This extraordinary match was a folly fest, so riddled with frantic error and comic mishap it resembled one of those seasonal video-blooper compilations. The crowd of 25,893 was the biggest at the Valley since 1977 and it whooped with delight one minute and shouted with horror the next.
When his side went 2-0 up in the first five minutes Ipswich manager George Burley must have thought they were certainties to register their fourth straight win.
This morning, though, only Leicester are beneath Ipswich and Town have played more matches than most of their drop-zone rivals. They are also about to lose winger Finidi George, who is joining the Nigeria squad for the African Nations Cup, though Marcus Stewart, their main scorer last season, is ready to return.
Charlton, meanwhile, are up to eighth place after only their third home win of the season and even their most pessimistic supporters are starting to discount relegation.
Marcus Bent, the striker Burley signed from Blackburn as cover in November, achieved the enviable scoring record of seven goals in 81 minutes when he hit Town's two early goals here. His first came after just 54 seconds when Mark Venus, so deadly with his left foot at set- pieces, took a free-kick on the right, Hermann Hreidarsson headed across goal and Bent nodded past Dean Kiely.
Before Charlton could reorganise they fell further behind. A wonderful curled pass from Jim Magilton set Bent sprinting clear and then he lobbed Kiely as the goalkeeper came off his line.
Charlton, though, pulled one back in the 16th minute when John Robinson drove the ball through a cluttered penalty area and past the partially unsighted Matteo Sereni.
The 32nd-minute equaliser came through their most impressive midfield player, Scott Parker, the ball bobbing over the line following approach work by Luke Young and Mark Fish.
Charlton's winner arrived after an hour when Robinson crossed from the right. Lisbie's point-blank header was superbly saved by Sereni but Euell was at hand to complete the job.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC: Kiely, Young, Fish, Costa, Powell, Robinson, Jensen (Johansson 90), Parker (Bart-Williams 83), Konchesky, Lisbie (Bartlett 86), Euell. Subs Not Used: Ilic, Fortune. Booked: Robinson, Young. Goals: Robinson 16, Parker 32, Euell 61.
IPSWICH: Sereni, Makin, Gaardsoe, Venus, Hreidarsson, George, Magilton (Reuser 67), Holland, Clapham (Peralta 67), Marcus Bent, Armstrong. Subs Not Used: Branagan, Naylor, Wright. Booked: Hreidarsson, Venus. Goals: M Bent 1, 5.
Referee: U Rennie (Sheffield).
