Steve Bruce’s side, lying second-bottom and in desperate need of a victory, dominated this match but were robbed by a 30th minute goal by old boy Bryan Hughes and a stoppage-time strike by Darren Bent.
It left Bruce shaking his head in disbelief. “In my time at this club I can’t remember dominating a match so much and getting nothing,” he said. “But I’m convinced that if we keep playing like that then we will be okay.”
Bruce was encouraged by the return to fitness of key players like Muzzy Izzet and Mikael Forssell and by the performance of Chris Sutton in his first game since arriving from Celtic on a free transfer. Bruce added: “Chris is a winner. He was terrific and I am delighted to have him, especially for nothing.”
Bruce signed Sutton, who had cost his previous clubs £21m in transfer fees, to partner Emile Heskey. But the striker, who last played in the Premiership five and a half years ago, struck up a more immediate understanding with Jiri Jarosik.
Three times in the opening 20 minutes, Sutton nodded the ball down for the Czech midfielder but on each occasion he shot wide. Heskey also went close, striking a long-range shot over Thomas Myhre’s crossbar, before Charlton took a 29th minute lead against the run of play.
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Dennis Rommedahl swung over a corner, Jarosik slipped and Hughes was first to the ball with a downward header that bounced past keeper Maik Taylor and Jermaine Pennant on the far post. It was a sweet moment for Hughes, scoring his second goal of the season against the club at which he spent seven years, but hard on Birmingham.
Heskey had a chance to level early in the second half when Jon Fortune misdirected a header towards him but the former England man only prodded the ball from six yards and Myhre saved easily.
He then headed into the Norwegian keeper’s arms before being beaten to a near post ball by Fortune after a cross by Stan Lazaridis. Birmingham’s poor finishing has been the cause of their slump, but Bruce hopes that will change with Sutton’s arrival and Forssell’s recovery. The two combined in the 90th minute but Sutton drove the ball straight at Myhre.
An equaliser would have been the least City deserved but worse was to follow. In stoppage time Bent outpaced Mario Melchiot to thump a 15-yarder past Taylor.
Curbishley said: “Let’s hope we can grind out a few more results, get a bit of confidence back and play the way we started the season. But I am counting my blessings that the table looks a lot healthier.”
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STAR MAN: Matt Holland (Charlton)
Player ratings. Charlton: Myrhe 7, Young 6, Fortune 6, Hreidarsson 7, Powell 6, Rommedahl 6 (Ambrose 72min, 6), Holland 8, Kishishev 6 (Lisbie 83min, 6), Hughes 7, Bent 7, Bartlett 7.
Birmingham: Taylor 6, Melchiot 6, Cunningham 7 (Forssell 75min, 7), Upson 7, Lazaridis 7, Pennant 7, Johnson 6, Izzet 6, Jarosik 7 (Dunn 75min, 6), Heskey 6, Sutton 7.
Scorers: Charlton: Hughes 29, Bent 90
Referee: G. Poll
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Attendance: 26,312