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Sheffield Wednesday 4 Charlton 1
Charlton were cut further adrift at the foot of the Coca-Cola Championship with Saturday's drubbing by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
The Addicks are eight points off safety with a worsening goal difference and little prospect of saving themselves from League 1 football next season.
Manager Phil Parkinson cut a disconsolate figure afterwards, believing he had spied the green shoots of recovery following the midweek FA Cup win at Norwich.
He pulled no punches and described the performance as "the worst of my managerial career."
He added: "We were out-fought and outplayed in every department.
"It was unacceptable and I would like to issue a public apology to our supporters who spent good money coming here to get behind the players.
"We got our first win for a long time on Tuesday but failed to build on it. I won't be calling the players in for extra training on Sunday because I think it's in the best interests of everyone that the players and myself take a break from each other."
Charlton were brushed aside by the Owls who took a 16th minute lead when Darren Potter scored from outside the box after being found by Michael Gray.
Marcus Tudgay doubled the advantage seven minutes before the break when he headed in Michael Gray's corner.
Any hopes of a second half comeback for the Addicks ended in the 63rd minute when ex-Addick Francis Jeffers got on the end of Tudgay's pass to make it 3-0 with his first goal for more than a year.
Matthew Spring's long-range shot pulled one back for Charlton in the 85th minute but it was far too late to spark a fightback - and Tudgay grabbed a fourth for Wednesday from the penalty spot in injury-time after being fouled by Grant Basey.
Addicks: Randolph, Murty (Moutaouakil 54), Hudson, Fortune, Basey, Bailey, Shelvey (Dickson 68), Spring, Sam, Soares (Holland 68), Gray. Subs not used: Elliot, Todorov.
Attendance: 28,766.