FA Premiership: During a summer in which Danny Murphy, Francis Jeffers and Dennis Rommedahl arrived at Charlton, Tahar El Karkouri came into The Valley almost unnoticed. The Moroccan emerged from the shadows last night, though, heading his first goal for the club to give Alan Curbishley's team their first win in four league matches and lift them to seventh.
El Karkouri's strike, from a Danny Murphy corner, incited Blackburn to press hard for an equaliser but they stay just one point above the relegation places.
Garry Flitcroft, having hit a post early on, was twice denied and Rovers felt they should have had a penalty when Brett Emerton's cross hit the arm of Hermann Hreidarsson, who knew little about it.
Blackburn had the better possession during a second half which was a vast improvement on a vapid opening period, and Charlton played largely on the break. One late counter should have settled the game but Radostin Kishishev was denied well by Brad Friedel. They were grateful that Matt Jansen's header went wide in the dying minutes.
Charlton supporters were looking for a big improvement on the display that their team gave in the 0-0 draw with Southampton here two weeks earlier. There was little to please them in the first half.
The home side did not muster a single shot on target before half-time and there was next to nothing in their play to enthuse about in a game littered with poor passes and all too low on quality. Curbishley's team were not helped by the neck injury that forced Jeffers to depart on 12 minutes, but they held on well, thanks to Dean Kiely's alertness.
CHARLTON: Kiely, Young, Perry, Fortune, Hreidarsson, Stuart, Murphy, El Karkouri, Hughes (Euell 76), Lisbie, Jeffers (Johansson 12), Johansson (Kishishev 76). Subs not used: Andersen, Rommedahl. Booked: Stuart. Goal: El Karkouri 49.
BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Amoruso, Matteo, Gray, Emerton, Ferguson, Flitcroft (Tugay 70), Jansen, Dickov, Stead (Bothroyd 70). Subs not used: Enckelman, Pedersen, Johansson. Booked: Tugay.
Referee: S Dunn (Gloucestershire).
Results in SPORTS ROUND-UP
