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Kavanagh double downs Addicks

Charlton slipped to just a second League One defeat of the season after a 3-1 loss to Carlisle United on a controversial afternoon at Brunton Park.

Graham Kavanagh struck home two beauties in the second half to earn the Cumbrians all three points.

But that was only half the story in a contentious clash that saw referee Mark Haywood award two penalties in five frantic minutes - and send Addicks manager Phil Parkinson to the stands in between.

Parkinson was furious after the award of a spot-kick for the hosts. Ex-Addick Ian Harte was denied by debutant keeper Carl Ikeme but bundled in the rebound.

Deon Burton fired home his sixth goal of the season from the penalty spot after being fouled in the box by Kavanagh - but the silver-haired midfielder took centre-stage after the break, and how.

Having been tricked into upending Burton in the box - a decision that was furiously disputed by the home players - Kavanagh supplied two treats in the second period.

First he crashed home a superb shot from 25 yards midway through the half after newcomer Elliot Omozusi's wayward pass across the pitch.

And then, as the visitors backed off, he strode forward and curled a cracker into the top right corner from similar range seven minutes from time.

They were super strikes from a midfielder who had not been the most popular man in Cumbria in the opening period.

Indeed, before the game the former Ireland international's wild shot in the warm-up seconds before kick-off almost left one of the home fans nursing an injury.

Ironically enough, that same fan was probably well placed to watch the ball bulge the back of the net, and complete a miserable afternoon for the Addicks.

And that long journey back to London must have seemed that extra bit longer after the result, with the only consolation for Parkinson the defeat of Colchester at Millwall leaving his side clinging to a promotion place on goal difference from Milton Keynes Dons, the Addicks' next opponents in a fortnight.

Parkinson had watched the second half from the directors' box having been ordered to the stands for disputing the award of the hosts' 40th minute penalty.

Harte, who had curled a free-kick against the post for the hosts, would eventually bundle the ball home to give the hosts the lead but it was what happened in the build up that left everyone perplexed.

The hosts had vehemently claimed a spot-kick seconds earlier after Sam Sodje leaned in on Danny Livesey.

Instead they were awarded a corner but as the ball reached the dangerzone, an alleged foul by Burton on Livesey this time saw a penalty given.

Ikeme produced a debut penalty save, diving to his left to foil Harte, but the ball came back agonisingly off his other arm, the defender was quickest to the rebound and just about smuggled the ball over the line.

Fuming Parkinson was sent to the stands in the aftermath but he might not have reached his new position before Burton levelled.

This time the award looked far clearer as Kavanagh's clumsy challenge on Burton was spotted by Haywood's assistant and the referee pointed to the spot.

Burton levelled matters on the stroke of half-time, but despite a bright start to the second half from Charlton their slick passing play was a touch awry on the day.

Kavanagh cashed in after Omozuzi's clearance sat up perfectly for him on 67 minutes, and after Lenny Pidgeley brilliantly denied Therry Racon an equaliser, the midfielder completed the win with a curling shot near the end.

The significant team news centred around loan signings Ikeme and Omozusi making their debuts.

With keeper Rob Elliot ruled up for up to six weeks with an adductor injury, Wolves custodian Ikeme edged out Darren Randolph for the gloves.

Frazer Richardson also missed his first game of the season with a thigh injury so former Fulham man Omozusi, snapped up in the week until December, deputised at right-back.

Otherwise the Addicks were unchanged in their longest away trip of the season.

Ikeme took his place between the posts for his first match action of the campaign having made the temporary move from Molineux.

And he was be hoping to fare better than his last action at Carlisle when he scored an own goal in a 6-0 defeat when on loan with Stockport County.

And Omozusi, whose last senior action was on loan at Norwich against Charlton in the FA Cup earlier this year, was a natural right-sided replacement for Richardson.

The duo came into a reshaped rearguard alongside Christian Dailly and Sam Sodje, with Kelly Youga at left-back.

Jose Semedo and Racon formed the central midfield pairing with Lloyd Sam on the right and skipper Nicky Bailey on the left.

Of course it was Halloween, and the spectre of Bailey still seems to haunt the Cumbrians fans following an incident for his former club Southend United in April 2008 that resulted in a red card for David Raven. The local newspaper was tipping a far from warm reception for the midfielder.

Up front Izale Mcleod continued his partnership with Burton.

Randolph had to make do with a place on the bench and he was joined in reserve by Miguel Llera, Grant Basey, Matt Spring, Scott Wagstaff, Jonjo Shelvey and Dave Mooney.

The hosts, rocked by the departure of their chief executive and owner in the week, boasted the striking prowess of former Juventus striker Vincent Pericard. He partnered Scott Dobie up front while the vastly-experienced Kavanagh was in midfield.

Harte, who played two reserve games for the Addicks last season, was in the home rearguard in a new central defensive position.

There was a bizarre pre-match ritual for the hosts as the mascot, Olga the fox, planted a smaller stuffed fox on a plinth on the centre circle.

Apparently it's a tradition going back through the years and one long-time Charlton press man explained how one Addicks fan once kicked the stuffed animal into the air, the toy naturally.

Perhaps that explained the plinth and further investigation proved that the Olga was indeed an anagram for goal.

Once all the pre-match events had taken place the action begun on a mild afternoon and Omozusi strode forward purposefully in the seventh minute, cutting inside before Sam's cross was eventually cut out.

By now the most noticeable part of the Addicks team shape was the fact that Mcleod was operating in the hole, behind Burton.

