Two goals in the first 16 minutes condemned Bradford City to their fifth away defeat in six Premiership matches.

Charlton seized the initiative from the start when they went ahead after three minutes through Jonatan Johansson before Graham Stuart added a second.

City worked hard to get back in the game, but they never recovered from their bad start.

City made five changes from the starting line-up which faced Newcastle in the Worthington Cup on Wednesday.

The most notable absentee was Stan Collymore, who had been suffering with a throat infection which has infected his wisdom teeth.

But there was better news in goal where Matt Clarke was passed fit after recovering from a groin injury.

Chairman Geoffrey Richmond was absent from The Valley as he recovered from illness at his Leeds home.

He may have been thankful he didn't see the opening period with Charlton quickly piling on the pressure and grabbing an early lead.

City had already survived a free-kick when Charlton went in front in the third minute. John Robinson won the ball in midfield and fed Mathias Svensson.

He worked the ball out to City's left for the overlapping Graham Stuart, who cut inside the box and drew Clarke before rolling a pass across the goalmouth for Jonatan JOHANSSON to tap home.

It was the Finn's eighth goal of the season but questions had to be asked about the space he had been left by the Bantams defence.

Immediately Charlton threatened again with Robinson's free-kick glanced wide by Richard Rufus, returning to the home side after a two-game absence.

City made their first meaningful attacking move when Peter Atherton's long clearance caught the home side in two minds and Ward won a corner from Steve Brown, but it came to nothing.

Ward had a soft header comfortably saved by Dean Kiely before Charlton marched up the other end to continue their assault.

Claus Jensen broke through on the right but with Robinson unmarked by the penalty spot, the Dane chose to go on himself and Clarke spread himself well to save.

But City's respite was temporary as Charlton then made it 2-0. The influential Stuart exchanged passes with Svensson in a slick move which carved open the middle of City's back four and as Clarke rushed from his goal, STUART casually lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net.

It had been a dreadful start for City and things showed no signs of improving as Svensson again threatened. But Clarke read the danger quickly and raced to the edge of the box to thump the ball into the stand.

Beagrie had seen little of the ball but on the half hour he offered the travelling City fans some hope, cutting in from the left and testing Kiely with a low right-foot shot.

Then Ward tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort cannoned off the keeper's legs.

City were under the cosh and when David Wetherall half-cleared Jensen's free-kick, it fell for Robinson who lashed a drive over.

Saunders headed wide from a Beagrie corner and Ward's dangerous cross was nicked off the Welshman's head by Rufus but there was little sign of a recovery.

Half-time: Charlton 2, City 0

McCall became the first player to be booked when he had his name taken for a foul on Jensen.

Ward turned and shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 50th minute, but Kiely dived to turn the ball away for a corner on the left.

However, Charlton ought to have scored a third goal three minutes later when Powell crossed from the left. Although the ball passed behind Johansson it landed at the feet of Sveensson to provide a great chance for the Swedish player, but he stumbled and the chancver was gone.

City then made a determined bid to pull a goal back in a brief spell of pressure.

A cross from Saunders aimed for Ward was palmed away by Kiely and when the ball landed at the feet of Petrescu the keeper did well to block the Romanian international's shot.

Lawrence's dangerous cross just eluded Saunders and then Saunders held off Brown before shooting wide .