A FIRST-HALF double from Jordan Rhodes ensured Rovers returning to winning ways in their final match before Christmas.

The recalled striker struck twice inside the first 19 minutes to fire Gary Bowyer’s side to a comfortable, deserved and much-needed victory after back-to-back defeats.

It is a victory that means they remain eighth in the standings and four points off the play-off places going into their Boxing Day derby at Bolton Wanderers.

Rhodes spoke before the match about the need for Rovers to start on the front foot after falling behind in their previous five games.

And he was certainly as good as his word.

There were only three minutes on the clock when Ben Marshall, given license to roam in front of a three-man midfield, found space and slid in Rhodes.

The ball was running away from the frontman but he still managed to get a shot in on goal that Nick Pope turned behind for a corner with his feet.

Rhodes, however, was not to be denied.

Three minutes later Shane Duffy won the ball 25 yards from the Charlton goal and saw it break to Marshall.

He advanced before slipping the ball through to Rhodes who, as cool as you like, steadied himself before rolling it past the advancing Pope and into the bottom corner.

The Addicks had lost only three of their first 21 Championship matches but you would have never have guessed.

They could easily have fallen further behind in the ninth minute after Pope inexplicably dropped a cross at the feet of Rudy Gestede, whose effort would have hit the back of the net had it not hit the head of Morgan Fox and flew over.

Rovers were threatening every time they forged forward and only a last-gasp interception prevented Gestede from latching on to another incisive pass from Marshall.

It came as no surprise, then, when the advantage was doubled in the 19th minute.

Rhodes gambled on a flick-on from strike-partner Gestede and showed strength to outmuscle Tal Ben Haim and desire to beat Pope to the ball before nudging it into the empty net to take his tally for the term up to nine.

Jason Lowe was impressive on his first start since August 30 after recovering from a stress fracture in his foot and he would have added a spectacular third in the 32nd minute had Pope not pushed his 25-yard strike over the bar.

Lowe was forced off in the 49th-minute.

By that stage Charlton had twice wasted good openings, the first coming when Igor Vetokele flicked an inviting cross just past the post and the second when Callum Harriott dragged horribly wide after Grant Hanley had given the ball away.

The miss summed up the Addicks’ woeful first-half performance but take nothing away from Rovers.

Their pressing game was much improved and the way they hunted in packs throughout the opening period forced their opponents into mistakes.

What they needed, though, was the security of a third goal and Markus Olsson and Gestede had chances to provide one at the start of the second half.

Firstly Olsson stabbed right-footed into the side-netting after a burst into the box before Gestede blazed over an Alex Baptiste cross over from 12 yards.

Charlton then tested Jason Steele for the first time, through Johann Berg Gudmundsson, before Vetokele went closer still with a downward header from a corner.

Rovers boss responded by throwing on the fit-again Josh King and David Dunn for Gestede and Marshall.

Dunn made an immediate impact, instigating a lovely move that ended with the tireless Ryan Tunnicliffe seeing a 20-yard curler pushed around the post by Pope.

And, after the resulting corner was not cleared, Duffy sent a header straight down the jittery Addicks goalkeeper’s throat from a Tunnicliffe cross.

For the third game running Dunn was making a difference from the bench and his delightful through ball sent the fit-again King clear but with the posts in sight, he smashed the ball high wide and not so handsome.

It was Rovers’ fourth clean sheet of the campaign and their first in nine matches.

Rovers:  Steele, Baptiste, Hanley, Duffy, Olsson, Tunnicliffe, Lowe (Williamson 49), Evans, Marshall (Dunn 76), Rhodes, Gestede (King 76). Subs not used: Eastwood, Kilgallon, Varney, Conway.

Goals: Rhodes 6, 19.

Charlton: Pope, Gomez, Ben Haim, Bikey, Fox (Wilson 30), Buyens, Solly, Cousins (Bulot 73), Gudmundsson, Harriott (Pigott 46), Vetokele. Subs not used: Etheridge, Onyewu, Tucudean, Ahearne-Grant.

Booked: Buyens.

Referee: David Webb.

Attendance: 13,231 (318 away).