Charlton Athletic 1 v Wolverhampton Wanderers 3

Wolves blew into town top of the table and full of early season swagger. Their fans have seen it plenty of times before, so it was no real surprise that our early strike pretty much shut them up until the second-half. Problem was, they had reason to find their voices after 4pm and were able to leave the Valley still bouyant and believing that this season will be theirs. It would be hard to disagree based on their overall performance today.

Pardew started with a predictable line-up of Weaver, Youga, Hudson, Fortune, Cranie, Holland, Bailey, Bouazza, Sam, Varney and Gray. Things started in spectacular fashion as Nicky Bailey smashed a dropping volley into the top corner from 22-yards. It was a peach of a strike and spoilt only by the fact that Hennessey managed to get a hand to it, although he could not stop it from eneding up where it belonged. Bailey celebrated in front of the East Stand as if he was a life-long Charlton fan and the whole side were purring for 25 minutes on the strength of it. In the late summer sunshine, you could be forgiven for expecting us to rack up the goals and kill the game. Bailey was running the show in the middle and everyone around him was buzzing and finding space. Bailey repeated his earlier volley from similar distance but was wide of the mark as Charlton tried to up the ante. It looked like a matter of time. Wolves were trying to break out at every opportunity but weren't convincing and, an Ebanks-Blake burst and shot across the face of goal apart, didn't look like table-topping material.

We went in one-up at the break and I fully expected us to step up a gear in the second half as we attacked the Covered End. Lloyd Sam made a good run and his cross was perfectly weighted towards the back post. Gray looked to have been fouled and whilst the crowd reacted claiming a penalty, the ball fell to Varney who somehow missed the target from 8 yards. Neither Varney or Gray got much change from Stearman and Collins all day and things didn't improve as the game went on. 

Just after the hour the game moved firmly in Wolves' favour as they were awarded an inocuous looking penalty. In a situation very similar to the second Reading penalty, there was no appeal from the Wolves players or fans and the incident was in front of them. Referree Taylor reacted first and pointed to the spot. Ebanks-Blake made no mistake and all of a sudden Wolves found their feet and their voices. Karl Henry had been battling his way back into the game in midfiled and he visibly raised his game after the goal. Andy Keogh, too, was all of a sudden involved in everything as as the Old Gold took the game to their hosts. Luke Varney chased a long ball through and into the Wolves box but flashed his shot across the face of goal, just has Ebanks-Blake had done in the first half. However, Charlton looked a yard slower around the pitch and Wolves were beginning to commit more men in attack. 

Pards tried to change things by bringing on Basey and Dickson for Gray and Sam but it make little difference as Wolves continued to press. The inevitable second came from persistant pressure down our right side and a delayed cross fell for Sam Vokes to nonchalently flick passed the despairing Nicky Weaver.  Two-one to Wolves and it was no surprise when Vokes added a third and it could actually have been worse before the referree blew for full time.

Hard to know what we learnt from today. For me, I would prefer to see Basey starting at left back. Kelly Youga is a talented ball player but he takes unnecessary risks for a full-back and he can be naive and over-ambitious when going forward. Basey's more direct and no-nonsense approach might make us a little be more solid at the back. Martin Cranie had a reasoanble debut but I think Moutaouakil could have played a similar game today. 

The midfield was a disappointment after a decent first half. Bailey was my Charlton player of the match but he did not get the quality of support he needed from Matt Holland as the game wore on. Lloyd Sam ran the ball well enough out right although he squandered a lot of possession. Bouazza had a reasonable first half but he went missing in the second half.

Upfront, Varney and Gray struggled to make any impact on the Wolves back-four and I thought Varney had his quietest game for some time.

What to do for Doncaster on Tuesday? I'd bring Basey in at left back and would be tempted to change the midfield partner for Nicky Bailey; maybe Zheng Zhi to start with Holland kept back for the last 20 minutes. We also need to consider changing it upfront earlier in games when Gray and Varney are making no impression. 

Overall, it was a real sickener to see us lose at home after winning the first two and, all of a sudden, things aren't looking too rosy. We need to collect some points at Doncaster and Forest or we will begin to look short on confidence. Wolves were better than I had expected. As well as a good blend of experience and youth (Vokes is only 18), they are a big side and look like they will cope physically with the demands of being top-of-the-league. 

I'm committed to going to Doncatser but it's looking like we'll be in a for real battle. They went down 1-0 to ten man Birmingham today but Sean O'Driscoll has got them fighting and they will fancy their chnaces against a vulnerable looking Charlton side on the road. I don't want to see a goaless draw but it's probably what we need right now.