Brave Charlton lost 2-1 at Brentford on Tuesday evening after being in front for a long period.

Lee Bowyer opted for a more solid looking formation, and his side gave the high flying Bees a real run for their money.

The visitors took the lead after 8 minutes following a sweet move down the left. Jonnie Williams fed Alfie Doughty who fired in a deep cross.

Jake Forster-Caskey nodded the ball back for Macauley Bonne to head it over David Raya and into the back of the net.

It was the first time the Addicks had scored from open play since they beat Luton at The Valley in February. The goal also brought to an end Brentford’s run of five consecutive clean sheets.

The south Londoners could even have stretched their lead a few minutes later. Josh Cullen’s left-wing corner came back off the bar, and Jason Pearce’s hooked shot clipped the bar as it went over,

The Bees upped the pressure after the interval and won the game with two goals in the last quarter-of-an-hour.

First, Said Benrahma converted a penalty after Cullen was adjudged to have brought him down in the area, then Ethan Pinnock headed home a right wing corner.

The defeat leaves Charlton precariously placed at 20th in the table, one point ahead of Hull and two ahead of Middlesbrough, who both have a game in hand.

Boro travel to the Den to face Millwall at 3.00pm this afternoon, and the Tigers also have to play the Lions. Addicks fans will be hoping their south London neighbours can do them a favour.

‎Here are the manager’s post match thoughts:

‎”I’m proud of the players tonight, it’s not many times you hear me say that when we lose a game. But tonight we were playing against a top, top side who have been hammering teams left, right and centre, before the lockdown and after and we’ve just given them a right scare and on another day we might come away with something. It wasn’t meant to be and we just have to keep fighting.

“I was here at the weekend, watching them against Wigan and I’ve seen what they’ve done to other teams. We looked quite solid, for a large part of the game.

“We hit the crossbar twice, not once, twice, we looked dangerous on the break at times. Half-time didn’t come at a good time for us. Like I said, their subs that came on made a difference. 

“The players are hurting in there because they have given everything again. Losing the way did, on a penalty and from a corner, it is hard to take.

“I thought it (the penalty) was soft. I’ve seen challenges like that not being given. The ref said to me that Josh got a touch on the ball and it was the follow through, you can’t control that.

” I thought the player made it look worse than what it was, some are given and some aren’t and unfortunately for us it went against us,” said Bowyer who went on to give his thoughts on the situation at the bottom of the table:

“With the situation that we are in we have to fight for every point and put our bodies on the line, we’ve got four games to go and if we keep performing like that and showing our fighting spirit then we can get over the line.”

Charlton: Phillips; Matthews, Lockyer, Pearce (C), Sarr, Doughty (Oshilaja 71); Forster-Caskey (Morgan 71), Cullen, Field (Pratley 56), Williams (Lapslie 56); Bonne (Aneke 79).

Subs (not used): Amos, Purrington, Aneke, McGeady, Davison‎.

Goal: Bonne 8‎.

Booked: Cullen 90 (foul).‎

Brentford: Raya; Rasmussen (Dalsgaard 61), Jannson, Pinnock, Henry; Jensen (Marcondes 61), ‎Norgaard, Dasilva; Mbeumo (Dervisloglu 81), Benrahma, Watkins.

Subs (not used): Daniels, Thompson, Valencia, Jeanvier, Fosu, Zamburek.

Goals: Benrahma 75 (pen), Pinnock 85‎.

Booked: Dervisoglu 87 (foul).

Referee: John Brooks (Oxfordshire).

‎Attn: N/A.