Charlton extended their advantage at the top of the npower League One table to seven points with a 1-0 win over second-placed Sheffield United at The Valley.
Johnnie Jackson's 25-yard strike, his ninth league goal of the season, earned the Addicks their third straight league victory.
Fourth-placed Sheffield Wednesday were held 2-2 by Hartlepool at Hillsborough. Peter Hartley put Pools ahead (47) but second-half strikes from Jermaine Johnson (58) and Gary Madine (75) looked set to win it for the hosts before Antony Sweeney's 87th-minute volley.
MK Dons remain three points behind Wednesday in fifth after a 1-1 draw at Notts County. The visitors led through Tom Flanagan's acrobatic effort (26) but the Magpies levelled with nine minutes left with a Lee Hughes penalty, his ninth league goal of the season. Martin Allen's team have now gone seven games without a league win.
Stevenage and Carlisle remain locked together either side of the play-off places after 1-1 draws at Scunthorpe and at home to Walsall respectively. Darius Charles' 84th-minute effort rescued a point for Stevenage at Glanford Park, where Scunthorpe had led through Garry Thompson's 47th-minute volley.
Carlisle led through Lee Miller's seventh-minute effort but Alex Nicholls scored from the spot for the Saddlers eight minutes from the end. Graham Westley's reign as Preston boss began with a 2-0 home defeat to Leyton Orient, who won thanks to goals from Marc Laird (66) and Jimmy Smith (80).
Bury moved above North End with a 3-2 home win over Yeovil. Ryan Dickson (10) cancelled out Steven Schumacher's opener for the Shakers two minutes earlier before the hosts pulled clear with goals from Joe Skarz (21) and a Schumacher penalty (35). Yeovil substitute Steven MacLean set up a nervy finish with an 87th-minute goal.
Chesterfield remain bottom despite winning 2-1 at Colchester, having not won in 17 previous league matches. Jack Lester (six) and Josh Thompson (44) scored for the Spireites either side of a Steven Gillespie goal in the 32nd minute for the hosts.
Wycombe climbed above Rochdale into 22nd place after beating them 3-0 at Adams Park, Bournemouth moved up to eighth with a 2-1 home win over Tranmere, and Oldham edged above Tranmere with a point in a goalless draw at home to Exeter.
In the late kick-off, Jordan Rhodes struck his 28th goal of the season as Huddersfield fought back from 2-0 down to secure a 3-2 win over Brentford.
