Bristol City put Charlton to the sword

Full-time: Charlton Athletic 0 Bristol City 2 - IT WOULD appear talk of City's demise is indeed premature.

Dismissed as one-season wonders in some sections of the national media after being restricted to a solitary win in nine games and dropping below halfway in the Coca-Cola Championship, last term's beaten play-off finalists were required to demonstrate their mettle.

So vehement was their response on a crisp Autumn night in south London, that it was almost possible to hear the critics eating large helpings of humble pie above the drone of disgruntled Charlton fans.

If victory over Norwich City at Ashton Gate on Saturday calmed frayed nerves and restored confidence, this effervescent performance at the Valley served notice that Gary Johnson's team are again intent upon mixing it with the very best in English football's second tier.

Goals either side of half time from Lee Trundle and Gavin Williams – his first for the club following his summer move from Ipswich Town – confirmed City's supremacy and left Charlton treading water.

So superior were City at times, it was easy to forget that these sides were separated by two divisions only last year. But the balance of power has altered considerably since the Robins won automatic promotion from League One and the Addicks dropped out of the Barclays Premier League in May 2007.

This was a performance full of pomp and assurance from Johnson's rejuvenated team, who now head to Barnsley in south Yorkshire on Saturday with their sights once again trained on the Championship leaders.

But this was no stroll in the park for a City side which had to soak up immense pressure as Charlton launched wave after wave of attack in a frenetic attempt to batter the visitors into submission during the opening 20 minutes.

Under duress to make home advantage count following a below-par start to the season, the Addicks came flying out of the traps and almost forged a lead in the first minute. Right-back Yassin Moutaouakil carved City's defence wide open with a perfectly-weighted through ball and Adriano Basso had to be alert to save Darren Ambrose's shot at the second attempt.

City had to withstand an early bombardment and Brazilian-born keeper Basso was again called into action moments later, displaying safe hands as he fell upon Kelly Youga's angled drive.

The visitors responded in positive fashion, Michael McIndoe engineering space on the left flank and swinging over an inviting cross which reduced Charlton's defence to rubble. When it seemed he had only to make a clean connection to score, centre-back Liam Fontaine somehow contrived to steer his header wide of a gaping target from six yards out.

But most of the action was taking place at the other end of the pitch and Basso again came to City's rescue when holding a fierce shot from livewire winger Hameur Bouazza, who cut in from the right to leave Scottish full-back Jamie McAllister trailing in his wake, while leading scorer Andy Gray was inches away from his fifth goal of the season with a first-time volley which flashed inches wide.

And the former Burnley forward came closer still to breaking the deadlock in Charlton's next attack, turning his marker and toe-poking the ball goalwards, only to see it come back off the post.

At times it seemed only Basso stood between the home side and the goal, City's keeper diving full-length to palm an Ambrose piledriver behind for a corner.

When City took the lead on 27 minutes, it was against the run of play and thoroughly unexpected. Dele Adebola had just seen his header saved by Nicky Weaver when he collected the ball on the edge of the penalty area and opted to pass to Lee Trundle, who stepped inside Martin Cranie and picked his spot with slide-rule precision from 15 yards to register his second goal of the season.

Determined to cement their advantage, City began the second half as they had finished the first, Adebola testing Weaver with a low drive which required Charlton's keeper to display a firm wrist.

Weaver then stood tall to beat away McAllister's shot, but there was no denying the visitors when next they set up camp on the edge of Charlton's 18 yard box. Adebola held off Cranie and played the ball into the path of Williams, who displayed nimble footwork before lifting his shot over Weaver's despairing dive and into the top left-half corner of the net.

Thereafter, City were able to put men behind the ball, soak up disjointed Charlton pressure and hit their opponents on the break.

Addicks boss Alan Pardew sent on Chris Dickson, Lloyd Sam and Svetoslav Todorov in a bid to turn the tide, but City held out comfortably and threatened another goal themselves when substitute Nicky Maynard's shot was tipped over by Weaver.

Charlton (4-4-2): Weaver; Moutaouakil, Primus, Cranie, Youga; Bouazza (sub Todarov 75), Holland, Bailey, Ambrose (sub Sam 56); Varney, Gray (sub Dickson 56).

City (4-4-2): Basso; Orr, McCombe, Fontaine, McAllister; Williams (sub Sproule 84), Elliott, Johnson, McIndoe; Trundle (sub Wilson 78), Adebola (sub Maynard 62).

Referee: Clive Penton (Sussex)

Attendance: 21,207