The two wins have put the Addicks seven points clear of the Blades – with a game in hand – and, after Saturday’s draw with Hartlepool, ten clear of Sheffield Wednesday.

With the Sheffield duo engaged in cup action on Saturday, Charlton have an ideal opportunity to turn the gap into a real chasm. Here are the manager’s thoughts on the performance:

“It was an outstanding performance by my boys today, it was very committed and full of character.

“We have played a good team which I felt settled in well at the beginning of the game. We grew into it and it took a special moment again – similar to last week – to win us the game.

“Are Sheffield United the best team that have come here? Possibly yes, I would say.

“They have been on a terrific run and they are led by a good manager who knows his way around football management.

“It was a real test for us and maybe it was just a little bit the other way. Normally we dominate games and we are always on the front foot but I felt we were really tested today.

“On the other side, we were very resilient in the face of a decent team, but we had chances as well.

“I felt we had passages of play where we put them on the back foot but I can’t shy away from the superb free-kick that won us three points today,” said Powell.

Ben Hamer had a difficult afternon but the back-four were again superb and got this tribute from their manager:

“The centre-halves were immense and the back four was immense. I don’t want to keep talking about him but Chris Solly gives you everything you want from a full-back.

“You’ve got very similar on the left side in Rhoys Wiggins. Michael Morrison and Matt Taylor have forged a fantastic partnership and they dovetail one another really well.

“They are real defenders who know how to defend and I always tell them to pride themselves on clean sheets and pride themselves on keeping the ball out of our net, because the boys at the other end will come up with something for us.

“I think any basis of a good team is your back four and it’s your spine. You look down my spine and I have got some strong players and strong characters but those two have been outstanding.

“It’s been unlucky for Leon Cort, who is a very good centre-half whom I have brought to the club, but I think any player out of the team knows that if the team is performing like that, and players in their position are, they won’t be able to get in,” continued Powell.

A bizarre twist to the game was when substitutes, Darel Russell and James Beattie, were both sent-off within a few minutes of coming on. Russell for a dangerous challenge and Beattie for his part in the melee that ensued with Yann Kermorgant receiving a yellow card. Here’s how Chris saw it:

“I’ve seen Darel Russell’s challenge. I think what’s going on at the moment in the game is we’ve got this furore about one foot off the ground and two feet off the ground.

“When you see it again, and I’m sure you guys haven’t, he gets the ball. He doesn’t make contact with the player with the ball (Kevin McDonald) with the foot that makes contact with the ball, it’s the other leg.

“It wasn’t dangerous and the player got up straight away.”

Sorry Chris, it definitely was dangerous. Russell had already seen two players booked for challenges on him and was possibly frustrated. A challenge, with feet off the ground, can break a player’s leg and is correctly outlawed. Making a challenge like that is an offence under the laws of the game, it is irrelevant whether the player makes contact with an opponent or not.

Powell, of course, had a slightly different view on Beattie’s red card:

“My chairman is a lawyer and he says strangulation is a criminal offence, so there you go!”

“He (Beattie) grabbed Yann. I don’t know whether it was the referee or the fourth official that saw it but he saw fit to send James Beattie off and saw it fit to book Yann.

“It’s a tough game to referee because there are emotions and there is a lot on it. It was first-versus-second and is always a big game in any league but it’s happened now.

“All we can do is more on forward to the next game and prepare for Exeter away,” added Chris.

Beattie raised his hands so, again, the red card was mandatory. There were one or two other contentious decisions where Danny Wilson may think his team did not get the rub of the green. The free-kick that led to Jackson’s superb goal was possibly a soft award. Rhoys Wiggins could have seen red when he pulled Richard Cresswell down and Hamer seemed to just drop the ball over the line when Darren Deadman blew up for a foul.

Colin Webster allowed a far nore dubious goal at the Galpharm when Alan Lee pushed Brentford’s Richard Lee over the line for the goal that brought Huddersfield back into the game.

These things tend to even themselves out over the course of the season and when they go in a team’s favour, they need to take advantage of it. Like all successful teams, Charlton did just that.

Russell is a good pro and was distraught after the game. Powell had this to say about his midfielder:

“I’ve spoken to him (Russell)quietly but you have got to let players just settle down and calm down in their own heads.

“You are disappointed and feel you have let everyone down. I said to him ‘you have been very unlucky’.

“I suppose when he sees it and when he comes in for training, he will get over it.

“It’s sadly a part of football that happens and it’s happened today for Darel.

“He came on and I thought he got to the pace of the game really well straight away.

“There were some decisions that I’m sure were questionable for myself and Danny Wilson, but that’s how football matches are. Darel will definitely come again,” concluded the manager.

Powell is learning the diplomatic side of the game fast. If he genuinely feels his player was badly treated, the club will appeal against the decision, like they did after the Hamer incident at Leyton Orient. Somehow I do not think it will happen.