Town find themselves 4-0 down to League One Charlton at half-time in their final pre-season friendly at the Valley, Patrick Bauer, Tariqe Fosu and Josh Magennis (2) having netted the goals for the Addicks.
David McGoldrick and Bersant Celina joined Town’s list of absentees due to illness with Tom Adeyemi (ill), Emyr Huws (achilles), Teddy Bishop (groin) and Luke Hyam (ankle) also still unavailable.
Better news for manager Mick McCarthy was that Cole Skuse was back at the centre of midfield alongside youngster Flynn Downes with Andre Dozzell in the first-team squad and on the bench for the first time during pre-season after a hip injury sustained while helping the England U19s to win the European Championships. Former Blues striker Billy Clarke starts for the Addicks.
At a drizzly and virtually empty Valley, Town threatened in the opening minute. Grant Ward, who skipped into the area and hit a low shot which six-goal pre-season striker Joe Garner was almost able to turn past Charlton keeper Ben Amos as he grabbed low down.
On three, Danny Rowe cut in from the left but shot well over, then in the seventh minute Garner rose high to head wide from Ward’s cross following a corner on the right.
The Blues had had much the better of the opening minutes but in the 11th minute the home side went in front from their first attempt of the match.
Ricky Holmes sent over a freekick from the left - which had been a touch harshly awarded against skipper Luke Chambers - and Bauer glanced a header past Bartosz Bialkowski.
Following the goal, the Addicks enjoyed the greater share of the ball and in the 27th minute they added to their lead. Rowe’s poor pass into his own area on the left was seized on by Clarke, who teed-up the breaking Fosu and his low shot flew past Bialkowski and into the corner of the net.
Four minutes later, it was 3-0. Holmes crossed from the right and Magennis held of Jordan Spence and flicked a header across Bialkowski, who was only able to palm the ball into the net.
The home side continued to dominate as the rain continued to fall and in the 39th minute they added a fourth. Clarke beat Chambers on the left of the area before cutting back to Magennis, who shot low past Bialkowski.
Neither side seriously threatened again before the whistle with plenty of the small number of Town fans who had made the trip having long made their exit for a half-time pint.
The Blues had started the match positively enough but after the first goal the Addicks had dominated - scoring with each of their three subsequent attempts on goal - with Town unable to regain a foothold in the game.
Charlton: Amos, Solly, Dasilva, Konsa, Bauer, Kashi, Fosu, Forster-Caskey, Magennis, Clarke, Holmes. Maynard-Brewer, Sarr, Dijksteel, Barnes, Jackson, Charles-Cook, Crofts, Watt, Ahearne-Grant.
Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Chambers, Smith, Knudsen, Ward, Skuse, Downes, Rowe, Sears, Garner. Subs: Gerken, Iorfa, Kenlock, Webster, Bru, Dozzell, Nydam, McKendry, Folami, Patterson. Referee: Gavin Ward.