Michael Appleton would have hoped for a better start to his tenure than a home defeat. Blackburn have made it clear that promotion is expected this season and that aim has already cost both Steve Keane and Henning Berg their jobs.

If Appleton does not turn things around quickly, it would be no surprise if Rovers made another change at the helm.

However, the Charlton fans’ chants of, “You’re getting sacked in the morning” may have been just a tad premature!

The presence of Rovers’ unpopular owners, the Venkys, at the game may have contributed to the uneasy atmosphere in the home areas. The crowd grew restless as passes went astray following Charlton’s opener and the visitors’ refrains of, “There’s only one Steve Keane” hardly helped.

Charlton got off to their usual sluggish start but that all changed after 26 minutes. Chris Solly galloped down the right, whipped in a cross which Rovers had two attempts at clearing. The ball eventually came to Dale Stephens, who unleashed a left foot thunderbolt from 25 yards that flew past Jake Kean’s right-hand and into the top corner of the net.

The Addicks should have doubled their advantage a couple of minutes later when a Johnnie Jackson effort was parried by Kean and Yann Kermorgant’s follow up was hacked clear.

As the half time whistle blew, Appleton’s team went in to a cacophany of booing from the home fans.

Whatever Appleton said at half-time, it worked. Jordan Rhodes was anonymous in the opening period but in the first minute of the second half, he connected with a Kazim-Richards cross, but put it wide.

It took Rhodes just two minutes to make amends. Again, Kazim-Richards was the provider from the right, but this time Rhodes dived forward to glance a header into Hamer’s bottom right-hand corner. At this stage, Appleton would have fancied his team’s chances of going on to win.

The Addicks recovered well though and sealed the win midway through the half. Live wire, Bradley Pritchard, sent over a left footed cross from the right which Kermorgant met at the far post. The striker headed back across goal and into the left hand corner of Kean’s goal.

Blackburn were unable to restore parity for a second time and the Addicks maintained their 100% league start to 2013.

Charlton: Hamer; Solly, Taylor, Morrison, Evina; Pritchard, Stephens, Jackson; Wilson (Harriott 90), Wagstaff (Dervite 78); Kermorgant.

Subs (not used): Button, Wiggins, Green, Wright-Phillips, Fuller.

Goals: Stephens 26, Kermorgant 64.

Blackburn: Kean; Kane, Hanley, Dann, Olsson; Lowe, Murphy, Rochina (Gomes 78); Vukcevic (Pedersen 70), Kazim-Richards, Rhodes.

Subs (not used): Usai, Givet, Morris, Rosado, Goodwillie.

Goal: Rhodes 48.

Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire).

Attn: 13,647.