Charlton slipped out of the top six after losing 1-0 to promotion rivals Scunthorpe.

Ivan Toney’s first-half goal was enough to sink a lacklustre Addicks and hand the visitors a second win in 16 games.

Charlton drop to eighth and are now two points from sixth-placed Plymouth.

Lee Bowyer made three changes to the side that lost against AFC Wimbledon with Anfernee Dijksteel, Jay Dasilva and Nicky Ajose coming in for Ezri Konsa, Lewis Page and Stephy Mavididi.

The game had some action after a drab opening 19 minutes. Ben Amos did well to deny Hakeeb Adelakun with his legs and Charlton went up the other end as Scunthorpe goalkeeper Matt Gilks parried Ajose’s 20-yard strike.

Charlton were poor in the first-half and trailed on 31 minutes when the impressive Adelakun broke down the right to square to Toney, who had a tap-in.

Referee Graham Salisbury, who was the villain at the Valley today, blew for half-time with the Addicks unable to respond to the setback.

Charlton showed no signs of mounting a comeback in the early stages of the second-half. Jordan Clarke’s crossfield pass found Toney, whose volley drew a superb save from Amos.

Bowyer, clearly unhappy with what he was seeing, made a double substitution before the hour mark. Josh Magennis and Tariqe Fosu replaced Michal Zyro and Sullay Kaikai - both departing players struggled today.

Fosu made an immediate impact, dribbling past two Scunthorpe players to pass to Ajose, who curled over from 20 yards.

Scunthorpe went close to doubling their lead in the 70th minute, but Amos was equal to Adelakun’s powerful close-range drive.

Fosu, who was the Addicks' most dangerous player on the day, directed a shot just wide of the post late on and then Ben Reeves forced a save from Gilks in injury-time.

But much like the first-half, Charlton struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities as Scunthorpe held on.

Charlton XI: Amos, Dijksteel, Bauer, Pearce, Dasilva, Reeves, Forster-Caskey, Aribo (Mavididi 76), Kaikai (Fosu 54), Ajose, Zyro (Magennis 53).

Subs not used: Phillips, Lennon, Konsa, Kashi.