Charlton Athletic 2 Huddersfield Town 0: Huddersfield’s record torn from grasp by league leaders Charlton

After exactly 11 months and 43 games, Huddersfield Town’s unbeaten run is finally over after a disappointing night in South London.

First-half goals from Yann Kermorgant and Hogan Ephraim settled a game that had been billed as a battle of League One’s two heavyweights in Charlton Athletic’s favour.

In truth, only one side packed a truly genuine punch at The Valley as the immovable object, Charlton who have been on top of League One since the opening week of the season, came out on top against a previously irresistible force.

Huddersfield’s defeat means that not only is Arsenal’s record of 49 games unbeaten safe but Sheffield Wednesday remain in the second automatic promotion place.

Slipping out of the top two is a blow for the Terriers, though perhaps not as much of a blow as allowing Charlton to open up an eight-point gap over them.

Lee Clark had stressed during the build-up to last night’s game that nothing in the promotion race would be decided by the result in SE7.

He is right, of course. Every side in the third tier bar Preston North End and Hartlepool United still have 27 games to play.

But, equally, such a large gap is going to be difficult to claw back – especially when the team leading the way are as impressive a unit as Chris Powell’s team.

Apart from a brief period during the second half when Danny Ward hit the crossbar and Jon Parkin had a shot diverted on to a post by Ben Hamer, the Addicks had the measure of the visitors from Yorkshire.

Plenty, therefore, for Clark and his players to ponder before they are next in action on Saturday week at home to Bournemouth, this weekend seeing League One take a break due to the FA Cup second round.

What turned out to be Town’s first defeat since the 4-1 loss at Southampton on December 28 was preceded by a minute’s applause in honour of Gary Speed, both sets of fans adding to the poignancy of the tribute by chanting the Wales manager’s name.

Several in the Huddersfield camp knew Speed well, Terry McDermott having coached him at Newcastle and Ian Bennett being a former team-mate from their days together at Sheffield United.

Terriers coach Steve Watson is another who shared a dressing room with Speed during his playing career and the reaction of the 18,029 crowd will, no doubt, have brought some comfort at what is a difficult time.

What will have been less pleasing to the Town trio is the 45 minutes that followed the touching tribute to Speed.

Huddersfield were, quite simply, a pale shadow of the side that had gone through 2011 without losing a single league game.

Often second to the ball and lacking conviction when in possession, Clark’s side never got into their stride until it was really too late.

There was, admittedly, plenty of endeavour. But the polish was lacking, Town’s first-half efforts perhaps being best summed up in the 35th minute when debutant Parkin rolled a pass to Gary Roberts on the left of the home penalty area.

Unmarked, Roberts seemed to have plenty of options only to hastily fire in a low cross that was far too close to goalkeeper Hamer to be of any use to the Town players racing into the area. By then, Town were already a goal down after Kermorgant had nipped in front of Antony Kay to meet Danny Green’s free-kick and power a header past the static Bennett.

Buoyed to be ahead, Charlton assumed control for the rest of the half. Their reward came four minutes before the break when Kermorgant turned creator with a sliderule pass for Bradley Wright-Phillips to chase.

League One’s top marksman duly wriggled his way through before hitting a shot that Bennett did well to block only for Ephraim to react quickest and fire the rebound into the net.

Clark, left, immediately charged over to protest to the linesman, the Town manager feeling with some justification that Damien Johnson had been fouled by Green during the build-up. Referee Roger East had, though, seen things differently and waved play-on.

Clark’s response to being two down at the break was to bring Ward and Anton Robinson off the bench.

It did improve matters, Ward proving a threat down the left and coming close to getting Town back into the game with a cross-cum-shot on the hour that flew over Hamer’s head and against the crossbar. Ward also dragged a later effort just wide, and Parkin had a volley turned on to a post by an unconvincing but effective save from Hamer.

With that went Town’s hopes of a fightback as the Charlton fans, who had spent most of the second half telling the Yorkshire visitors just where they could stick their record, greeted the final whistle with a standing ovation that their players had thoroughly deserved.

Charlton Athletic: Hamer; Solly, Taylor, Morrison, Wiggins; Green, Russell (Hughes 46), Hollands, Ephraim (Wagstaff 84); Wright-Phillips, Kermorgant (Hayes 90). Unused substitutes: Sullivan, Cort.

Huddersfield Town: Bennett; Hunt, Clarke, Kay, Woods; Arfield, Miller (Robinson 46), Johnson, Roberts (Ward 46); Parkin, Rhodes. Unused substitutes: Colgan, Novak, Robinson, Bruce.

Referee: R East (Wiltshire).