Preston striker Chris Brown grabbed a fine goal in each half to ease manager Alan Irvine's relegation worries and grab three vital Championship points at Charlton.

Brown opened the scoring when he was played onside by injured Charlton defender Sam Sodje as he lay in the penalty area before smashing the ball into the top corner.

Addicks defender Paddy McCarthy then levelled against the run of play in the 75th minute with a scrappy goal before Brown grabbed his second two minutes later with a superb turn and finish.

Alan Pardew's side were abject throughout and will have to show major improvement if they are to force their way back into the Premier League via the play-offs.

Preston centre-half Liam Chilvers was injured in the warm-up so Billy Jones made a late arrival in the back four.

And the former Crewe right-back had a chance in the first minute but he headed Darren Carter's wind-assisted corner wide at the far post.

The swirling wind was causing problems for Addicks goalkeeper Nicky Weaver as first he hastily tipped over a Paul McKenna corner and then saw a goal-kick blow back into his own area.

The visitors were taking advantage of the conditions and should have taken the lead in the 10th minute.

Chris Sedgwick lofted a fine ball over Kelly Youga and debutant Tamas Priskin's excellent first touch took him clear.

The striker - signed on loan from Watford this morning - confidently burst into the area but tried an ambitious lob with the outside of his foot and saw his woeful effort go wide.

Pardew was then forced into a change as on-loan Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair replaced the injured Lloyd Sam before North End scored in contentious circumstances in the 15th minute.

Sodje was flattened by an aerial challenge and was left in the penalty area and play was allowed to continue by referee Grant Hegley.

Sedgwick slipped the ball to Carter who played in Brown on the left-hand side of the penalty area.

Brown was only played onside by the prone figure of Sodje but calmly took a touch before burying the ball in the top corner.

Pardew responded to his side's poor showing by bringing on Andy Gray for Luke Varney at the break.

The hosts were enduring a wretched day in possession and the home crowd resorted to ironically cheering every pass strung together by Preston as their own side systematically gave the ball away.

Debutant Leroy Lita showed a rare moment of desire with 20 minutes remaining when he barged past Youl Mawene to rattle in a 25-yard drive but Jones was on hand to block.

And from the resulting corner McCarthy scrabbled in an equaliser.

North End cleared their lines from the set-piece but Matt Holland swung over a second ball which Sodje headed down for his defensive partner to stab past Andy Lonergan and in.

It was an undeserved strike but to the visitors' credit they immediately surged forward and retook the lead in the 77th minute.

Simon Whaley drilled in a cross from the left and Brown - with his back to goal - showed tremendous poise as he cushioned the ball with his left foot and brilliantly turned McCarthy before swivelling and smashing a low volley under Weaver from eight yards to take the points back to Lancashire.

Teams:

Charlton Weaver, Halford (Iwelumo 82), Sodje, McCarthy, Youga, Sam (Scott Sinclair 14), Holland, Zhi, Ambrose, Lita, Varney (Gray 46).

Subs Not Used: Elliot, Semedo.

Goals: McCarthy 74.

Preston Lonergan, St. Ledger, Mawene, Jones, Davidson, Whaley (Hill 87), McKenna, Carter, Sedgwick, Brown, Priskin (Mellor 71).

Subs Not Used: Chris Neal, Lewis Neal, Trotman.

Goals: Brown 15, 77.

Att: 25,124

Ref: Grant Hegley (Hertfordshire).