ALAN PARDEW was less than charitable about the circumstances of Charlton's unexpected defeat at lowly Scunthorpe yesterday.
"They've taken four points off us this season and that's not good enough," he admitted, going on to take a pot first at referee Andy Penn's interpretation of the rulebook, then the unhappy state of the Glanford Park pitch.
But Pardew was big enough to admire the quality of fight in a Scunthorpe team that seemed rejuvenated by the addition of Sheffield United striker Geoff Horsfield.
Even so, how Pardew's men returned to London pointless is something of a mystery. If Luke Varney opened energetically for the Addicks with some testing runs and telling asides, Horsfield promised to provide the presence that has been absent from the home side's attack.
A powerful crossfield run from Darren Ambrose followed by a ground shot provided Joe Murphy with his first serious test. Grant McCann's 15th-minute free kick found Horsfield's head and flew narrowly past Nicky Weaver's left upright.
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Patrick McCarthy's ball to Varney, which the striker slipped through a crowded penalty area, was slotted home by Andy Gray just after the break. Charlton's celebrations were cut short by the offside flag.
Second-half substitute Dean Thomas laid on a great chance wasted by Ambrose and then Yassin Moutaouakil, whose misery was completed in the 63rd minute when he stabbed ineffectually at a Cliff Byrne cross and gifted Martin Paterson his first goal since Boxing Day.
Andy Butler was given a second yellow card in the 74th minute, the first of which "was given for what was actually a peach of a tackle", according to Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins.
Murphy was fabulous for United in the last 10 minutes, denying Charlton with four brilliant saves. "That's four points we've taken from Charlton," Adkins said. "Who'd have thought that at the start of the season?"
Star man: Geoff Horsfield (Scunthorpe)
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Player ratings: Scunthorpe: Murphy 7, Williams 5, Crosby 6, Byrne 6, Goodwin 7, Hayes 6 (Hobbs 75min), Horsfield 8 (81 Norris), Cork 8, McCann 7, Butler 6 (sent off 74), Hurst 6 (Paterson 52mins, 7)
Charlton: Weaver 5, Moutaouakil 5, Youga 7 (McLeod 86min), Bougherra 6, McCarthy 6, Sam 6 (Thomas 46min, 7), Ambrose 7, Holland 8, Zhi 6, Varney 7 (Iwulemo 2min, 6), Gray 5
Scorers: Scunthorpe: Paterson 63
Referee: A Penn
Attendance: 6,084