Bristol City rose to fourth in the table as Lee Trundle and Gavin Williams struck in a 2-0 win over Charlton.
Bristol City up to fourth with 2-0 win at Charlton
Bristol City rose to fourth in the table as Lee Trundle and Gavin Williams struck in a 2-0 win over now 20th-placed Charlton.
The hosts were guilty of missing a host of chances before Trundle clinically converted on 27 minutes.
And Williams conjured up a classy second after the break as Charlton slipped further off the promotion pace with boos ringing around an unhappy Valley.
Dubai-based Zabeel Investments are currently in takeover talks with Charlton, presumably with a view to the club being genuine promotion material to the Premier League.
But a third home defeat of the season leaves the Addicks looking over their shoulders at the relegation places with a quarter of the season gone.
Squandered
Alan Pardew's side should have gone ahead with barely 30 seconds on the clock, Bouazza's deft flick sending Varney through on goal, but the striker shot too close to Adriano Basso.
The visitors also squandered an early opening when Michael McIndoe skipped down the left wing and crossed for Liam Fontaine, who somehow planted his header wide from right in front of goal.
But for the next 20 minutes it was one-way traffic with Charlton pouring forward and creating chance after chance.
Bouazza should have done better when, having controlled Nicky Bailey's long punt and beaten full-back Jamie McAllister, he shot straight at Basso.
Gray then fired inches wide and Varney's angled drive was beaten out by Basso with the hosts well on top.
Agonising
They came agonisingly close in the 23rd minute following a goalmouth scramble when Gray's prod towards an unguarded goal trickled onto a post and stayed out.
But, almost inevitably, Charlton were made to pay for their missed chances when Bailey lost the ball in midfield and Dele Adebola played in Trundle.
How Pardew must have looked on enviously as the striker kept his head and drilled an unstoppable low drive across the exposed Nicky Weaver and into the far corner.
City scented blood and Lee Johnson saw a low shot well saved by Weaver before Adebola was inches away from converting a swirling cross at the far post.
The second half began with City in the ascendancy and Fontaine sent another header wide from Johnson's cross.
Weaver made fine saves from Adebola and Fontaine as both bore down on goal, before Williams doubled the visitors' lead in the 52nd minute.
The former West Ham midfielder turned superbly in a crowded area and swept the ball over Weaver's outstretched palm for his first goal for the club.
Varney and substitutes Chris Dickson and Lloyd Sam all put chances wide for Charlton but Pardew's side looked well beaten long before the final whistle.
