Taylor sweats as Valley boils

Charlton Athletic 2 Leicester City

If Peter Taylor does not survive the season – or even the autumn – as manager of Leicester City, he will look back in something close to anger at the 40th minute of yesterday's game at The Valley. The apparently bizarre sending-off of his young defender Junior Lewis at that critical point denied Leicester a one-man advantage – Charlton's Steve Brown having already seen red – and within three more minutes the visitors were a goal down as well and on their way to the bottom of the Premiership.

Mike Dean, a poor referee on the day, did not see the incident in question, but took the word of his linesman that Lewis had committed a serious offence.

"I was staggered by the decision,'' said Taylor. "I asked the referee at half-time if he was just trying to even things up and he told me his assistant had said it was definitely a red card. I haven't seen the video but I've been told it was appalling.'' Charlton's Alan Curbishley sympathised, and both managers suggested the time was now right for an official with access to video replays to pronounce on such weighty decisions.

Taylor's other criticism was that "assistant referees are making more important decisions these days than the referee. If they were that good, they'd be in the middle, not running the line".

Apart from a good effort by Leicester's Dean Sturridge, matched by Dean Kiely's smart save, little had happened to disturb the peace of a south London afternoon until the extraordinary sequence of events that began after 24 minutes. Then Brown appeared to be caught off-balance by a long ball and handled right on the edge of the penalty area as he fell heavily on an ankle.

While the defender received lengthy treatment, Leicester pleaded in vain for a penalty, receiving only a free-kick, and Charlton prepared to replace Brown with Andy Todd, before realising they would not be allowed to, as he was being sent off on a stretcher.

The home supporters, normally a model of decorum, responded by showering the pitch with brochures that had been handed out before the game, one of which hit Leicester's Frank Sinclair. "I've never seen our crowd like that,'' said Curbishley, who felt the vocal reaction that followed helped revive his team.

They began to pass the ball more fluently, even with 10 men, and then got the break they needed within quarter of an hour. The referee did not see anything amiss as Jonatan Johansson tried to go past Lewis, but acted on the linesman's up-raised flag. A second red card was produced and, as a Leicester defence without Matt Elliott and Gary Rowett reorganised again, Chris Powell infiltrated their right flank to cross for Johansson to head in.

Curbishley, tactically flexible as ever, replaced the unfortunate Powell with Todd at half-time, reverting to a back four which was rarely troubled thereafter.

Twelve minutes into the second half, Todd's quick free-kick set Charlton moving again and Shaun Bartlett finished off good work by Scott Parker and Johansson. It was typical of Taylor's current ill fortune that a bold double substitution should rebound on him. Trevor Benjamin had been used early on to replace the injured James Scowcroft and, once Dennis Wise and Andy Impey were sent on just after the hour, it seemed almost inevitable that a further injury would follow. Matt Heath, a promising young centre-half, duly crashed to the ground and could take no further part, leaving Leicester to play out the final 18 minutes with nine men against 10.

During that period, Charlton should several times have punished them on the break. Jason Euell, who has struggled since his expensive transfer from Wimbledon in the summer, was the main culprit, wasting one glorious chance laid on by Johansson and then contriving to head against a post from point-blank range.

Taylor said last night: "I'm not happy at being bottom but I'm still confident and determined to turn things round." Earlier in the season he asked to be judged on 10 games or more; Leicester have now played eight, winning only one of them, which means two victories in their last 18 Premiership matches, with Chelsea and Liverpool next up. And a year ago, to the day, they were top.

Charlton Athletic 2 Leicester City 0

Johansson 45, Bartlett 56

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 20,451