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| Ipswich continued their rich vein of goal-scoring form as goals from Daryl Murphy and Freddie Sears ended Charlton's mini-revival with a 3-0 victory at The Valley. |
The duo both scored in the first half and Murphy grabbed another after the break as Town banged in their 12th goal in four matches to edge nearer the Championship play-off places.
Both teams had been in good form of late after being in something of a slump, with Charlton looking for a third win in a row after going 12 games without victory, while Ipswich are now scoring for fun after managing just one in five games previously.
The Addicks were dealt a blow after 13 minutes when they lost skipper Johnnie Jackson to injury, which saw substitute Chris Solly going into the backline and Morgan Fox moving up into midfield.
Jackson, who signed a new one-year contract extension on the eve of the game, has been a talisman of late with a goal in each of their previous wins and his loss clearly disrupted the hosts.
Ipswich pressed and Stephen Henderson had to be alert to a Murphy header after a Pitman shot, and the Charlton keeper went down smartly to get behind a Sears effort.
Henderson moved sharply to block another Sears shot when he scampered clean through but Charlton failed to clear their lines and were punished in the 28th minute; Murphy heading the opening from close-range as he took advantage of some dire defending.
Town took further advantage when Sears latched on to Luke Chambers' clever through-ball and he beat Henderson with a low shot for his fifth goal of the campaign.
Ademola Lookman was Charlton's biggest threat with varied efforts and skilful build-up play. He was given added support up front at the break when Charlton's caretaker boss Karel Fraeye handed Ricardo Vaz Te his home debut as the hosts looked for a revival.
It was Ipswich, though, who struck again in the 69th minute with a goal that owed much to Sears' tenacity and vision.
The ex-West Ham and Colchester forward battled to win a ball off two Charlton defenders, played a low ball inside for Jonathan Douglas, who played a neat pass across goal, dummied by Pitman, and Murphy steadied him before finishing for his sixth goal in three games.
Dean Gerken made three top saves in the last ten minutes when he blocked a Patrick Bauer diving header with his leg and pulled off two cracking stops from Vaz Te, as Charlton launched a late flurry, but it was acase of too little too late for the hosts.
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