Charlton shock Portsmouth with late winner

Portsmouth 0 Charlton 1

Former Portsmouth midfielder Amady Faye grabbed his first Charlton goal with a late winner against his old club in a Fratton Park shock.

And a dramatic late save by Scott Carson denied Andy Cole an equalising header.

Faye’s 79th-minute strike earned Charlton boss Alan Pardew his second win in their fight against relegation as Pompey failed to score at home for only the second time this season.

It was only their second defeat in 11 games but Charlton could have wrapped it up earlier when Bryan Hughes, whose return pass set up Faye’s decider, failed to turn Marcus Bent’s header into an empty net.

Inevitably, the announcement of Ben Thatcher’s name in the Charlton side brought a massive jeer from the home fans – even before the teams appeared on the pitch. The former Wales defender was facing Portsmouth for the first time since his elbow smash to the face of Portuguese midfielder Pedro Mendes earlier this season while at Manchester City, which earned him an eight-match ban.

Mendes accepted Thatcher’s handshake as the teams went through the Premiership pre-match ritual, but Thatcher finished the day on top, playing a vital part in his team’s disciplined defence and rode out a storm of boos.