After a Carlisle cross was half-cleared Kavanagh, who had nearly injured one of his own fans with a wayward shot in the warm-up, was similarly off target at the other end of the pitch, slicing wide from the edge of the area when the ball broke invitingly to him on 11 minutes.

A dangerous curling Bailey cross flew across goal and wide, and after the skipper curled a free-kick into the wall midway through the half, Racon pulled a shot from range well wide of the right post.

Matty Robson shot wide for the hosts on the half hour as neither side created anything of real substance.

But that changed moments later as Burton fed Bailey on the left and he breezed between two defenders and curled a shot just over the bar.

That lit the touchpaper for an incident-packed spell, and Charlton were opened up on 32 minutes as Kevan Hurst slipped the ball through for Dobie.

The striker was in space in the box but his shot was poor and allowed Ikeme to make a routine first save of the game.

The keeper then made an easy stop from Kavanagh while Dailly was yellow-carded in the 36th minute after bundling into Dobie after initially stumbling as the ball came across.

After a clever free-kick move Harte curled the subsequent set-play around the wall and beyond Ikeme but against the inside of the left post.

The ball span across goal and eluded no fewer than three home players before being bundled to safety.

The hosts were screaming for a penalty when Sodje leaned on Danny Livesey in the box. Referee Haywood shook his head, but then infuriated the Addicks contingent to point to the spot at the subsequent corner moments later.

At first the referee appeared to suggest Burton might have shoved Livesey, but the complaints of McLeod going into the interval may have indicated it was he who infringed.

Either way it looked a harsh decision by a referee with Cumbrian appeals still ringing in his ears, but a penalty it was.

Once Haywood had sifted through the complaints - and there were plenty of them - Harte stepped up to take the penalty and Ikeme guessed right to make a dicing save.

Unfortunately for him the ball span back across, possibly via his other arm, and there was Harte to bundle the loose ball over the line.

A furious Parkinson was sent to the stands for his protests but his half-time team-talk was made easier when the hosts levelled from the spot in first half stoppage time.

After Sam threaded the ball through to Burton the striker was caught by a sliding challenge from Kavanagh - and after glancing at his assistant Haywood pointed to the spot.

There were plenty more complaints - this time from the blue contingent - but Haywood remained unmoved and despite Lenny Pidgeley guessing right, Burton's accurate spot-kick found the back of the net.

Burton sliced a volley wide in the last action of the half before all retreated for a 15-minute recess.

After McLeod picked up Sam to his right three minutes after the restart the winger touch a touch before seeing his angled drive cannon off a defender.

With Parkinson consigned to the directors' box, assistant manager Tim Breacker was directing operations from the sidelines, and he saw Dobie booked after tussling with Sodje; the booking perhaps coming after he frustratedly booted the ball in the grounded defender's head.

At the free-kick Sodje used that same head to sent a Bailey cross just wide of the right post, and Youga's shot was saved by Pidgeley as the Addicks started the half brightly.

Bailey bravely got his head in the way of a curling free-kick from Harte 11 minutes in and Pericard stooped to head a curling Richard Keogh centre over from close in just past the hour mark.

The hosts were starting to get on top, and they went ahead in spectacular style on 63 minutes.

Having won his battle on the right, Omozusi opted to clear across the pitch and the ball only fell to Kavanagh who let fly with a blistering shot that beat Ikeme and fizzed inside Ikeme's left upright.

Ikeme dashed off his line to clear ahead of Dobie as the hosts strived to press home their advantage.

Not that Charlton were helping themselves much; Youga stumbling as he attempted to clear on the left side of the box before getting away with a corner. Dailly's attempts to bring the ball onto his favoured foot had been the catalyst for the Pericard chance earlier in the half.

After a Semedo slip Tom Taiwo ran through to shoot wide and the next action saw three changes from the visitors as Semedo, McLeod and Omozusi made way for Shelvey, Mooney and Basey.

The latter came in at left-back with Youga moving to the right, and Dailly, already booked, was lucky to escape with just a lecture after tugging back Pericard on 74 minutes.

The Scot redeemed himself by blocking from Robson after the free-kick was headed out to the winger, while at the other end Racon brilliantly slalomed his way into the box two minutes later only to see his powerful shot tipped round the post by Pidgeley.

Shelvey's low free-kick was also saved by the home keeper and Mooney just failed to connect with a curling Bailey cross.

But although Charlton pressed for a leveller they were caught at the back seven minutes from time with Kavanagh striking for a second time.

It was no less spectacular too as the midfielder curled a shot into the top right corner of the net as the visitors backed off as Dobie headed a Joe Anyinsah ball into his path.

Brunton Park rejoiced, as the visiting fans started to contemplate the long journey back south.

Burton curled a shot over the bar for the Addicks as the seconds ticked down but there was no way back as Carlisle held firm for the win.

Charlton: Ikeme; Omozusi (Basey 71), Youga, Dailly, Sodje; Sam, Semedo (Shelvey 71), Racon, Bailey; Burton, McLeod (Mooney 71).

Subs (not used): Randolph, Llera, Spring, Wagstaff.

Goals: Burton pen 45

Booked: Dailly 36 (foul on Dobie)

Carlisle: Pidgeley; Keogh, Horwood, Livesey, Harte; Hurst (Anyinsah 82), Kavanagh, Taiwo, Robson; Dobie, Pericard (Bridge-Wilkinson 88).

Subs (not used): Collin, Murphy, Rothery, Offiong, Kane.

Goals: Harte 41, Kavanagh 63, 83

Booked: Dobie 49 (foul on Sodje)

Referee: M Haywood

Att: 6,077

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