Charlton Athletic stunned Ipswich Town with three goals in 12 second-half minutes at Portman Road to pick up their second away win of the season.
The home side, previously unbeaten on their own patch this term, dominated the first half – but Ivan Azon had an effort smothered by Addicks goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and Ipswich forward Chuba Akpom hit the crossbar.
Charlton, who have now won four of their past six games, made them pay, as Sonny Carey scored his fourth goal in seven games and then Macaulay Gillesphey headed in a second.
Ipswich, who have now lost two on the bounce and saw goalkeeper Alex Palmer limp off injured in the first half, were clearly rattled, and Miles Leaburn added a third shortly after going on as a substitute.
The south London side had conceded a total of 14 goals in their previous three games against the Tractor Boys, and with the home side dominant early on, this meeting looked like going a similar way.
Azon was denied by Kaminski, the dangerous Jack Clarke had an inswinging corner headed off the line by Charlton’s Greg Docherty, and then Akpom smashed a shot against the bar after great approach work by Azon.
The loss of Palmer, who seemed to suffer a muscle problem as he raced out of his area to sweep up, did not interrupt the flow of the game, but Charlton then created the two best chances of the first half as a warning of things to come.
Isaac Olaofe, in his first league start, turned away from Ashley Young and ran clear of the defence only for substitute goalkeeper Christian Walton to save with his feet, and then Gillesphey miscued a glaring chance over the bar from James Bree’s wicked curving corner.
The dancing feet of Clarke continued to look like Ipswich’s best means of opening up the visitors, but Kaminski turned the former Sunderland man’s shot over the bar and then Akpom headed his fine cross narrowly wide.
Charlton came alive again after 52 minutes as Carey picked up Leif Davis’ headed clearance and drove straight back at the defence, peeling left to beat Dara O’Shea and then driving a low shot beyond Walton.
Suddenly it was all Charlton as Walton produced a fine save to deny Charlie Kelman, and following the resulting corner, Carey’s cross was flicked by Olaofe’s heel at the near post and ballooned off the diving Walton to fall neatly onto the head of Gillespie for 2-0.
Kasey McAteer thought he had pulled one back with a far-post header, but an offside flag ruled the goal out.
Charlton rubbed home their superiority when Conor Coventry retrieved an over-hit corner and played a sharp pass towards the byline. Tyreece Campbell collected and delivered the ball onto the head of Leaburn, who made it three.
George Hirst’s poor touch denied Ipswich their final chance of retrieving something from the game, and Charlton could have added a fourth when Leaburn and Campbell both went close.
The win lifted Charlton to fifth in the Championship table.
