CHARLTON were given a stark warning that automatic promotion to the Championship was not yet signed and sealed by in-form Notts County this afternoon.

In a breathtaking first-half in SE7, Keith Curle's side found themselves four-nil up after 40 minutes in a frantic encounter.

An unlikely comeback looked to be on the cards after 57 minutes when Charlton grabbed two goals back in quick succession, but unfortunately they couldn't add anymore to the scoreline.

It's just as well Chris Powell's side still have a healthy lead at the top of League One, but County, who came into the match with just one defeat in eight matches, put the Addicks to the sword in emphatic fashion.

Charlton's afternoon started badly as early as the 11th minute when Danny Haynes was replaced by Scott Wagstaff, with what looked to be an injury.

And just five minutes later, the visitors took the lead through Alan Judge.

The former Blackburn Rovers man picked the ball up 30-yards out, took a couple of touches and let rip from range to beat Ben Hamer.

It went from bad to worse just 90 seconds later as County extended their lead.

A quick break down the left saw Judge deliver across the six-yard area, and Jonathan Forte slid in to double the Magpies' lead.

The home faithful were in total shock, just as they were four days previously when Colchester United came away with all three points in SE7.

The Addicks could have got a goal back shortly before the half-hour mark through an unlikely source in Matt Taylor, who sent an overhead towards goal from 12-yards out, but it was a comfortable stop from Stuart Nelson.

But, just when you thought couldn't get any worse for the Addicks, it did.

A long ball forward into Charlton's 18-yard area looked to have been dealt with by Hamer, but mis-communication with Matt Taylor saw Forte steal in to poke the ball over the custodian.

And to compound a miserable first-half, Forte completed his hat-trick just minutes later.

You wouldn't have wanted to be a fly on the wall in the home dressing room at the break, but whatever may have been said, it sparked a comeback from the Addicks.

Bradley Wright-Phillips reduced the deficit just five minutes into the second period with an overhead kick from close range, and just moments later, the comeback looked on when Wagstaff got his name on the scoresheet.

Wright-Phillips found space down the right and spotted the winger with an inch-perfect byline cross to glance a header beyond Nelson.

Just before the hour-mark, the Addicks were denied a possible third when Wright-Phillips held off his marker from a ball over-the-top, and it looked as if he was bundled to the floor for a clear penalty.

With The Valley faithful screaming for a spot-kick, the referee firmly extinguished all calls to the digust of the home bench.

Midway through the half, Powell's side were then denied another penalty when the ball looked to have struck the hand of a County player inside the box from Yann Kermorgant's flick-on, but again, the referee waved away all protests.

As the game headed into the 80th minute, the momentum looked to have run out of steam for the hosts, and the two penalty appeals turned down for the Addicks may have proved significant.

In the 85th minute, Wright-Phillips had a chance to grab a third when a through-ball found the striker, but Nelson came rushing out to punch the ball clear.

Despite four minutes of stoppage time, Charlton couldn't force a gripping finale and County walked away with a 4-2 win to boost their play-off hopes.

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Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Wiggins, Taylor, Morrison, Haynes (Wagstaff 11), Hollands, Stephens, Jackson (c), Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Cort, Russell, Clarke.