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Two goals from Matt Holland put the visitors 2-0 up within an hour, and despite Christophe Dugarry's first goal of the season, Blue were unable to claim anything from the game despite a host of chances.
With Robbie Savage and Damien Johnson still out injured, Steve Bruce opted for the same eleven that started at Bolton last saturday. Aliou Cisse and Olivier Tebily therefore retained their places in the team, with David Dunn again employed in a wide right role.
Blues started with plenty of possession, but looked like a team beginning to believe their own press, with too many attempted clever flicks not coming off. Dean Kiely in the visitors goal was forced into an early save, however, when he had to parry a Dunn effort from a tight angle.
On 11 minutes, Charlton took the lead. Holland made a near post run from a Claus Jensen corner, and angled an excellent header into the roof of the net, despite Maik Taylor getting his fingertips to the ball. The Blues fans had been subdued enough up to this point, but conceding a goal did nothing to lift their spirits, and heightened frustration inside St Andrews.
Blues were struggling against a team playing them at their own game. Charlton sat back and absorbed pressure without really being hurt, and tried to hit on the break. They almost did again through Jonatan Johansson, but Taylor saved superbly when faced one-on-one with the ex-Rangers man. At the other end, Dunn again went close as Blues finished the half on top, but without making a breakthrough.
Blues came out in the second period as they'd finished the first, with plenty of possession, but not much penetration. Dunn and Dugarry were beginning to have more impact, but worringly Charlton were still posing far too much of a threat from corners. The Blues 'Mean Machine' decided to have an off-night, and on two occasions left Scott Parker completely unmarked at the far post from Jensen corners, only for the young England hopeful to waste the chances.
However, on 59 minutes, Charlton didn't waste an opportunity from a corner. It was yet another set piece from the Danish Jensen, and when Graham Stuart fired the ball back across goal, there was Holland to deflect the ball home from close range to send the travelling hordes (said with tongue firmly in cheek) into raptures.
Blues managed to hit back a mere 5 minutes later, when the by-now inspirational Dugarry headed home superbly from a Lazaridis corner. It had been a strange performance from the Frenchman, who early on had looked to be continuing his prima dona form of late, but who took the game to Charlton magnificently when Blues had their back against the wall.
All of a sudden, the game became a display of world-class goalkeeping from the two 'keepers from either side of the Irish divide. Kiely saved incredibly from close range from Dugarry following a Tebily cross, before Taylor pulled off two excellent saves to deny Kevin Lisbie, with Kiely saving one further top drawer save to deny Mikael Forssell with just moments remaining. However, even with Bryan Hughes on the pitch looking close to the player everyone thought he could be, and Clinton Morrison and Stern John thrown into the fray, Blues couldn't break through, and ended up tasting defeat for only the second time this season.
This defeat had been coming, in all honesty, with Blues struggling to really hit top form in recent games. Whilst the defence has been solid, it can't be relied on all the time, and in particular the defending of set pieces this evening was woeful. Charlton came and did to Blues what Blues have been doing to teams all season. Scott Parker and Matt Holland are exactly the kind of midfielders suited to play this way, and were both excellent tonight.
The fact is that Blues have got to learn how to take the game to teams, and not just play the defensive style all season, because as long as they want to stay in the Top Four of the Premiership, they'll have to get used to teams treating them with the respect that Charlton showed tonight, yet showing no mercy when chances come their way.