Substitute Claus Jensen stole Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel's thunder by hitting a stoppage-time winner for Charlton moments after the American had scored an equaliser from an 89th-minute corner at The Valley.

Carlton Cole and Jason Euell had given the Addicks a two-goal cushion at half-time only for substitute Andy Cole and Friedel to level the scores after an inspired fightback before Jensen struck to end Charlton's three-match losing run.

Defeats to Bolton, Chelsea and Tottenham had dented manager Alan Curbishley's European ambitions, but this win lifted his side back up to fifth in the week after he signed a new contract to stay at The Valley until 2007.

The Addicks have spent over three months of the season occupying the Barclaycard Premiership's fourth Champions League spot, and they were keen to get back there after slipping up in recent weeks.

Carlton Cole took the first shot on goal, turning inside Markus Babbel to fire over the crossbar from 25 yards, and he did not have long to wait to give Charlton a tenth-minute lead.

Paolo Di Canio provided the left-wing cross, and Cole was given time to control the ball and turn both Babbel and Craig Short before firing past a helpless Friedel left-footed into the top corner from six yards.

But the home side were dealt a blow when defender Mark Fish was forced off with an injury in the 14th minute, to be replaced by Jonathan Fortune. Soon afterwards, Charlton goalkeeper Dean Kiely was forced to tip over Emerton's fierce shot from an acute angle.

But the game sprang to life in the 19th minute when first Cole went down after competing for a header with former Charlton defender Andy Todd, and then Garry Flitcroft snapped at Di Canio's heels. The Italian reacted angrily, and players from both sides joined the confrontation, but referee Uriah Rennie kept his cards in his pocket.

Blackburn striker Stead almost pulled his side level on 26 minutes with a right-foot shot from 15 yards which cannoned back off the near post, and Charlton seemed only too content to invite the pressure.

But they were given a vital cushion when Graham Stuart's left-wing cross was flicked on by di Canio to Euell, who recovered from a poor first touch to scoop the ball into far corner from close range in the 36th minute.

Shortly afterwards Friedel saved well from Holland. Yet Blackburn were still providing a threat at the other end, where Stead was guilty of a wasteful miss, chipping over the crossbar with only a prone Kiely to beat.

Graeme Souness had seen enough and opted to throw Andy Cole into the fray from the restart. But England Under 21 striker Stead can count himself unlucky to have been the man to make way after looking Blackburn's most dangerous player.

Another outrageous piece of skill from di Canio, who had been showcasing his tricks all match, produced a chance for Cole, who shot narrowly wide from Luke Young's right-wing cross.

But Andy Cole then forced Kiely's first real save of the match following indecision in the Charlton rearguard, and moments later Emerton flashed a shot across the face of his goal.

Holland and Fortune were both wayward with headers from di Canio corners before Chris Perry's last-ditch tackle robbed Andy Cole of a scoring chance

Di Canio watched a vicious curling shot from 25 yards sail narrowly wide before Charlton were made to pay for their growing complacency in the 74th minute.

Radostin Kishishev's back pass went straight to the feet of Andy Cole, who rounded Kiely before mishitting a shot and having to sidestep Perry's despairing tackle to finish low for his eighth league goal of the season.

Charlton were rocking badly, and Kiely twice denied Cole in spectacular fashion, the second time with an unbelievable tip over.

But an equaliser was coming, and it came from the most unlikely source. Rovers keeper Freidel, who had just denied Jensen, came forward for an 89th-minute corner, and when Charlton failed to clear, he slotted home from close range.

Yet this game had one more twist, and in stoppage time Jensen hit the winner with a right-foot volley which Freidel could only help into his own net.

Teams:

Charlton: Kiely, Kishishev, Perry, Fish (Fortune 15), Hreidarsson, Young, Holland, Euell, Stuart, Di Canio (Konchesky 89), Cole (Jensen 77).

Subs Not Used: Royce, Johansson.

Goals: Cole 10, Euell 36, Jensen 90.

Blackburn: Friedel, Babbel, Short, Todd (Yorke 59), Gray, Neill, Flitcroft (Tugay 28), Emerton, Douglas, Gallagher, Stead (Cole 45).

Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Andresen.

Goals: Cole 74, Friedel 90.

Att: 26,332

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).