Sonny Carey scored the only goal as Charlton Athletic beat Sheffield United after the Blades had two players sent off in the first half at the Valley.

El Hadji Djibril Soumare was shown a straight red card for a late challenge that resulted in Harvey Knibbs leaving the pitch on a stretcher.

Captain Japhet Tanganga was then shown a straight red in first-half injury-time as he went into an aerial challenge with Carey leading with his elbow.

The Addicks needed less than a minute after the break to take advantage of the extra players, with Carey smashing in his seventh goal of the season.

Despite never really taking a full grip of the game and facing a late rally from the visitors, Nathan Jones' side earned a valuable three points.

The fact Charlton ended the first half against a team with nine players with zero shots shows just how one-sided the opening period of this match was.

Until the 35th minute, Sheffield United were in total control. Addicks keeper Thomas Kaminski was called into early action to save efforts from Patrick Bamford and Tom Cannon before Tyler Bindon headed wide.

But the game changed when Soumare caught Knibbs on the ankle with a late challenge that resulted in referee Oliver Langford brandishing what would we be his first red card of the day.

The Addicks will have to wait to find out the full damage extent of the injury suffered by their 26-year-old midfielder but the sight of him leaving the pitch on a stretcher will gave dismayed home fans.

Twelve minutes later, in first-half stoppage time, United were down to nine as it was Tanganga's turn to leave the field.

It was the first time since March 2011 against Watford they have had two players sent off in the first half of a match.

New signing Lyndon Dykes was sent on for the hosts at the break and was soon celebrating an assist with his first touch the club, nodding down Macaulay Gillesphey's ball in for Carey to thump it into the net in front of the Covered End.

Miles Leaburn and Tyreece Campbell both had multiple chances as the Addicks looked to secure the points but the longer it remained 1-0, the more uncomfortable it became for the home side.

However, Jones' side were able to see out the final minutes and have now gone three games without defeat, moving level with the Blades on 32 points.

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:

"It was a bizarre game. It doesn't feel like a win and the euphoria that it should, having beaten Sheffield United at home.

"A win is a win. It was a strange atmosphere, they started fantastically well and we needed our goalkeeper to keep us level.

"When they went down to 10 men we had a little bit more control. Nine men obviously more control, and then we made the right substitutions. Tactically we were felt we were good – we scored the goal, we had other opportunities [and] didn't quite get the second. But a win's a win.

On playing against nine men: "You have to control the game. What people have to realise is you can't just go gung-ho and 'bang, bang, bang, bang, bang' because every time they turn the ball over they go at you, and they've got good players to do that."

On Harvey Knibbs' injury: "It's not a good injury. Without speculating, we have to have the results of scans and X-rays and so on. But look, let's see how that is.

On the red cards: "I felt they were justified. I don't want to get into anything. It's not a good challenge, hence the gravity of the injury [to Knibbs] and then the second one, I just think he's a bit out of control and when the head's involved… we felt they were justified."

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield about Japhet Tanganga's red card:

"It's just ridiculous - yellow at very best. [He's] committed to a header, gone for it, not gone to elbow the guy, just committed, eyes on the ball, mistimed it - it's a yellow.

"The referee couldn't wait to get his red card out. It was unbelievable how quickly he did it. No discussion with the fourth [official], no discussion with the linesman who was right alongside it.

"Second half, incredible amount of cynical fouls by them, which I get when we're trying to get back into the game.

"I fancied us 11 versus 10, maybe a little bit more difficult when it was down to nine. But we still had a go, I thought the shape of the team was great - the amount of effort that the boys put in was incredible."