Charlton claimed a sixth consecutive league victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Monday night.
Conor Washington broke the deadlock soon after the half-hour mark, before Sean Clare forced an own goal from Clark Robertson on 64 minutes to put the Addicks in the ascendancy.
And whilst Michael Jacobs emerged from the bench to restore hope for the hosts 11 minutes from time, the Addicks held firm to register successive triumphs in the third-tier.
Johnnie Jackson made three changes from our last league outing, handing starts to Adam Matthews, Alex Gilbey and Washington on the south coast.
Just three minutes had elapsed when Sean Raggett found Denver Hume racing in behind the Addicks’ defence with a pinpoint diagonal pass, only for the wing-back to drag a left-footed effort wide.
Hume was involved again moments later, this time delivering a deep cross for fellow wing-back Mahlon Romeo who volleyed over.
George Hirst failed to generate a telling touch to poke home Joe Morrell’s low, first-time cross after 26 minutes, while Corey Blackett-Taylor very nearly converted what would have been a certain goal of the season contender moments later.
Having received the ball 25 yards from his own goal, the wing-back surged some 70 yards before letting fly from the edge of the D, but his effort whistled just wide of Gavin Bazunu’s left upright.
The Addicks soon unlocked the Pompey defence, though. Sean Clare returned Adam Matthews’ deceptive short throw-in to the Welshman, who delivered an inch-perfect cross for Chuks Aneke and although Bazunu foiled the forward with a remarkable point-blank save, Washington was alive to instinctively stab home from close range.
Jackson’s men continued to probe thereafter, Alex Gilbey striking the woodwork on the angle before Albie Morgan sliced a snapshot wide.
A constant thorn in the hosts’ defence, Gilbey was soon in behind once more as he latched onto Aneke’s looped ball, though Bazunu was out swiftly to thwart the midfielder at his near post.
And as the clock ticked towards half-time, Morgan sent a rasping drive from distance dipping just over Bazunu’s crossbar.
The Addicks received a huge let-off 11 minutes after the restart as a neatly worked free-kick routine culminated with Hirst nodding down for Clark Roberston, only for the captain to somehow skew an effort wastefully wide.
At the other end, Aneke turned superbly to set the Addicks away on a counter-attack, though Blackett-Taylor could only drill an angled effort wide.
The hosts would have restored parity on the hour-mark but for the intervention of Ryan Inniss, the skipper denying Hirst in heroic fashion as the forward raced clear in the box.
Instead, the Addicks claimed a two-goal advantage as Matthews fed the overlapping Clare and Robertson could only turn his tantalising centre into his own net under pressure from Washington.
Pompey halved the deficit 11 minutes from time as substitute Jacobs’ venomous effort snuck past MacGillivray at his near post.
Ronan Curtis then snatched an effort wide from the edge of the 18-yard box after being played in by Morrell, whilst MacGillivray got down well to thwart Louis Thompson’s low volley in the first minute of stoppage-time.
Morgan led a Charlton foray forward deep into injury-time before finding Washington, who miscued a shot harmlessly wide, though it mattered not as the Addicks recorded a ninth league win in ten at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth: Bazunu; Carter (Jacobs 72), Raggett, Robertson (c); Romeo, Morrell, Williams (Thompson 71), Hume; Harness; Walker (Curtis 71), Hirst
Subs (not used): Webber, Freeman, Ogilvie, Hackett
Goal: Jacobs 79
Booked: Morrell 89 (coming together with Leko)
Charlton: MacGillivray; Clare, Inniss (c) (Pearce 70), Famewo; Matthews, Gilbey, Dobson, Morgan, Blackett-Taylor (Purrington 87); Aneke (Leko 86), Washington
Subs (not used): Henderson, Watson, Lee, Jaiyesimi
Goals: Washington 31, Robertson (og) 64
Booked: Famewo 77 (foul on Morrell), Aneke 85 (time-wasting), Dobson 89 (foul on Harness), Leko 89 (coming together with Morell)
Referee: Neil Hair
Attendance: 15,326 (1,230 from Charlton)