Huddersfield finally beaten after 11 months

Lee Clark saw his team finally beaten last night (GETTY IMAGES)

Huddersfield tasted league defeat for the first time in 11 months as their record unbeaten run came to an end in game 44.

Lee Clark's side arrived at the Valley having just broken Nottingham Forest's 33-year-old record for the longest sequence of unbeaten Football League fixtures but it was Charlton who kicked off top of League One and there they remain, thanks to first-half goals from Yann Kermorgant and Hogan Ephraim in a 2-0 victory.

Charlton are seven points clear at the top while Huddersfield are still on the outside looking in on the automatic promotion places with Sheffield Wednesday having overtaken them into second place at the weekend.

Charlton were more direct in the early going and Bradley Wright-Phillips, the division's top scorer, should have done better than fire at goalkeeper Ian Bennett having found his way past the last defender.

The home side's opener was as straightforward as they come with Kermorgant rising the highest to head Danny Green's free- kick past Bennett. The keeper must have thought he had prevented Charlton from doubling their advantage just before half-time when he came out smartly to parry Wright-Phillips' shot. But Ephraim was first to the loose ball and marked his home debut by finding the bottom corner.

Huddersfield manager Lee Clark said: "Our run ended with a bit of a whimper. I'm disappointed, but don't take any credit away from them." His Charlton counterpart, Chris Powell, said: "Everyone will remember us as the ones who stopped their record, but there's plenty of games still to go. We've done nothing yet."