Charlton moved back into the play-off places with a crucial win over Shrewsbury this evening.

Late goals from Jason Pearce and Josh Magennis gave the Addicks a first victory in four games as they leapfrogged Scunthorpe into fifth. 

Lee Bowyer’s men were well worth their triumph and are a point ahead of seventh-placed Plymouth, who have two games in hand.

Bowyer made six changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Scunthorpe on Saturday. Magennis and Mark Marshall came in for their first starts under the caretaker boss, while Lewis Page, Ezri Konsa, Stephy Mavididi and Tariqe Fosu were brought back in.

Charlton had the game’s first chance on four minutes when Jake Forster-Caskey’s corner found Konsa, whose deflected shot drifted wide.

Konsa, partnering Forster-Caskey in midfield, lost the ball on the halfway line to Ben Godfrey, who powered down the left, cut inside, and his venomous drive hit the side netting.

Bowyer used a flat 4-4-2 formation and his team looked well-organised and always tried to catch Salop on the counter-attack in the first-half. Mavididi’s cross-shot from a tight angle was easily blocked after Fosu played him through on goal with 26 minutes gone.

The visitors nearly profited from a Shrewsbury mistake when Dean Henderson spilled a Forster-Caskey corner, but Pearce couldn't sort his feet out in time to punish the goalkeeper.

The better chances came in the first 15 minutes of the second-half from both teams. Magennis headed over from a corner before Carlton Morris’ goal-bound effort was blocked by Patrick Bauer.

The Addicks then had a succession of opportunities to score. Magennis headed back across goal to Mavididi, who couldn't connect for a tap-in and Fosu forced Henderson into a superb save from 20 yards.


The resulting corner saw Pearce and Magennis fail to turn home a goalmouth scramble before the Addicks skipper headed wide seconds later.

Charlton’s second-half pressure paid off as Pearce headed home Forster-Caskey’s free-kick in the 74th minute to give the Addicks a vital lead.

With no Shrewsbury response, Charlton nearly doubled their lead when Mavididi’s near-post strike was saved by Henderson.

The Addicks defended valiantly in the latter stages with third-placed Shrewsbury failing to register a shot on target for the entire game.

And they put some gloss on the scoreline when Magennis lobbed Henderson after his sliced clearance in injury-time. 

Charlton XI: Amos, Dijksteel, Bauer, Pearce, Page, Marshall (Reeves 75), Konsa, Forster-Caskey, Fosu (Dasilva 90), Mavididi (Lennon 90), Magennis.

Subs not used: Phillips, Kashi, Zyro, Ajose.