City are comprehensively beaten by Charlton but stay up at the expense of Leicester, whose draw at Stoke sees them fall out of the Championship.

Early strikes from Luke Varney and Andy Gray set the tempo for the home side but Michael Mifsud pulled one back, leaving it 2-1 at the interval.

But the Sky Blues never got to grips with their opposition and second half goals from Grant Basey and Chris Powell gave the home side a thumping victory, which could well have been by a bigger margin.

City lined up unchanged for their final home game of the 2007/08 campaign, in need of a point to secure their Championship status.

But the game got off to the worst possible start when Luke Varney gave the home side a fourth minute lead, racing onto a long ball played beyond left-back Danny Fox and lofting a perfectly executed lob over the advancing Kasper Schmeichel.

It was nervy stuff at the back for City and it took a goalline clearance from Jay Tabb to prevent an Andy Gray effort crossing the line.

But Gray doubled Charlton's advantage in the 18th minute, racing onto a clever back heel from Varney and drilling a low shot past Schmeichel.

Two minutes later and the Sky Blues had pulled a goal back, Michael Mifsud scoring his first league goal in 20 league games.

The Maltese international jinked past the Charlton defence and smashed an accurate shot past Nicky Weaver to break his goal drought and more importantly, give a rocky Sky Blues side some confidence.

After an electric opening 20 minutes, the remainder of the first half passed by without any great incident.

City were safe at the interval but only by virtue of scorelines elsewhere and with the Addicks still looking likely to score, a nailbiting second half was in prospect.

Mifsud was hungry to double his tally for the afternoon and sent a fierce volley narrowly wide of the upright at the start of the second 45.

But another Schmeichel mistake saw Charlton go 3-1 ahead in the 48th minute. The on loan shot stopper attempted to punch the ball clear when catching it looked a far simpler option but he failed to get any distance, only palming it to Grant Basey who smashed the ball into the back of the net, despite Elliott Ward's attempts to keep it out.

Varney went within inches of making it 4-1 with half an hour remaining before Chris Coleman brought on Kevin Thornton for Michael Hughes.

The change had the desired effect as City started to show some fight for the battle and on 65 Doyle glanced a header just wide from a Tabb cross.

But again, gaping holes were being left at the back and the impressive Varney once again sent a shot whistling narowly wide of an upright.

Leon Best had the ball in the back of the net on 72 but the referee ruled it out for offside.

Throwing caution to the wind Coleman introduced Zavon Hines for Osbourne but moments later Matt Holland rattled the woodwork with a ferocious 35 yard drive as Charlton continued to dominate.

The Addicks had bossed the match and deservedly scored a fourth in the 86th minute when substitute Chris Powell netted in his retirement match.

Charlton: Weaver; McCarthy; Holland; Gray; Varney; Thomas; Bougherra; Halford; Youga; Basey (Iwelumo 70); Shelvey (Powell 84). Subs (not used): Sodje; Randolph; Wagstaff

Coventry: Schmeichel; Fox; Ward; Hughes S; Doyle; Osbourne (Hines 74); Mifsud; Tabb; Best; Dann; Hughes M (Thornton 60).  Subs (not used): Marshall; Hall; Gray

Booked: S Hughes (66)

Attendance: 26,130

Referee: A D'Urso