Charlton 2 Walsall 0 - Verdict

Miguel Angel Llera and substitute Scott Wagstaff eased the hosts to a victory which never looked in doubt.

The Saddlers were searching for their first goal in open play since the opening day at Brighton but never looked likely to trouble the scorecard – despite Mark Hughes having a second half strike ruled out for offside.

Darryl Westlake again fought off Rhys Weston for the right-back slot and Dwayne Mattis returned for Mark Bradley after his midweek suspension, in the only change from the Leeds loss.

Early on, Frazer Richardson stung Clayton Ince's palms in an opening which saw the Saddlers instantly on the back foot.

Strikers Troy Deeney and Sam Parkin were almost redundant and, while the Saddlers began to see a little more of the ball, they did little with it.

The hosts looked every inch promotion favourites and on the half-hour their pressure tolled.

Bailey crossed for Llera, who powered a header against the post only for it to ricochet back off the defender as he - and the ball - bundled past Ince and over the line.

It was all the Addicks, and indeed Walsall, deserved. It was as if the Saddlers had arrived in south London resigned to defeat.

Walsall left-back Jamie Vincent was struggling to deal with the marauding Lloyd Sam and relied on Steve Jones' last ditch tackle to stop the winger making it 2-0 a minute before the break.

But it was a rare chance in a half which had all the pace of an 80-year-old geriatric.

Jones was replaced by Richard Taundry at the break, but that failed to stem Charlton's dominance.

On 50 minutes Richardson launched long to Burton and, with Mark Hughes struggling, the striker wasted a glorious chance by tamely lofting into Ince's arms.

But the Saddlers thought they had equalised on 57 minutes, but Hughes was denied by a linesman's flag after good work from Matt Richards.

Deeney then forced goalkeeper Rob Elliot into his first save with a low drive after a fine run, as the Saddlers began to frustrate the hosts.

But the Addicks sealed the game on 72 minutes when Burton found Wagstaff breaking clear and he drilled past Ince.

Parkin later had a header saved by Elliot but the Saddlers were already well beaten.