Charlton fail to honour Curbishley

Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley watches the Premiership match against Manchester United in May 2005. Curbishley will leave Charlton at the end of the season, the club announced.

Alan Curbishley's final match in charge at The Valley ended with Charlton going down to a 2-0 defeat by Blackburn, who boosted their hopes of European football next season.

Fans were told before kick-off that Curbishley would be leaving at the end of the season and the manager was given a hero's welcome at the start and a standing ovation at the end in recognition of nearly 15 years of work for the club, which he has established in the top flight.

But the Charlton players were unable to produce an appropriate tribute to the manager on the pitch as Steven Reid's header just before half-time and an own goal by Chris Powell allowed Blackburn to claim a comfortable victory.

Charlton's first defeat at The Valley since December 26 always looked on the cards after the visitors took the lead two minutes before the interval.

Morten Gamst Pederson launched a long throw into the penalty box from the left and Reid got ahead of Powell to nod in from close range.

There was worse to follow for the veteran left-back Powell when Florent Sinama-Pongolle, the striker on loan from Liverpool, delivered a cross from the left just after the hour mark.

Blackburn striker Craig Bellamy and goalkeeper Stefan Andersen both went for it but neither managed to make contact and Powell, just behind Bellamy, was caught unawares as the ball bounced off his body and into the empty net.