Reza Ghoochannejhad's second half wonder strike downed Leeds to their fourth home defeat in five matches boosting the Addicks hopes of staying up. The usually reliable Ross McCormack also missed a last minute penalty.
Brian McDermott recalled Stephen Warnock, Scott Wootton, Michael Tonge and Aidy White to the side, I felt that Cameron Stewart could consider himself unlucky in being dropped after he had one of his better performances in the second half against Doncaster.
However the first half was a drab non-event with Tonge and McCormack going closest for Leeds, McCormack's sizzling 30 yard drive testing Ben Hamer who tipped the effort onto the crossbar.
The team left at half-time to a round of applause, maybe a hint of sarcasm in the air over exaggerating joy that we hadn't conceded.
However after nine minutes of the restart that familiar feeling of doom set in when Ghoochannejhad, who looked to have nothing dangerous on wide right let fly with a sizzling shot that nestled into the top corner of Butland's net, the Iranian signed in January from Standard Liege scoring a memorable debut goal in English football.
Leeds did rally a little, Noel Hunt an odd substitution for Matt Smith at half time delivered the perfect cross which McCormack failed to head on target.
After Pearce saw a last minute header cleared off the line and spurred on by five minutes of added time, Leeds poured forward and when son of Gus Diego Poyet bundled Aidy White over in the area it looked like Leeds would snatch an arguably deserved point but although Ben Hamer is one of the most highly rated keepers outside the Premiership, McCormack's tame spot-kick hardly tested him and Charlton were on their way to their fourth win on their travels this season.
After a 90 minute reprieve from the off-field fiasco that has engulfed the clubs' ownership, Brian McDermott told Adam Pope on BBC Radio Leeds that on the first anniversary of his predecessor Neil Warnock's dismissal he had no intention of quitting in view of an increasing number of texts and tweets asking him to "do the decent thing" and resign. The fans in the stands were more angry with owners GFH and MD David Haigh and a barrage of expletive littered chants were directed their way at the final whistle.