Charlton 2-1 Portsmouth – Blues’ fading automatic promotion hopes dealt huge blow

Efforts in each half from Joe Aribo and Lyle Taylor sealed victory for Lee Bowyer's men at The Valley, leaving fourth-placed Blues eight points off the top two.

Aribo's smart turn and finish handed Charlton the lead on 41 minutes, but Ronan Curtis headed Pompey level on the stroke of half-time.

However, fron tman Taylor won it for the Addicks with his tap-in six minutes after the restart.

That saw fifth-placed Charlton close the gap on Pompey to two points, while the Blues now face a tall order to turn around an eight-point deficit to Barnsley in second with 10 games to go.

After a bright start the Blues were living dangerously and could count themselves fortunate not to go behind on 20 minutes.

Johnny Williams' cross picked out Josh Cullen eight yards out, only for his effort to hit the back of team-mate Igor Vetokele, with keeper Craig MacGillivray beaten.

Charlton continued to probe, taking a deserved lead four minutes before the break.

Cullen, who should have put the Addicks ahead earlier in the half, fired into Aribo, with his clever turn and shot inside the area finding the bottom corner.

The Blues were not trailing for long, though, levelling on the stroke of half-time.

Republic of Ireland international Curtis netted with a thunderous header after meeting full-back Lee Brown's corner.

Pompey's equaliser seconds before the interval did not derail Charlton, though, and they went ahead again six minutes after the restart.

Centre-half Matt Clarke's clearance from Aribo's cross cannoned off substitute Ben Reeves. The ball fell at his feet before poking across goal for Taylor to tap home from close range.

The Blues were struggling to get a foothold up the field but did spurn a good opening on 73 minutes.

Gareth Evans beat the offside trap and was sent racing away by substitute Dion Donohue.

However, the former Bradford man's effort from a tight angle sailed way over the crossbar.

Winger Jamal Lowe then wasted a brilliant chance for Pompey as they looked for a way back in seven minutes from time.

Substitute Brett Pitman's superb floated pass found Lowe, only for his side-footed effort to go just wide.

The former Hampton & Richmond man then saw his goalbound strike from Brown's cross blocked as Pompey suffered their first league defeat since January.