Second-half goals from Josh Magennis and Ricky Holmes moved Charlton up to second in League 1 on Saturday.

The Addicks won four league games in a row for the first time since April 2012 as they made it five wins from six so far this season.

John White pulled a goal back 11 minutes from time but Charlton deservedly held on after a much better second-half performance.

Southend started the game brightly brightly and Michael Kightly wasted a good opening on 10 minutes when he shot wide from Jermaine McGlashan’s cross.

Tall striker Nile Ranger was proving a handful although Patrick Bauer and Jason Pearce proved a formidable barrier in the Charlton defence.

Ranger has the best chance of the first half but fired just wide after keeper Ben Amos kept out Kightly’s deflected effort with his legs.

Ahmed Kashi’s long-range shot at the other end moments later called Southend keeper Mark Oxley into action but he had a largely quiet first half between the posts.

Pearce and then Billy Clarke shot wide while Magennis’ effort on the turn was deflected wide.

After the break, Jake Forster-Caskey and Tariqe Fosu but had openings before Magennis put Charlton ahead on 65 minutes.

The hosts worked the ball wide for Chris Solly and his perfect right-wing cross was headed in from close range by Magennis for his third goal in three games.

Three minutes later the lead was doubled as Holmes cut inside down the left flank and beat keeper Oxley was ease from 20 yards.

White headed in a right-wing corner to make it an interesting finale and Charlton had to be alert to clear Ryan Leonard’s effort off the line but they had too much in the end for Southend.

Charlton: Amos, Kashi, Bauer, Pearce, Magennis, Clarke, Holmes (Dodoo 86mins), Fosu (Konsa 89mins), Forster-Caskey, Solly, Dasilva. Subs not used: Phillips, Jackson, Aribo, Sarr, Hackett-Fairchild.

Southend: Oxley, Hendrie (Demetriou 75mins), Ferdinand, Kightly, Timlin, Cox (Robinson 75mins), McGlashan (McLaughlin 61mins), Leonard, Bwomono, White, Ranger. Subs not used: Smith, Fortune, Yearwood, Kyprianou.

Attendance: 12,229 (1,535 away).