Town’s pre-season programme ended on the worst possible note as the Blues were thrashed 6-1 by League One Charlton Athletic at the Valley. Patrick Bauer, Tariqe Fosu and Josh Magennis (2) put the Addicks 4-0 up at half-time before two Ricky Holmes strikes sandwiched Andre Dozzell’s solitary goal for Town.
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 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 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 half positively enough but after the first goal the Addicks had dominated - scoring with each of their four shots at goal - with Town unable to regain a foothold in the game.
Town made three changes ahead of the second half with Dominic Iorfa replacing Spence at right-back, Adam Webster skipper Chambers at the centre of the defend and Dozzell Danny Rowe, who had suffered a number of knocks during the first half.
Freddie Sears moved to the left of a front three with Garner in the centre and Ward on the right, while Dozzell was ahead of Downes and Skuse at the heart of the midfield.
The Blues created the first chance of the second half, Jonas Knudsen crossing from the left and Garner heading over.
But in the 51st minute the home side made it 5-0 with the best goal of the afternoon. Fosu played the ball inside to Holmes, who hit a powerful, curling effort past Bialkowski from the edge of the box.
Fosu went looking for a sixth in the 55th minute but blazed over, then two minutes later Garner had the ball in the net from distance but referee Gavin Ward had already blown up for a foul.
A minute later Knudsen crossed from the left and Downes headed down but straight at Amos, who made his first save since the opening minute of the match.
On 64 Fosu deftly chested down a looping ball midway inside the Town half and brought it forward to the edge of the box before hitting a shot straight at Bialkowski when he ought to have laid off to team-mates either side of him.
Five minutes later Iorfa won a corner on the right having made a pacy run. Smith’s header from the flag-kick was too close to Amos. On 70 Dozzell played the on-loan Wolves man in on the right and Amos again saved but with the flag already raised.
Town pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute when Ward crossed from the right, Knudsen nodded back across goal and Dozzell turned home from the edge of the six-yard box. Had the England U19 international not scored the Blues would probably have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Garner who was sent crashing to the ground as he looked to get on the end of the knockdown.
While the teams lined-up Myles Kenlock and Tristan Nydam replaced Knudsen and Skuse, then on 77, as Charlton prepared to take a freekick, Ben Folami replaced Garner, who had already left the field, presumably having suffered a knock when he was felled.
The Addicks made it 6-1 from the freekick with Holmes curling his second of the afternoon over the wall and into the top corner of the net.
Australian youngster Folami forced a save from Amos with a shot from a tight angle on the left of the area on 81, then Charlton should have made it seven when Magennis played in Jake Forster-Caskey but Bialkowski did well to save.
There were no further chances before referee Ward blew the final whistle to inevitable boos from the Blues support behind the goal.
Town improved to some extent after the break - they couldn’t have been as poor as they’d been in the first half - but still only rarely seriously threatened, while Charlton always looked the more dangerous side going forward and may well feel they should have scored at least once more.
Blues boss Mick McCarthy will have wanted to go into next week’s opening game of the season at home to Birmingham having won today, however, such a comprehensive defeat to a team from a lower league will only serve to raise concerns among fans regarding the Blues prospects for the season ahead in what is now a very difficult Championship.
Charlton: Amos, Solly, Bauer (Sarr 84), Konsa, Dasilva (Barnes 89), Kashi (Dijksteel 85), Forster-Caskey (Ahearne-Grant 85), Fosu (Crofts 85), Holmes (Jackson 85), Clarke (Watt 71), Magennis. Unused: Maynard-Brewer.
Town: Bialkowski, Spence (Iorfa 46), Chambers (Webster 46), Smith, Knudsen (Kenlock 74), Ward, Skuse (Nydam 74), Downes, Rowe (Dozzell 46), Sears, Garner (Folami 77). Subs: Gerken, Bru, McKendry, Folami, Patterson. Referee: Gavin Ward. Att: 2,297 (Town: 350).