.

Sam and Scott set up Stockport success

Charlton's fine form continued on Saturday as the Addicks marched to a fourth successive League One victory with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Stockport County.

Goals either side of the break from Sam Sodje and Scott Wagstaff sealed three points for the Addicks at Edgeley Park.

Sodje darted across his man to head home a 13th-minute corner from Grant Basey and earn the visitors the lead.

And, after surviving a spirited response from Stockport, which saw Paul Turnbull denied by the bar, Wagstaff added a second 17 minutes from time.

Stockport pulled a goal back in stoppage time as an Adam Griffin cross hit the bar and then Rob Elliot and went in for an own goal, before Carl Baker was sent off.

The most influential Hatter left Nicky Bailey on the turf amid a mass melee, but after things calmed down the visitors held firm for the win.

The result, coupled with Leeds United's draw at Brentford and Norwich City's stalemate against Yeovil Town, meant Charlton had two reasons to celebrate.

The gap at the top to Leeds is now just two points, while the promotion-zone buffer to the Canaries extended by two points to six. Happy days all round.

On a day in which the start of the game was not known until just after 9am, the referee's decision to pass a treacherous Edgeley Park surface playable suited the visitors down to the ground.

A midweek rescheduled game in these parts in the new year would have been as welcome as John and Edward in the X Factor final, and thankfully the game got the green light.

After an initial burst of promise from the hosts, Sodje rose to head his third goal of the season and put the Addicks in front.

The visitors proceeded to control matters on a sand-blasted surface, but the Hatters hit back at the end of the half.

Showing spirit that belied their lowly league position, they were out of luck when Baker was denied by a clearance close to the line, Paul Turnbull hit the bar and then Elliot saved brilliantly from Nicholas Bignall.

The Hatters continued to perform well in the second period but Charlton defended resolutely with goalscorer Sodje, together with Christian Dailly and the rest of the rearguard holding firm.

The nerves might have been settled by Lloyd Sam but he was denied by Owain Fon Williams after racing clean through with Wagstaff lifting the loose ball over the bar.

But Wagstaff did double his side's lead with his fourth goal of a breakthrough season, curling come a sublime low shot after a terrific triangle involving Grant Basey and David Mooney.

The hosts pulled a goal back in stoppage time as a cross from the left defeated Elliot and hit the keeper and rolled in after clattering against the upright.

The keeper had desperately attempted to keep the ball out but the officials deemed the ball to have crossed the line.

There was still time for Stockport's best player Baker to see red after a head-butt on Bailey deeper into injury time amid a mass brawl between most of the players.

But Charlton maintained their concentration as chaos reigned, and saw out the closing stages to continue their terrific run.

In terms of team news Charlton made two changes for their League One trip to Stockport.

Jose Semedo returned from suspension to replace Therry Racon in central midfield as the Addicks aimed to record a fourth win in succession.

With Frazer Richardson struggling with a hamstring niggle, Elliot Omozusi, who replaced the right-back last week against Southend United, was back in the rearguard.

The stodgy Edgeley Park surface was only passed fit for action around 9am with the Hatters, having had their last three fixtures postponed, delighted to get the green light.

Gary Ablett's side had lost their previous seven in League One, remain rooted in administration and if rumours in the ground are right had to visit a nearby supermarket to buy some ice for the treatment bag.

And, as they don't own their own ground, gate receipts remain paramount to the club's survival so there were naturally a lot of relieved faces among the natives.

On the other end of the scale, Charlton arrived at the rock-bottom club in fine fettle, having won their last three games.

They were unbeaten in their last five matches, winning four including a long-awaited away win at Brighton & Hove Albion last time out on the road.

And they were looking to extend that fine form at Edgeley Park in only the seventh meeting between the two clubs.

The Addicks continued with Elliot between the posts and with Kelly Youga still nursing a knee injury Basey continued at left-back, with Omozusi on the right.

Dailly and Sodje were in the centre of defence with Semedo partnering skipper Nicky Bailey in the middle of the park.

