Greg Docherty scored twice as Charlton thrashed struggling Northampton 5-0 at Sixfields.

Northampton’s woeful defending was ruthlessly punished and the game was effectively done and dusted before half-time with Docherty, Tyreece Campbell and Miles Leaburn all scoring in the first 36 minutes.

Charlton led after just nine minutes when the home side failed to clear a cross and the ball dropped to Docherty, who drilled low and hard into the far corner.

Leaburn almost headed in a quick second but Charlton were dominant and they did not have to wait long to add to their lead with Campbell latching onto Leaburn’s pass and finishing beyond Nik Tzanev.

Northampton were all at sea defensively and their afternoon went from bad to worse nine minutes before the break when Macaulay Gillesphey’s long ball found Leaburn all alone in the penalty area and he calmly stroked home.

The Cobblers never threatened a comeback and Charlton piled on the misery with Docherty lashing his second from Luke Berry’s cutback before Danny Hylton came off the bench to score a fifth in stoppage time.