Town’s live Sky game at Charlton remains 0-0 at the break. Blues keeper Bartosz Bialkowski was the busier of the two keepers in the first half.
Jonny Parr and Jay Tabb came into the Town side for the suspended Christophe Berra and injured Kevin Bru.
Parr started at right-back with skipper Luke Chambers moving into the centre of the defence alongside Tommy Smith, while Tabb took over from Bru in the middle of midfield, with Teddy Bishop, who has been suffering with a hip flexor problem, missing from the 18.
The Blues lost Luke Hyam to an injury sustained in the warm-up and Stephen Hunt was a late addition to the starting line-up.
New signings Noel Hunt and Sean St Ledger were both on the bench, despite the central defender appearing to have picked up a knock during last night’s 1-1 U21s draw with Millwall.
Charlton included former Town academy schoolboys Nick Pope - a Portman Road season ticket holder as a boy - and Morgan Fox from the start, while ex-Blues loan keeper Stephen Henderson missed out with a shoulder injury.
Town, shooting towards their large following in the first half, forced a corner in the opening minute. Hunt whipped the ball over from the left and Daryl Murphy headed only just wide ahead of Chambers.
The Addicks created their first chance within a minute, Callum Harriott fed Johann Gudmundsson in space to his right and the Icelander scuffed over when he ought to have done better.
On four Anderson, who was playing on the right of midfield with Hunt on the left and David McGoldrick dropping deep behind main striker Daryl Murphy, forced Pope into an early save with a low 25-yard strike which the keeper claimed at the second attempt.
The game quietened down a touch after a frenetic start, but on 14 Harriott shot wide of Bartosz Bialkowski’s goal from distance.
Charlton were having the better of it and a minute later Jordan Cousins cut in from the left and hit a shot which was blocked. The loose ball fell to Harriott, whose strike was well saved down to his right by Bialkowski.
Harriott brought the ball in from the right and hit a shot straight at Bialkowski on 23 with the home side on top and looking very much the more dangerous team.
A minute later, Harriott threatened again, tricking his way into space past Tyrone Mings and Tommy Smith before shooting across the face of goal.
Fox hit a deflected effort through to BIalkowski on 28, then at the other end Murphy took down a long ball then struck a powerful shot from the edge of the box which Pope rather uncomfortably bundled behind.
On 33 Hunt whipped a very dangerous freekick across from the left which only just evaded Murphy amongst others. Had any Town player added a touch and they would have been in front.
A minute later Bialkowski did well to keep the scores level, the Polish keeper rushing off his line to block from Francis Coquelin at point blank after Chris Solly had cleverly threaded the on-loan Arsenal man in on goal.
In the 38th minute Hunt and Skuse played a well-rehearsed freekick from the right 30 yards out across to the left to McGoldrick, who struck a low effort which flew just wide of Pope’s left post.
The Addicks were still looking the more likely scorers and two minutes before the break Harriott fed the breaking Solly, who hit a shot which Bialkowski blocked.
As the half moved into its final moments, Parr crossed from the right and McGoldrick forced Pope into a sharp save down at his right post. From Hunt’s corner, Murphy headed the ball back across goal and Smith sent an overhead kick wide.
Town would have been happiest to go in level at the break, the home side having been on top for the most part with Bialkowski much the busier of the two keepers.
Despite that, the Blues were never entirely out of it and created one or two opportunities of their own with inexperienced Charlton keeper Pope not always looking entirely comfortable.
Charlton: Pope, Solly, Fox, Bikey, Ben Haim, Gudmundsson, Cousins, Coquelin, Jackson, Harriott, Vetokele. Subs: Etheridge, Wilson, Gomez, Bulot, Onyewu, Tucudean, Ahearne-Grant.
Town: Bialkowski, Parr, Mings, Chambers (c), Smith, Skuse, S Hunt, Tabb, Anderson, McGoldrick, Murphy. Subs: Gerken, Bajner, N Hunt, St Ledger, Clarke, Henshall, Sammon. Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).