There will be no repeat of Charlton’s FA Cup quarter-final cup run from last season after they crashed out at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, writes Josh Fordham.

Floodlight failure could not save the home supporters from disappointment after a brace from Chris Taylor was enough to send Rovers through to the fourth round.

Johann Gudmundsson’s stunning 25-yard free-kick looked like it might salvage a replay but the visitors ran out deserved winners. They were not helped by Yoni Buyens’ red card midway through the second half, resigning them to defeat.

Charlton struggled to deal with Blackburn’s passing and movement in the first half. The veteran David Dunn was the stand-out player for Rovers, pulling the strings just behind Chris Brown up front.

The Addicks got off to the worst possible start when Blackburn took the lead in the fourth minute. Chris Taylor leapt above his marker to head home 12 yards from goal. Craig Conway’s cross from the left-hand side was not defended well after Charlton had struggled to clear Ben Marshall’s initial cross.

Clear-cut chances were difficult to come by for the home side and when they did Simon Eastwood in the Rovers goal was not troubled meaning the visitors took a goal lead into half-time.

Charlton’s best chance of the half came in the 21st minute when George Tucadean shrugged off his man on the right after the referee played a good advantage. His pull back couldn’t find Simon Church but the loose ball in the area was met by the late run of Johnnie Jackson who fired his shot well over the bar.

Buyens was foiled by his own man in the 40th minute when his goalbound shot hit Tucadean to deflect over the crossbar. Church had done well to break down the left flank and pick out the late run of Buyens but there was little Tucadean could do to get out of the way of the shot.

Floodlight failure in the 30th minute halted proceedings at The Valley for 10 minutes to add to the misery for the Charlton fans, many of whom may have wished they did not come back on.

The Addicks were given a little bit of hope shortly after the break by pulling back level. But they capitulated shortly afterwards and Blackburn ran them ragged for the last half-hour.

Gundmundsson scored another stunning goal at home for the Addicks in the 55th minute. His free-kick into the bottom corner of Eastwood’s goal from 25 yards was spectacular. Gudmundsson won the free-kick himself and stepped up to bring the home side level.

Blackburn nearly hit back moments later when Chris Brown rose above Lawrie Wilson at the back post to fire a header on the Charlton goal. Neil Ethridge pulled off a fantastic save up to his right-hand corner.

The visitors did restore their advantage in the 59th minute when Taylor scored his second. Striker Brown found space on the left to fire in a low cross. Morgan Fox let his man ghost in behind him to enable Taylor to rifle past Ethridge. The Charlton goalkeeper had no chance of preventing the shot from going in.

Charlton’s day was made even worse when midfielder Buyens was sent off in the 67th minute for his second booking. Frustration was showing for Buyens and he deserved to go for a late challenge from behind on Conway.

Blackburn did everything but score the third in the final part of the game. Running rings around the 10 men, and not needing to exert themselves too greatly to see out the match. The closest they came was when Tom Cairney rattled the crossbar from 20 yards out.

Charlton: Ethridge, Wilson, Jackson, Bikey-Amougou, Gudmundsson (Gomez 84mins), Buyens, Church (Ahearne-Grant 62mins), Fox, Cousins, Ben Haim, Tucadean (Pigott 88mins). Subs not used: Pope, Lennon, Muldoon, Thomas.