Lloyd Sam, whose first ever Addicks goal came in the Carling Cup clash between the two sides a few years back, was out wide on the right and Wagstaff remained on the left.

Up front ten-goal top-scorer Deon Burton was partnered by Mooney, who managed just 130 minutes in two games for the Hatters last season on loan from Reading before injury intervened.

Both games were away from Edgeley Park as well so the striker ran out in a first-team game at the venue for the first time.

There was a return to the bench for the first time in four matches for Leon McKenzie following injury and he joined Darren Randolph, Miguel Llera, Spring, Therry Racon, Jonjo Shelvey and Akpo Sodje in reserve.

The hosts' dangerman was top-scoring midfielder Baker who had managed exactly half of Stockport's 16 league goals this season prior to kick-off.

Fellow midfielder Liam Bridcutt is on loan from Chelsea while powerful centre-forward Matty McNeil made a second full debut for the club in the centre of defence.

Stockport made a bright start with their fans in good voice behind Fon Williams' goal but the home keeper made the first save of the afternoon on eight minutes.

Bailey won possession in central midfield and fed Mooney who swapped passes with Burton before getting in a low shot that was comfortably fielded by the keeper.

Perhaps Mooney should have found Sam, who was in ample space to his right, and the Irishman was involved again moments later, letting fly from 35 yards after Fon Williams had only half-cleared under pressure from Burton.

David Poole was booked for a full-blooded challenge on Basey, while McNeil got across well to make a vital 12th minute header behind ahead of Burton after Mooney sent in a fine cross from the right.

The clock had ticked onto the next minute before Basey took the subsequent corner - and Charlton took the lead.

Following his spell of treatment after Poole's challenge, Basey delivered a fine set-piece and Sodje sped across his marker to guide a header down and inside the far post.

A wacky goal celebration followed while Fon Williams was lucky to escape after flapping at a Bailey corner from the other side moments later.

Wagstaff was enjoying plenty of success on the left, and it was a purposeful run from the young winger that set up another Addicks chance on 17 minutes.

He fed Sam and his stood-up centre was heading for the unlikely Semedo at the far post before McNeil got back to head away from under the bar.

Stockport were rattled as the visitors looked dangerous every time they attacked, and Semedo's header from a Sam cross was straight at the home keeper.

Burton missed his kick in the middle after some brilliant play from Sam on the right, while at the other end Daily did well to head a curling David Griffin cross behind with Peter Thompson closing in behind him.

The corner flew straight out of play as the Hatters missed a chance to put some pressure on.

Back at the other end Bailey, after initially missing the ball, fed Basey on 26 minutes and he teed up Burton who stepped inside his man but drove a good chance wide.

As a local commentator described the early action as 'men against boys' the Hatters created a golden chance two minutes later.

Bridcutt picked out Poole on the right and his wicked low cross eluded all and sundry in the middle before Omozusi bundled the ball behind at the far post with Nicholas Bignall sliding in alongside him.

Back at the other end seconds later Burton dived in to head a Mooney centre goalwards but Fon Williams saved low, and Bailey raced into meet a nod down soon afterwards but blazed high over the bar.

With Baker starting to see more of the ball, the hosts enjoyed a good spell as the half entered its final ten minutes.

And Charlton had a miraculous let off three minutes before the break as the hosts were denied on the line, by the bar and then by Elliot in rapid succession.

Baker was the first to see a rasping shot cleared away from close to the line and then Turnbull's shot from 20 yards crashed back off the bar.

As the ball looped up in the middle, Elliot, under immense pressure in a crowded goalmouth, reacted brilliantly to turn Bignall's effort over the bar for a corner - and the hosts drew a big sigh of relief.

Griffin thumped a ball against an unwitting photographer behind the goal after Mooney had moved clear down the middle but saw his effort deflected behind.

