CHARLTON maintained their unbeaten home record against Bristol Rovers tonight, although they were made to work hard for the three points after the visitors equalised early in the second half after going two down.

Jonjo Shelvey was drafted back into the starting line-up in place of Therry Racon, who was dropped to the bench.

Sam Sodje was suspended after his red card at Yeovil and was replaced by Miguel Llera.

Charlton made the perfect start by getting their noses in front with barely four minutes on the clock.

Lloyd Sam’s cross picked out Deon Burton, whose shot on the turn was pushed out by Mikkel Andersen into the path of David Mooney and the on-loan Reading striker gratefully slotted home from three yards.

The Addicks doubled their advantage 12 minutes later from the penalty spot.

Byron Anthony was forced into a panicked clearance when Sam sent another cross into the box, needlessly conceding a corner.

Grant Basey swung the corner in and Pat Baldwin was adjudged to have pushed Llera to the ground as Charlton were awarded a spot kick, much to the consternation of the visitors.

Despite the controversy, Deon Burton kept his cool and cleverly sent Andersen the wrong way with a low shot.

Youga limped off midway through the first half to be replaced by Elliot Omozusi.

Such was Charlton’s dominance it took until the 34th minute for Bristol Rovers to have their first shot on target, although it wasn’t a bad attempt as Carl Ikeme was forced to push behind Chris Lines’ 25-yard volley.

The Addicks squandered a glorious opportunity to race 3-0 ahead when Burton headed another dangerous Sam cross into the path of Shelvey, but amazingly the youngster’s goalbound effort was blocked by Mooney.

And the consequences were felt moments later when Bristol Rovers were awarded a penalty after Dailly fouled Jo Kuffour and former Crystal Palace player Jeff Hughes reduced the arrears from 12-yards four minutes before the break.

Llera and Omozusi linked up to force Dominic Blizzard to fire wide when he looked certain to draw Rovers level seven minutes after the restart.

Omozusi was called into action again three minutes later to hack away Baldwin’s dangerous cross, but the resultant corner from Stuart Campbell was headed beyond Ikeme by Lines to make it all square.

Shelvey unleashed a low drive from long range which just sailed wide as the Addicks tried to quickly regain the initiative.

Bristol Rovers could have gone in front when Blizzard drilled a powerful low drive across the face of goal but it was Charlton who restored their lead seconds later.

Dailly’s deep cross was headed onto the bar by Mooney and as the striker and Rovers keeper desperately chased the loose ball, Bailey rushed into the six-yard box to fire home.

Bristol refused to bow down, however, and Bailey had to force behind Duffy’s 80th minute, with Danny Coles heading the resultant corner inches over the bar.

There was a moment of controversy when Chris Lines picked up a yellow card for a shirt pull on Sam.

The huge TV screen in the corner of the stadium wrongly claimed Lines had already been booked, a mistake which prompted the Charlton bench and fans to demand the Rovers player be dismissed.

Thankfully, the referee’s own book showed Lines’ name was nowhere to be seen and common sense prevailed.

It all became irrelevant in the 86th minute, though, when Basey’s corner found substitute Akpo Sodje ideally placed six-yards out to add Charlton’s fourth.

Charlton: Bailey, Youga (Omozusi 23), Llera, Dailly, Basey, Sam, Bailey, Semedo, Shelvey (Wagstaff 75), Burton, Mooney (A Sodje 83). Subs not used: Randolph, Racon, Spring, McLeod. Att: 15,885.