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Charlton 4 Rochdale 1

It was a dream return to the first team for Bryan Hughes, with the midfielder claiming two goals as Charlton breezed into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Hughes scored one in each half, with Jonathan Fortune and Danny Murphy also hitting the net to dispose of League Two outfit Rochdale, and helping banish words such as Walsall and Gillingham from the script.

The scoreline eventually flattered the Addicks, with Rochdale enjoying a number of chances in the first period and could have forged their way back from a two-goal deficit with Grant Holt scoring early in the second half before a fine save from Dean Kiely denied Paul Tait.

While a good afternoon was only made better by the return of Mark Fish to first-team duties, the downside was that the South African came on for the last 10 minutes because of Fortune's departure by stretcher.

Alan Curbishley had made three changes to personnel from the side that lost 1-0 to Blackburn Rovers five days previously, with Hughes, Francis Jeffers and Jason Euell replacing Radostin Kishishev, Dennis Rommedahl and Murphy.

Jeffers replaced Jonatan Johansson as lone striker, with the Finn taking Rommedahl's place on the right wing against a side that had lost just once in 11 games prior to their Valley trip.

It was two of the new boys who combined to put the Addicks ahead, with Hughes recording his first senior goal for the club since joining from Birmingham City in the summer.

He did hit one against Wycombe Wanderers in pre-season, but his first-team chances have been few and far between despite some impressive performances for the reserves.

Indeed this was his first start since September - and only his fourth of the entire campaign - but he produced some tidy play in the centre of midfield alongside Matt Holland.

He may not have the industrial muscle of Kishishev, but he hit a terrific throughball for Jeffers in the 14th minute that allowed the striker a run on goal before being dispossessed by Daryl Burgess as he prepared to shoot.

Jeffers, unselfish throughout the proceedings, didn't forget that assist, and just four minutes later he played provider for his fellow Liverpudlian.

Talal El Karkouri broke from defence, and as soon he made it into Rochdale's half The Valley echoed with cries of "shoot"!

But the Moroccan instead hit a measured pass to the right, with Jeffers cleverly beating Dale's offside trap before drilling across goal.

A flurry of players threw themselves at the ball, but it was Hughes who was just able to add the touch to knock home from well within the six-yard box.

Hughes almost repaid the favour soon after when his ambitious shot from outside the area almost landed at Jeffers' feet close to goal, but the striker could not add the slight touch that was needed to trouble Matthew Gilks.

Dale were also stretched on several occasions by Jerome Thomas, the winger showing just why Alan Curbishley had decided to give him a 13th consecutive start instead of giving Paul Konchesky a rare run from the beginning.

Thomas gave full-back Wayne Evans a torrid time throughout the afternoon, although his fancy turns and flicks sometimes drifted into the indulgent category.

But he played a number of good balls through to Jeffers and Johansson - who joined the attack on the half-hour mark after starting on the right wing - and also helped cause a few problems for Gilks with a number of crosses that caught the strong wind at The Valley.

The conditions were something of a 'leveller' - that word which always comes out at this time of the year - and both sides just managed to avoid catastrophes with the odd misdirected back-header or scufffed clearance.

Rochdale certainly played a big part in proceedings, with Holt forcing a great save from Dean Kiely with the last kick of the first half, and also failing to take advantage after beating Charlton's offside trap to meet Jamie Clarke's free-kick.

The impressive Leo Bertos - strolling between midfield and attack - also forced a good save from Kiely, and hit a cracking ball from the left into the danger zone with Holt and Paul Tait just unable to direct home.

Clinical they weren't. But although Charlton failed to prove there is such a massive gap between the Premiership and League Two with their performance, they still went in two up at the break.

It was a real training ground manouevre as Matt Holland whipped in a corner which Johansson nodded into the six-yard box, and there was Fortune to volley home from just a couple of feet out.

Gilks got his hands to the ball, but could only push above himself and into the back of the net, with Fortune scoring his first goal since May.

But for all his wasting of opportunities in the first period, it took just five minutes of the second half for Holt to make amends.

Charlton had already seen a couple of good breaks come and go - which suggested the second half could be a bit of a stroll - before a Dale throughball found just El Karkouri and the 18-goal striker.

But the Moroccan fell, allowing Holt to become the 19-goal striker as he confidently took a touch into the area and then fired just inside Kiely's right post.

El Karkouri made amends for that mistake moments later when he just threw a foot in the way to prevent Tait from meeting Ernie Cooksey's header down in front of goal.

And that intervention allowed the Addicks to restore their two-goal lead in the 55th minute with Hughes obviously delighted to score his second of the afternoon as he blew a kiss to the Valley faithful.

Murphy - a half-time substitute for Euell, who had picked up a toe injury - fired a free-kick against the wall, and was then allowed another shot which Tait deflected wide.

The ball cannoned to Thomas, who chipped a deep cross into the danger area, and there was Hughes to rise above the defence and head home.

Still Dale tried their best to get back into the game, with Kiely stretching his full frame to just palm Tait's looping header over the crossbar.

Then Thomas broke down the left and was clattered down by Burgess - the veteran defender picking up a booking - and the Addicks offered a free-kick very wide on the left wing and some 25 yards from goal.

Murphy curled the set-piece into the box, and Jeffers rose to meet it. But although the striker missed the header his jump seemed to block Gilks' view and the ball was in the back of the net for a fourth time.

The ex-Liverpool man needed confirmation from the ex-Everton man that there had been no extra touch, and Murphy could claim his second cup goal of the season - both from free-kicks following his belter at Grimsby Town in September.

Dale seemed to tire somewhat in the last 20 minutes of the match, which allowed a number of breaks for the Addicks through Thomas or the fresh legs of Paul Konchesky.

But too often they would be caught out as they took a touch or played a pass too many.

A rare chance for Dale in the 73rd minute saw Fortune forced to throw himself into a tackle in the area, and the defender picked up a knock on the hip that forced him to be stretchered off.

Mark Fish came on to make his first appearance since the trip to Manchester City on August 28th, and immediately made an impact as he headed away from Burgess from a Dale corner, and later headed a Dale free-kick off the line.

Charlton: Kiely, Young, Hreidarsson, El Karkouri, Fortune (Fish 75), Hughes, Holland, Thomas, Johansson (Konchesky 79), Euell (Murphy 46), Jeffers.

Subs (not used): Andersen, Rommedahl.

Goals: Hughes 18, 55, Fortune 44, Murphy 65.

Rochdale: Gilks, Evans, Cooksey (McGivern 85), Burgess, Bertos, Holt, Tait (Atieno 67), Jones, Goodall, Heald, Clarke (Warner 76).

Subs (not used): Edwards, Gallimore.

Goal: Holt 51.

Booking: Burgess 63 (foul on Thomas).

Ref: R Beeby.

Att: 13,995.

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