With only matches against Tottenham and Liverpool to come, manager Alan Pardew is running out of time in his bid to keep them in the top flight.

Charlton were undone in the space of six second-half minutes when they conceded three goals.

Their cause was not helped, either, by defender Ben Thatcher's sending-off at a crucial stage of the game.

Blackburn dominated the game for long spells and carved out a good opening in the fourth minute when Morten Gamst Pedersen and David Bentley linked up.

Bentley tried to pick out Benni McCarthy but Hermann Hreidarsson was alert and made the interception.

Blackburn poured forward in the 22nd minute and Bentley delivered a good cross from the right only for David Dunn and McCarthy to get in each other's way.

A minute later Pedersen should have done better when he was he was picked out by Brett Emerton but headed over from close range.

This was a good spell of pressure by Blackburn and Roberts raced away in the 25th minute but Scott Carson reacted superbly to parry his effort.

Bentley was finding a lot of room on the right and played a delightful ball to Benni McCarthy after 38 minutes.

But he attempted a spectacular overhead kick in the penalty area that cleared the bar by some distance.

Roberts then carved out a good opening in the 42nd minute but instead of trying his luck he attempted to pick out McCarthy and his pass was cut out.

Charlton found it hard going in the first half although Darren Bent looked a threat up front.

He got on the end of a good ball from Darren Ambrose but just as he shaped to shoot, Christopher Samba nicked the ball off him.

Darren Bent also found the net but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Charlton midfielder Matt Holland squandered a good chance to give the Addicks the lead after 49 minutes.

He raced on to a through ball from Marcus Bent only to find the side netting from close range.

It was a let-off for Blackburn and they hit back in the 54th minute when Bentley picked out McCarthy with a diagonal ball.

Pedersen got on the end of it only to miscue his effort from inside the area.

Blackburn's pressure finally paid off after 60 minutes when they made the breakthrough following a mistake from Carson.

Tugay launched the ball forward and Roberts turned Hreidarsson and cracked in a shot that slipped under the Charlton goalkeeper's body.

Carson looked horrified at his error, knowing just how desperate his side are for points.

Charlton suffered another setback three minutes later when they were reduced to 10 men.

Former Manchester City defender Thatcher was sent off after collecting his second yellow card of the game, both coming for lunges on Bentley.

Charlton, however, equalised after 71 minutes when Darren Bent scored his 12th league goal of the season.

He headed home at the back post after Blackburn defender Stephen Warnock got his bearings wrong and headed against his own bar.

Blackburn, however, regained the lead in the 77th minute and the third goal of the game also came from a mistake.

Pedersen tried to angle a shot beyond Carson but the ball spun off Hreidarsson and left his goalkeeper stranded.

A minute later Roberts made it 3-1 to Blackburn with his second goal of the game when he scuffed a shot beyond Carson.

The opening was created after McCarthy cleverly back-heeled the ball into the path of Pedersen, who released Roberts.

Substitute Matt Derbyshire added a fourth in the 83rd minute with a clinical finish following a header on by Samba to leave Charlton close to the drop.