Milton Keynes Dons' Gary MacKenzie clashes with Charlton Athletic's Yann Kermorgant (left) in an incident that leads to a Red card for Gary MacKenzie

League One: Charlton Athletic 2 MK Dons 1

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It seems pedantic to be critical of a side who are flying high at the top of the table and have just taken three points against a dangerous promotion rival.

However, from a home perspective, it is hard not to come out of the ground after Charlton’s victory over MK Dons without as many questions still to be answered as positives to take.

For 42 minutes the contest bore an uncanny resemblance to the first meeting between the teams at stadium:mk earlier in the season.

MK Dons, deployed in their 4-2-3-1 formation which is clearly modelled after Germany’s eye-catching World Cup team of 2010, passed the ball assuredly while also giving the Addicks no time to breath when in possession.

Then, because of provocation or pure stupidity, Gary MacKenzie was sent off for aiming his head at Yann Kermorgant’s and the contest changed.

The Dons defender saw red for the incident following a corner where the pair confronted each other and a penalty was awarded. Johnnie Jackson’s inch-perfect spot-kick glided past David Martin.

Three minutes later, as seemingly the entire stadium urged him not to, Danny Green’s shot from 35 yards cannoned off the bar. From the rebound, Jackson was tripped by the lumbering Luke Chadwick.

The skipper despatched the second penalty to the keeper’s left as Martin stood motionless. He has a knack of scoring important goals.

However even with 10 men the visitors, with Alan Smith now working tirelessly at the head of an attack-minded 4-4-1, were still largely in control.

Mixed emotions was the theme for the Addicks faithful with delight at a lead being tempered by bemusement at how the weakened Dons were still enjoying a grip on the game.

Dean Bowditch’s fine strike on 87 minutes made for an interesting ending, but ultimately it was too late to be meaningful. But for better finishing, on a number of occasions, Karl Robinson’s impressive side could have taken a point.

You could say it would have been a deserved point, but on the balance of play they arguably merited even more.

The home side were content to soak up possession and make the 10 men tire themselves out, but their attacking play seemed a tad predictable with Jackson and Green’s crossing often called upon rather than the incisive passing of Dale Stephens.

Had Bradley Wright-Phillips, who nearly caught Martin unaware with a deflected lob in the first half, scored a one-on-one after 68 minutes after being played in by Kermorgant then the evening would have had a different feel.

The striker would have broken his barren run and regained some much-needed confidence while killing off the visitors. It would have put the gloss on a display and perhaps left a misrepresentative taste in the mouth.

Instead he blazed it over the bar and, in the end, there was a sense of a side hanging on rather than cruising to victory.

Ben Hamer was the Addicks’ star performer on the night which is a sign of how events transpired. The former Reading stopper tipped over Stephen Gleeson’s bullet shot after 82 minutes before saving Dean Powell’s weak shot, after the substitute had beat two defenders.

Much like MK Dons’ performance as a whole – both effort were impressive, but couldn’t achieve the desired effect.

At the end of the season, if promotion is secured, Charlton fans won’t care about the details of how they got there. However, in the meantime, there is a nagging sense that there is more to come from Charlton if only they would loosen the shackles with more regularity.

Charlton Athletic: Hamer, Wiggins, Morrison, Taylor, Solly, Jackson (Haynes, 64 mins), Hollands, Stephens, Green, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (Pritchard, 90 mins).

Subs not used: Sullivan, Cort, Clarke.

MK Dons: Martin, Lewington, Williams, Mackenzie, Tavernier, Gleeson, Potter, Bowditch, Smith (O’Shea, 83 mins), Chadwick (Powell, 76 mins), MacDonald (Kouo-Doumbe, 46 mins).

Subs not used: McLoughlin, Ibehre, O’Shea.