The £1m (€1.47m) summer signing from Paris St Germain headed home Danny Murphy’s corner on 49 minutes, but it was far from a convincing performance by the home side, as Rovers dominated possession during the second half.

Defeat was harsh on Mark Hughes’ battling Blackburn side, who remain just a point above the Barclays Premiership relegation zone, but had came within a whisker of taking the lead tonight after just seven minutes.

After good work from Jonathan Stead to get clear down the left, the ball broke to Matt Jansen in the area.

He got to the byline before cutting a pass back across goal and into the path of Garry Flitcroft. The on-rushing Blackburn midfielder made good contact, but could only watch as his shot crashed back off the post from point-blank range and bounced clear.

Charlton were forced into a change after just 12 minutes when striker Francis Jeffers went off, with what appeared to be a neck injury and was replaced by Jonatan Johansson.

Dean Kiely then pulled off a fine one-handed save at full stretch to keep out a curling effort from Paul Dickov after the diminutive Scottish striker had created an opening for himself when picking the ball up 25 yards from goal.

On the quarter hour, Charlton felt they had cause for a penalty.

Kevin Lisbie got clear down the right and squared the ball from the byline into the danger area, where Johansson struck a venomous effort goalwards, which cannoned into Dominic Matteo and then away off Stuart.

The Charlton striker appealed for handball, but it would have been a harsh decision against the Rovers defender, who could do little to get out any part of his body out of the way of the ball, such was the speed of Johansson’s strike.

As the first half developed into a disappointing encounter after a promising opening, the home fans were beginning to become edgy – and perhaps that was filtering through to the players as Charlton failed to make any sort of progress in the final third despite having plenty of possession.

Neither side made any changes at the break, and it was the home side who were the first to show following the restart.

El Karkouri found some space just inside the Blackburn half, and slipped a delightful angled pass through to Lisbie.

The Charlton striker allowed the ball to run across his path before turning it back towards goal from 15 yards, only to see his effort drift just wide of the far post.

The home fans did, though, not have to wait long before the Addicks took the lead.

Murphy sent in corner from the right on 49 minutes, and El Karkouri got up to head in his first goal in Charlton colours.

Blackburn immediately upped the tempo, and were unfortunate not to equalise in the 54th minute.

Kiely flapped at a corner from the Blackburn right, and the loose ball fell to Flitcroft, whose low drive was on target, but blocked. As Lorenzo Amoruso tried to force it over the line, he was hounded out by a wall of red shirts, with Hermann Hreidarsson in the thick of the action.

With 20 minutes to go, Stead’s shot on the turn from just outside the area flew over. It proved to be his last contribution of the evening as he was then replaced by Jay Bothroyd, with Tugay coming on for the hard-working Flitcroft.

Blackburn had strong calls for a penalty waved away by referee Steve Dunn in the 73rd minute when Hreidarsson appeared to block Emerton’s centre with his arm.

As the match entered the final quarter of an hour, Charlton midfielder Brian Hughes was replaced by Kishishev with substitute Johansson taken off to give Jason Euell a run-out.

Charlton had a great chance to make sure of their victory with six minutes left.

Lisbie broke clear down the left and fed the ball into Euell on the penalty spot. He held it up before slipping a pass out to Kishishev. The Bulgarian side-stepped Matteo, but could not beat Friedel, who stood up well to make a fine block with his boot.

Lisbie then contrived to head over from six yards after Hreidarsson had hooked the ball back into the danger zone following a deep centre from El Karkouri.

With time running out for Rovers, Jansen watched his header from Tugay’s cross drift agonisingly wide, and the visiting fans behind Kiely’s goal knew it was just not going to be their night.