Huddersfield Town boss Chris Powell enjoyed a sweet first victory of the season at his old club Charlton Athletic.
The Addicks were defeated by goals by Harry Bunn and Emyr Huws as the pair put Town two up inside 34 minutes, but Naby Sarr’s 40th minute replay made for a tence second half in South London.
Powell’s side were caught out by a late Fulham equaliser in last month’s visit to the capital, but this time they held out to claim a crucial three point haul.
Town manager Powell made four changes in the wake of the defeat at Cardiff City, handing on loan duo Huws and Mustpha Carayol full debuts in central midfield and on the left wing respectively.
Jason Davidson returned at left back and Ishmael Miller started up front, with Nahki Wells, Jamie Paterson and Tommy Smith dropping to the bench as Jonathan Hogg was left out due to an ankle injury.
Charlton made two changes after their home draw with struggling Rotherham United, bringing in French defender Naby Sarr and on loan Palermo striker Simon Makienok, whose early header teed up Tony Watts from whose pass Johan Gudmundsson shot narrowly wide.
Ahmed Kashi blasted one over soon after but the home side were rocked by Town’s opener in the 11th minute.
Sean Scannell won a tackle with Morgan Fox and advanced down the right to put in a cross which Bunn fired goalwards, with keeper Mitch Pope getting a hand to the ball but failing to keep it out.
Pope was equal to a Bunn header from Carayol’s cross, then Town keeper Jed Steerr came out positively to punch clear El-Hadjji Ba’s cross as Danish frontman Makienok waited.
Town were working hard to preserve their lead and breathed a sigh of relief when Kashi drilled a free kick straight into the defensive wall after a foul on Watts by Joel Lynch, who was yellow carded.
Carayol followed him into the book after catching Jordan Cousin, but then forced home keeper Pope to parry a shot with the rebound just evading the stretching Scannell.
Town were looking lively and Saar’s foul on Miller gave the Huws the opportunity to drill home a 25 yard free kick in the 34th minute.
It was the first time Town has scored twice in a game this season, but the lead was halved six minutes later when Sarr headed home from Gudmundsson’s neat set piece delivery after a foul by Davidson on Ba who tested Steer with a stinging shot in first half stoppage time.
Town began the second half with Phil Billing on in place of Huws and the Dane fired in a free kick on the hour which had Pope scrambling to make the save.
Stand in skipper Dean Whitehead’s fine sliding tackle thwarted substitute Zakarya Bergdish before Makienok blasted a shot across the face of goal.
Then Bergdich lashed an effort over leaving the home fans highly frustrated.
Town’s Miller had a shot blocked before Billing’s effort from the rebound was deflected for a corner – then Steer pulled off a fine save to deny Gudmundsson.
Powell replaced Carayol with Kyle Dempsey in 78th minute change as Town fought desperately to keep their lead.
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