Presumably the defender was protesting he didn't touch the ball and after Basey curled over from the right side, Mooney's pull-back at a corner was thumped against his own man by Turnbull, before the ball was finally hacked to safety.

Mooney was clear again in the second added minute and although he lifted his shot after the advancing Fon Williams, Griffin got back well to clear away from close to the line.

That was the last action of a frantic end to the half, with Parkinson perhaps glad of the 15 minutes to regroup his troops.

The increasingly influential Baker burst past two players and into the box before his cross was cut out in the early stages of the second period, and the winger's cross was clutched by Elliot after more purposeful play five minutes in.

The hosts were claiming a penalty as a Chris Ribeiro diagonal looped behind for a corner off a red shirt but the referee disagreed.

Basey was booked for a foul on Poole 12 minutes in, only his second ever yellow card in senior football for the Addicks.

The visitors were struggling to impose themselves on proceedings as the flow at the end of the first half continued with the Hatters.

Sodje, not for the first time, got in a crucial intervention in the middle after good Stockport work on the right.

Charlton's first opening of the half didn't arrive until the 63rd minute when Mooney was sent away down the right but his angled drive was turned away by Fon Williams.

Bailey dragged a shot wide after surging from midfield before Burton made way for Akpo Sodje.

Bailey produced a fine challenge on Baker on the edge of the box to turn the midfielder's shot behind for a corner, while Charlton wasted a great chance to make it 2-0 on 69 minutes.

After Akpo Sodje found Mooney in space the Irishman filtered a great ball through for Sam to move clean through on goal.

The winger's low shot was saved by the legs of Fon Williams, however, when he ought to have scored, and Wagstaff ballooned the loose ball high over the bar from the edge of the box.

Back at the other end Basey got in a fine challenge on the marauding Pilkington and the left-back had a hand in Charlton's second goal in the 73rd minute.

And the relief in the away dug-out was palpable as Basey found Mooney with a low crossfield pass and Mooney returned it with interest to Wagstaff on the left.

The first-touch pass from the striker was sumptuous and that was matched by Wagstaff who curled a superb low shot past Fon Williams and inside the far post.

Little happened in the ensuing minutes but Stockport were handed a lifeline in injury time as they halved the deficit.

Griffin's centre from the left deceived Elliot and looked to be dropping in, and as the keeper went back to try and retrieve the situation, the ball clattered off the post hit his body and spun backwards.

Despite his desperate attempts to clear the ball, the officials decreed the ball had crossed the line, and Stockport were back in it.

Chaos then reigned in the closing stages.

First Sam was booked for a foul on Baker and his number was quickly up as Parkinson summoned Matt Spring to replace him.

The winger took an age to leave the pitch and a mass scuffle ensued with Bailey ending up on the floor and bodies wading in from all angles.

When the action died down, Baker was shown a red card and Turnbull was also booked, and there was still the small matter of the free-kick.

Luckily for the hosts Elliot emerged to catch the ball as the visitors breathed again and some ruby-style clearances from Bailey at the home of Sale Sharks proved more than handy as the Addicks saw out the closing stages.

Charlton: Elliot; Omozusi, Basey, S Sodje, Dailly; Sam (Spring 90), Semedo, Bailey, Wagstaff; Mooney, Burton (A Sodje 66).

Subs (not used): Randolph, Llera, Racon, Shelvey, McKenzie.

Goals: Sodje 13, Wagstaff 73

Booked: Basey 57 (foul on Poole), Sam 90 (foul on Baker)

Stockport: Fon Williams; Ribeiro, Griffin, Raynes, McNeil; Poole (Pilkington 66), Turnbull, Bridcutt, Baker; Thompson, Bignall (Johnson 66).

Subs (not used): Gerrard, Vincent, Tansey, Halls, Barnes.

Goals: Elliot og 90

Booked: Poole 11 (foul on Basey), Johnson 77 (foul on Basey)

Sent off: Baker 90 (foul on Bailey)

Referee: E Ilderton

Att: 4277 (534 Charlton)

---