Tottenham crashed to their fourth defeat on the trot as Chris Powell gave
Charlton their derby dozen with his first league goal for the club at White Hart
Lane.
Glenn Hoddle's men, thrashed 4-0 three times in their last three matches
before tonight, were denied by a string of sensational saves by the Addicks'
Republic of Ireland World Cup hopeful Dean Kiely.
And - in a game watched by Sven-Goran Eriksson - England left-back Powell
struck in the 70th minute to ensure Charlton's amazing unbeaten run against
capital opposition stretched to 12 games.
Kiely's magnificent point-blank save from Les Ferdinand's header kept the
scores blank at the interval - and the keeper made three more great saves after
the break to deepen Spurs' woe.
Lady Luck is certainly not smiling on Spurs at the moment, as two Gus Poyet
headers were cleared off the Charlton line - by Scott Parker and Paul
Konchesky.
Hoddle had revamped his shell-shocked side for this match. Out went Dean
Richards (hamstring), Teddy Sheringham (rested), Ben Thatcher (leg) and Mauricio
Taricco (dropped) - and in came Anthony Gardner, Sergei Rebrov, Chris Perry and
Darren Anderton (back after a hamstring problem).
For the Addicks, unbeaten in their last 11 clashes with their capital rivals
in a run dating back to Boxing Day 2000, Richard Rufus returned for his first
game since suffering serious knee ligament damage in August.
Gardner's tame shot in the seventh minute was the first effort at goal from
either side, but it did little to perk up the home faithful, who were silent as
the visiting support chanted 'we want four'.
Rufus announced his return to the football field with two thunderous fair
challenges - one leaving Ferdinand in a heap and the other resulting in
treatment for Gus Poyet.
The initial fizz drained out of most of the remainder of the first half, with
Spurs - not surprisingly - appearing somewhat disjointed after three crushing
defeats.
Kiely made a sensational fingertip save from easily the best opening of the
match in the 32nd minute.
Christian Ziege looped over a curling cross from the left flank and Ferdinand
stooped to head the ball powerfully goalwards from just seven yards out.
However, Kiely stretched out his right hand and got just enough contact to
deflect the ball away from his net.
However, Charlton were still threatening and Mathias Svensson awkwardly headed
behind from Parker's excellent ball into the box.
Sullivan also made a smart block after Parker put Young in on goal - and from
the resulting corner, Jorge Costa looped the ball onto the roof of the Spurs
net.
At the other end, Parker cleared off the Charlton line from Poyet's header on
the stroke of half-time.
After the interval, Kiely really came into his own. He had to be alert to
gather a well-hit Rebrov drive in the 58th minute - and then made a save even
better than his first-half block from Ferdinand's header.
Davies picked out Poyet with a superb diagonal ball - and when he shot, the
Addicks number one just clipped the ball round the post.
Kiely was also in action again moments later when he stuck out his left boot
to keep out Poyet's 12-yard effort.
But it was Charlton who took a shock lead as the clock ticked past the
70-minute mark, with a goal that will give Hoddle nightmares.
Addicks captain Graham Stuart crossed from the right, and as the ball looped
over Euell, Ledley King made a hash of his clearance.
The Tottenham defender succeeded only in kneeing the ball into space - and
left-back Chris Powell stole in to grab his first league goal for Charlton,
bundling the ball home from close range with the outside of his right thigh.
The England defender's only other goal in four years at The Valley was
ironically also against Tottenham, in Spurs' 4-2 FA Cup fourth-round victory
last season.
Charlton had to cling on by the skin of their teeth with two minutes left.
Poyet's powerful header from Ziege's corner was first headed onto the
underside of his crossbar by Charlton substitute Konchesky - who then cleared
the rebound.