Blackburn winger Damien Duff displayed why he is coveted by the Premiership's elite with a performance which was rewarded with one goal and could well have been more.
The Republic of Ireland international, for whom the speculation about multi-million pound moves to a host of clubs refuses to go away, can only have increased his value with a dazzling display.
Duff struck in the 34th minute, latching onto a Hakan Sukur knock-down, but his all-round contribution was the difference between the two sides.
The victory maintains Rovers' push for a place in European competition. For Charlton, it was their fifth-successive league game without victory.
Charlton suffered a blow before the start when leading scorer Jason Euell was called away from Ewood Park just before kick-off because of a family illness and returned home immediately.
Central defender Mark Fish failed a fitness test on a knee injury sustained in last week's 6-1 defeat at home to Leeds and boss Alan Curbishley made four changes to that team with former England left-back Chris Powell returning as
captain and defender Jon Fortune and Mathias Svensson brought in with John Robinson promoted from the bench.
Rovers boss Graeme Souness named an unchanged squad following Monday's 4-0 victory at Fulham, giving Sukur another chance to impress after two goals at Craven Cottage.
The home side's first threat came in only the third minute when Duff and Andy Cole exchanged passes on the left wing before the Republic of Ireland international drilled in a first-time shot which was well-parried by Dean iely.
Duff was the early instigator for Rovers and he appeared to have the run of the Charlton half as the visitors struggled to find cohesion but it was David Dunn's 12th-minute cross from the other side of the pitch which had Richard Rufus booting clear in the six-yard box from under the nose of a lurking Sukur.
Cole should have done better from five yards out when he got firm contact on Vratislav Gresko's cross from the left midway through the half only to direct his header wide, planting another header over from Duff's 33rd-minute corner.
But just when it appeared the deadlock would not be broken the mercurial Duff proved he can finish as well as create.
Goalkeeper Brad Friedel's punt downfield was knocked on by Sukur and Duff took one touch before knocking a left-footed shot past Kiely from 14 yards.
Charlton tried to hit back before the interval but Svensson's ballooned drive high and wide from long range summed up their first half.
They were eager to put right the wrongs in the first half and were back out on the pitch five minutes before their hosts reappeared.
And the Addicks began with renewed vigour with Kevin Lisbie twisting and turning in the box before eventually being dispossessed by Gresko.
But the threat still remained with Duff and when Cole released him down the left he cut inside but dragged his shot wide under pressure from Luke Young.
Blackburn's dogged defence was not pretty - with bodies and tackles flying - but it proved to be effective in snuffing out what little danger there was in front of Friedel.
Ten minutes into the second half Robinson swung in a cross from the right but it evaded the desperate lunges of Svensson and Paul Konchesky in the six-yard box.
Souness withdrew the tiring Sukur in the 62nd minute to introduce Rovers' leading scorer Dwight Yorke and Curbishley responded immediately by sending on Jonatan Johansson for Robinson, moving Lisbie to right wing.
Konchesky's 72nd-minute shot caused some concern as Friedel punched the ball straight into the path of the back-tracking Henning Berg but there was relief all round in the home defence as the rebound carried wide of the post.
At the other end Kiely's fingertips denied skipper Garry Flitcroft's powerful header from Dunn's corner, while Yorke's cheeky close-range backheel was saved by the goalkeeper's legs.
Cole should have finished it with six minutes to go but shot straight at Kiely after linking well with former Manchester United strike-partner Yorke.
Duff departed a minute later to a well-earned standing ovation and the show was over.
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