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Pirates pillaged as skipper steadies the ship

Charlton survived a second-half wobble to bank an important three points at The Valley on Tuesday night with a 4-2 victory against Bristol Rovers.

Leading 2-0 thanks to goals from David Mooney and a Deon Burton penalty, the Addicks were pegged back by a spot-kick from Jeff Hughes shortly before the break.

Chris Lines then rose to head the visitors level 11 minutes into the second half and Dominic Blizzard put two good chances wide for them before the Addicks toiled in some choppy waters.

Skipper Nicky Bailey forced his side back in front midway through the half - helping his side start to sail away from the Pirate threat - and substitute Akpo Sodje made sure of the points with his second goal in successive games five minutes from time.

The win keeps the Charlton points tally ticking along nicely; they are now averaging two points a game and should they keep that up, promotion ought to be a certainty.

The result looked odds on as the hosts raced into an early two-goal lead against their jittery visitors, who looked all at sea.

Mooney slammed home his second goal in successive home games on four minutes, reacting quickest to beat keeper Mikkel Andersen - also on loan from Reading - after Burton's fourth-minute shot was parried out.

The hosts then doubled their lead when Pat Baldwin was adjudged to have upended Miguel Llera in the box on 17 minutes.

The Pirates were far from happy at the decision and their collective moods darkened somewhat as Burton fired home his eighth goal of the season from the spot.

Mooney unwittingly blocked a goalbound Jonjo Shelvey effort on the line soon afterwards and that paved the way for a Rovers fightback.

First Cook levelled up the penalty count five minutes before the break, penalising Christian Dailly for upending Jo Kuffour; another soft decision.

Jeff Hughes obliged from 12 yards, and as the Addicks appeared to be running low on gas at the start of the second half with the wind against them, the Gasheads in the away end were delighted to see Lines rise to head them level.

Blizzard then crashed a great chance across goal and wide, but Charlton reacted well - with their skipper, not for the first time, leading the way.

With sheer bloody-mindedness and desire, he came steaming in to turn the ball in from close range after Mooney's header had come off the bar, and the loose ball was skewed loose after the striker and keeper tussled.

There was consternation among all in the ground when Lines - wrongly credited with a yellow card after the penalty incident earlier in the game - was booked.

All and sundry directed the referee's attention to The Valley's big screen, but the red card remained - rightly - in Cook's pocket.

But the referee's notebook did have the addition of a fourth goal late on as Sodje converted Grant Basey's corner from close in to finally seal the win.

A hard-fought win? Not half. But a big three points nonetheless.

In terms of team news Charlton made two changes for the Valley clash with Rovers.

With Sam Sodje suspended following his red card at Yeovil Town on Saturday, Spaniard Llera deputised in the centre of defence.

And there was also a change in midfield for the Addicks as Therry Racon made way for teenager Shelvey.

Charlton had not lost on home territory since March and were looking to continue that run against a Pirates side who had former Addicks boss Lennie Lawrence as their director of football.

Parkinson's side showed real spirit against the Glovers on a weather-affected afternoon in Somerset, fighting back from a man and a goal down to pinch a point.

Akpo Sodje, younger brother of Sam of course, rifled in the leveller and but for a combination of keeper Alex McCarthy and the woodwork Charlton would have claimed a deserved three points.

Sodje remained on the bench, as Mooney and Burton, goalscorers last time out in SE7 against Milton Keynes Dons but separated after the visitors reorganised after the sending off at the weekend, continued up front.

And in Pirates keeper Anderson, Mooney was up against a second custodial clubmate from Reading, after temporarily pitting his wits against McCarthy on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the Addicks ranks Carl Ikeme continued between the posts with Rob Elliot still not yet fully recovered from his adductor injury. It was the last game of the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee's spell at the club.

Frazer Richardson remained sidelined with a hamstring problem so Kelly Youga continued at right-back and Grant Basey was on the left.

Llera joined Christian Dailly in the centre of defence while skipper Nicky Bailey continued his thriving partnership with Jose Semedo in the middle of the park.

Shelvey slotted into an unfamiliar left-sided role with Sam continuing on the right.

Sodje was joined on the bench by Darren Randolph, Elliot Omozusi, Matt Spring, Racon, Scott Wagstaff and Izale McLeod, the latter having sat out a three-match suspension.

Rovers' on-loan Addicks striker Chris Dickson was ineligible to play due to the terms of his loan agreement at the Memorial Stadium, and the Pirates goal threat came from Kuffour.

Former Crystal Palace man Hughes, who netted the winner against Gillingham on Saturday, started at left-back - and it was he who was exposed as the Addicks made the perfect start.

Mooney took just four minutes to make his mark after great work out wide from Sam.

The winger outwitted Hughes on the right and delivered a low ball across goal, which eventually landed at the feet of Burton.

The striker spun and got in a low shot that was only parried by Andersen and there was Mooney to pick up the scraps and turn the ball home from close range.

As the game restarted Dailly and Kuffour received attention on the sidelines after an early clash, and the Addicks had half-hearted penalty claims turned down soon afterwards as Shelvey's effort came off the upper torso of Andy Williams.

The change came following a quick free-kick from Bailey, following a foul by the wobbly Hughes.

And Rovers did not heed a warning from referee Cook in the 16th minute as the hosts were afforded the opportunity to double their money.

After forcing a corner on the right Basey's free-kick was delayed as the official sorted out some tussling in the box between Llera and a yellow-shirted defender.

