Charlton lose unbeaten record

Charlton lost their unbeaten record with a 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth this afternoon, hours after Nottingham Forest experienced their first defeat at Cardiff. The Addicks are now 8th in the table.

The Cherries were ahead within three minutes as a corner was not cleared and Callum Wilson met Marc Pugh's left-wing cross with a close-range finish. Charlton went close when Johann Berg Gudmundsson curled in a free-kick but Artur Boruc tipped it round the post. Keeper Stephen Henderson kept Charlton in the game after the break with a fine low save from Andrew Surman.

The Addicks were still finding their feet when a stray pass from Gudmundsson fell to Matt Ritchie, whose left-foot piledriver was parried by Henderson for a corner, from which Pugh's trickery deceived Chris Solly, and Callum Wilson found room in a crowded box to slot home his eighth of the season. That was only the third time all season that Bob Peeters's side had gone behind and Wilson nearly doubled the lead when he deflected Ritchie's low free-kick goalwards but the ball was blocked.

Tommy Elphick’s last-ditch saving tackle denied Karlan Ahearne-Grant a shooting chance before the young Addicks striker’s low drive was blocked by Steve Cook with Johnnie Jackson spooning the loose ball over the crossbar. Henderson got down smartly at his near post to save after Wilson had met Ritchie’s clever free-kick in the 17th minute with Andrew Surman blazing over the top after the ball had reached him on the edge of the box.

Youthful striker Karlan Ahearne-Grant continued to pose the hosts some problems. Given that he has come in for some criticism on the boards, I was interested to see that the Footbsll League Paper gave him a score of 7, saying that he was 'skilful with the ball at his feet but was out muscled on occasions.'

Charlton's best chance came when Gudmundsson's free-kick was heading towards the top corner until Boruc somehow kept it out. Peeters made a double substitution and a formation change at the break. As Charlton enjoyed a spell of pressure at the start of the second half, Buyens’s volley was charged down by Cook 10 minutes after the restart. However, Bournemouth piled on the pressure again, winning 16 corners.

Winger Pugh continued to torment full-back Solly, and while Ritchie was happy to shoot on sight, his delivery from corners remained a threat as Steve Cook twice headed wide. The visitors lacked invention and while Addicks substitute Lawrie Wilson headed straight at Boruc when well placed in stoppage time, it was too little, too late.

In the clash of former Charlton managers, Huddersfield beat Blackpool 4-2.

Derek from Dymchurch writes: 'I said the wheels were coming off and now they have. That Belgian geezer has been found out, good and proper. Coach? He couldn't coach an under 12 side. It was a toothless display.'