Portsmouth 0 Charlton Athletic 1: Pardew dares to contemplate a great escape

To see what is possible, Charlton only had to look at their opponents on Saturday. A year ago, Portsmouth were two points worse off than Charlton are now, and although it took a barely credible effort for them to survive, the fact that they did, and have gone on to prosper, must offer hope.

"Portsmouth were in this position and they are the benchmark because they managed to get themselves out of it with a terrific run," the Charlton captain, Matt Holland said. "I'm not saying we will go on that sort of run, but who knows? We knew we had a tough run coming, starting with this game, then Bolton, Manchester United and Chelsea, so we knew we needed to get something from this one." As their manager, Alan Pardew, said, the key is not how far they are from safety now, but what the gap is at the end of that sequence.

It may have been Charlton's first away win in 15 months, but, laudable as their doggedness was, it will not have anyone rushing to the club shop to buy the match video. The goal, 11 minutes from time, typified a scruffy game, the ball cannoning off Amdy Faye, as Sol Campbell and Glen Johnson hurled themselves into a challenge, and looping over David James.

"Alan is a good character and has made a big impact at the club," Holland went on. "He likes to play at a high tempo and get at teams. He is knowledgeable and has come in and made a big impact on the players and, hopefully, he can do that for the rest of the season. He is very positive, and that is just what we need at this stage of the season. Rather than look at the negatives, we have to look at the positives, and this game was one."

The Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp, was left to lament what he described as his side's "worst performance of the season" and to deal with a number of off-pitch matters. He used his programme notes to deny rumours that he would happily see the Russian-speaking Israeli coach Avram Grant join Chelsea as some sort of mentor for the troubled Andrei Shevchenko, and defended Glen Johnson after the full-back was fined for switching the price tag on a toilet seat in B&Q last week.

"I'm not bothered in the slightest," Redknapp said. "I'd rather he nicked a toilet seat than mugged an old lady or something. Then his career really would be going down the pan."

The fear, after this performance, must be that Portsmouth's season is heading in that direction after four League games without a win. Redknapp, though, found a positive in the performance of Lauren on his debut and insisted he was unlikely to be dabbling in the market again before deadline. That must be an odd feeling for him, but given where Portsmouth were a year ago, it is a rest he has earned. Pardew must look on with envy.

Goal: Faye (79) 0-1.

Portsmouth (4-4-2): James; Johnson, Primus, Campbell, Traoré; Lauren, Davis (Douala, 53), Pedro Mendes, Taylor; Kanu (Mwaruwari, 73), Cole. Substitutes not used: Ashdown (gk), Thompson, Hughes.

Charlton Athletic (4-5-1): Carson; Sankofa, El Karkouri, Hreidarsson, Thatcher; Rommedahl (Kishishev, 82), Faye (Diawara, 90), Holland, Hughes, Thomas (Hasselbaink, 90); Marcus Bent. Substitutes not used: Myhre (gk), Ambrose.

Referee: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).

Booked: Charlton Sankofa, Faye, Carson.

Man of the match: El Karkouri.

Attendance: 19,567.