CHARLTON survived a late scare to continue their perfect start to the League One season with a win at Notts County.

Goals late in the first half from Scott Wagstaff and Paul Hayes put the away team comfortably in the driver’s seat, but they had to gut it out for a tough final half an hour when Christian Montano pulled one back from a corner.

The visitors started off with plenty of energy, pressing the men in white shirts each time they found themselves in possession, and strike duo Hayes and Bradley Wright-Phillips forced an early corner to that effect, one which Charlton were unable to capitalise on.

County, who also won by three goals last weekend at Carlisle, posed an early threat a few minutes later winning a free-kick out on their right flank, which was eventually cleared by Wiggins.

Settling into the game, the hosts went close via Karl Hawley’s shot wide of the far post before penetrating the Addicks’ six yard box on the 12 minute mark, but they were unable to get a crack on goal out of it.

Both Wagstaff and Rhoys Wiggins were on the receiving end of tough challenges from the opposition, but managed to brush off the bumps to continue as the contest bobbed back and forth until 20 minutes played.

It was at that point the Magpies had their best chance up until that point, Hamza Bencherif flicking a long throw towards goal only for skipper Johnnie Jackson, an ex-County man himself, to clear off the goal line.

Charlton showed their passing prowess in a decent move halfway through the first period in a build-up which involved Wagstaff, Hayes, Dale Stephens and Chris Solly – but it was a little too intricate and triggered the offside flag.

As the home fans grew more and more agitated with a series of minor decisions given against them by matchday official Kevin Wright, Hayes almost gave them more to complain about when his shot inside the box was saved by the legs of Stuart Nelson just past the half-hour mark.

But Nelson only delayed the away side by minutes, with Hayes turning provider ten minutes from the interval after great battling by Danny Hollands to keep possession.

He sent Wagstaff through, and the young winger skipped past Nelson with ease before confidently finishing from a tight angle for his second of the season, just two games in.

With the atmosphere growing increasingly restless on the back of the opening goal, barring one side of the Jimmy Sirrel stand housing the away fans, the opening seconds of one minute of time added on only amplified matters.

With everyone associated with Notts County still fuming at a challenge made in the middle of the park, Wright-Phillips squeaked past the offside trap and into space on the right from which his cross picked out Hayes perfectly for the close-range finish and a two-goal lead.

Hayes almost had a brace five minutes after the break when Jackson headed him through and his flick past Nelson was stopped unwittingly by defender Mike Edwards.

As the Reds’ football grew slicker and their confidence increased with each passing minute, Jackson almost got the third himself with a strong header at the end of Stephen’s delightful ball into the box, but a combination of the flag and Nelson’s reflex tip over the bar.

But on the hour mark, County finally got back into the game after sub Lee Hughes’ pressure led to Solly conceding a corner, from which fellow replacement Cristian Montano converted at the far post.

Hughes almost got the equaliser himself within a minute of the restart, but the ball had crossed the byline in the process and a goal kick was belatedly awarded while Elliot dealt with the threat.

With 15 minutes remaining, Charlton could and should have killed the game off on two occasions in quick succession.

A quick break from a County long throw into the box led to Wagstaff and Wright-Phillips struggling to keep control of possession, leaving Hayes just offside when they were finally able to put him clean through.

Then Wright-Phillips was able to ghost into the box with only Nelson to beat, but the keeper did well to keep out his low shot with Hayes unable to get to the rebound.

The County Kop stand thought the equaliser was in the bag 10 minutes from time when Hughes latched onto a deflected ball and smashed it into the net – but the striker was yards offside and the whistle had already gone.

The hosts piled the pressure on in the latter stages, but the resilient Addicks, bolstered by the defensive change of Gary Doherty for Wright Phillips and the return of Jason Euell in place of Hayes, clung on for their second win on the bounce.

Charlton: Elliot, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Wagstaff (Hughes 90), Hollands, Stephens, Jackson, Hayes (Euell 82), Wright-Phillips (Doherty 86). Subs not used: Sullivan, Green. Att: 6,397