Norwich City failed to extend their lead at the top of the Championship as they lost 1-0 at home to Charlton Athletic tonight courtesy of Johnnie Jackson's late deflected strike.

The league leaders set the early pace to the game and Lewis Grabban came close to scoring his seventh league goal of the season inside three minutes, but Stephen Henderson beat the forward's shot away.

The 26-year-old showed his confidence once more just three minutes later with a 25-yard effort which whistled narrowly wide of the post.

At the other end, Charlton's striker Igor Vetokele tested John Ruddy with a strike from a similar range.

Following Norwich's promising start, they began to run out of ideas in the final third and their only other bright moment of the first half came when they thought they had taken the lead through Russell Martin at a corner in the 41st minute, but the referee blew up for a foul inside the box.

Much like the opening exchanges of the first period, Norwich were lively immediately after the break and Camerone Jerome stretched Henderson into making a low save in the 47th minute.

With 20 minutes remaining, Norwich engineered their best chances of the game as Nathan Redmond drew a good save from Henderson before Wes Hoolahan's follow-up attempt was blocked on the line.

Grabban went close once more as it looked like there was only one side who had any chance of winning the game, but with four minutes remaining, Jackson struck a shot from distance which took a slight nick and span beyond the unfortunate Ruddy.