecting a lead, the Addicks faltered and it was less than surprising when substitute James Henry fastened on to Napa's pass before, with cool detachment, driving precisely into the lower left corner.
It was then Oxford's turn to be rudely jolted when their hosts reclaimed the lead two minutes later. Caught dawdling near the left byline, Kane was neatly pickpocketed by Dasilva, who closed in and picked out Magennis' shrewdly timed charge into the six-yard area. From two yards, the Northern Irishman's sixth goal of the season was mere formality.

Making sense of this debacle is down to Robinson, who levelled charges of selfishness at his side and confessed he had drawn no positives from the miserable experience "We beat ourselves through our lack of discipline", he declared, "it became I want to score rather than we need to score."

The manager might need to justify the puzzling benching of in-form Joe Aribo and his reluctance to start an apparently fit Patrick Bauer at centre back. Ezri Konsa is a stylish but weak link in that position though it was Harry Lennon, the current "fans" scapegoat, who came in for the lion's share of badmouthing. While less than outstanding, Lennon won his fair share in the air and delivered a succession of raking passes on which Magennis fed. He was part of Charlton's total collapse, but far from the sole cause of it. If heads are to roll his might deserve to be spared. Meanwhile, Bauer must play at Doncaster. So must Aribo.

Charlton: Amos, Solly, Konsa, Lennon, Dasilva, Kashi, Marshall (Zyro 70), Forster-Caskey, Mavididi (Kaikai 70), Fosu (Aribo 87), Magennis. Not used: Phillips, Jackson, Bauer, Reeves. Booked: Lennon.

Oxford: Eastwood, Martin, Smith-Brown, Rothwell (Ricardinho 70), Ruffels, Ledson, Kane, Mowatt (Henry 70), Mousinho, Obika (Napa 34), Buckley-Ricketts. Not used: Shearer, Dickie, Carroll.

Referee: Keith Stroud. Att: 11,747 (1,381 visiting).