Eventually Basey delivered the ball into the box and Llera tumbled to the turf under more heavy pressure.

Cook immediately pointed to the spot, and booked Baldwin for his part in proceedings. And, cool as you like, Burton stepped up to coolly beat Andersen from 12 yards.

The Pirates were all at sea at this juncture and the influential Sam wriggled into space to send in a tempting cross that was headed behind for a corner.

The next noteworthy incident saw Youga receive lengthy treatment in Charlton territory on the right and physio Steve Allen's hand signal wasn't good for the hosts, the defender would not be able to continue.

An injured left knee appeared the diagnosis as he hobbled off and Elliot Omozusi came on in his place.

The right-back was booked for tugging back Duffy and away skipper Stuart Campbell also saw yellow after catching Omozusi after a good Addicks move on the right.

The hosts were well on top, but Ikeme was called into action for the first time on 34 minutes, and passed his first test in fine style, moving to his left to claw a Lines drive behind for a corner.

Five minutes before the break Mooney inadvertently stopped his side netting a third.

Sam sent in a peach of a cross from the right and Burton headed the ball back across for Shelvey whose swivelling volley looked on its way in before clattering against the unwitting Mooney who just couldn't get put of the way.

It proved a pivotal moment in the context of the game, as Rovers pulled a goal back following their next attack.

The visitors might have counted themselves unlucky when the shove on Llera was spotted by the referee, and he showed similar eagle-eyes to spot another infringement in the box, allegedly from Dailly on Kuffour.

Again his decision was instant as he pointed straight to the spot, and Hughes accepted the invitation to put his side back in the game, confidently dispatching a fine penalty into the left of the net.

A curling free-kick from Llera was off target but having been granted a route back into proceedings Rovers were the happier side as the sides trudged off at the interval.

Omozusi's wayward volley five minutes into the second half was the first moment of note, and the right-back played his part at the other end soon afterwards, making sure his side retained their advantage.

After Kuffour got away on the left, the ball eventually found its way to Duffy on the right.

His low pull-back landed nicely at the feet of Blizzard on the far side but Omozusi put crucial pressure on Blizzard and the ball bobbled behind for a goal-kick.

The hosts were wobbling in the early stages of the second period and Dailly got across to concede a corner after Llera had lost sight of the ball as the dangerous Duffy probed.

From Campbell's 56th-minute flag-kick the Pirates drew level, Lines rising to plant a free header down and in.

Charlton were rattled, as the Gasheads celebrated in the Jimmy Seed Stand, but Shelvey offered a glimmer of light for the hosts when cutting inside and putting a low 25-yarder narrowly wide.

Burton couldn't get enough on his header from a curling Sam centre but the next clear chance fell to the Pirates midway through the half.

After a throw from the left wasn't dealt with properly, the ball fell to Blizzard but he could only fire an angled shot across the face of goal and wide.

In a game of pivotal moments, this was another one, as Charlton netted from their next attack.

When the ball came into the box from right Mooney headed the ball over the advancing Andersen only for the effort to bounce down off the bar.

The two Royals clubmates tussled for the loose ball, and eventually it squirmed left across the box before Bailey hurtled in to force the ball over the line.

Ahead again, Charlton worked another great opening soon afterwards with Sam jinking into the box and teeing up Semedo whose angled effort deflected off Coles and behind for a corner.

A rasping Dally drive from range flew over after the flag-kick was only half cleared and Wagstaff replaced Shelvey with 15 minutes to go.

Llera got in a good block at a corner but was outpaced by Kuffour nine minutes from time as the striker broke clear.

Luckily for the Addicks Basey was covering and ushered the ball back to Ikeme.

The next contentious moment came seven minutes from time when Coles collided with Sam and was called over by Cook.

With the scoreboard suggesting he had already been booked - a technical mistake that would lead to mass confusion - all and sundry with home connections pointed at the Big Screen.

"He's got two yellow cards,” chanted the fans as Akpo Sodje came on for Mooney, and the newcomer's first touch was to head a Basey free-kick just over the bar.

It looked set for nervy climax, but Sodje made sure the final moments were far more serene with his second goal in as many matches five minutes from time.

Basey sent in a corner from the right and the ball skidded across the six-yard box before Sodje turned the ball in from close range.

There was rejoicing and relief in SE7 at the establishment of a second two-goal lead of the evening - and this time there was no way back for the Pirates.

Charlton: Ikeme; Youga (Omozusi 23), Basey, Llera, Dailly; Sam, Semedo, Bailey, Shelvey (Wagstaff 75); Burton, Mooney (A Sodje 83).

Subs (not used): Randolph, Spring, Racon, McLeod.

Goals: Mooney 4, Burton pen 16, Bailey 68, A Sodje 85

Booked: Omozusi 29 (foul on Duffy), Dailly 41 (foul on Kuffour), Sam 65 (dissent)

Sent off:

Bristol Rovers: Andersen; Baldwin, Hughes, Coles, Anthony; Duffy, Lines, Campbell, Blizzard (Swallow 74), Williams (Wright 86); Kuffour.

Subs (not used): Evans, Regan, Elliott, Reece, Clough.

Goals: Hughes pen 41, Lines 56

Booked: Baldwin 16 (foul on Llera), Campbell 32 (foul on Omozusi), Coles 78 (foul on Burton), Lines 83 (foul on Sam), Duffy 90 (dissent)

Ref: S Cook

Att: 15,885

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