( AFP ) - Charlton manager Alan Pardew told his players not to get carried away after China midfielder Zheng Zhi kept them on course for the Premier League.
Zheng scored the final goal in his side's 3-0 win over Cardiff at the Valley on Saturday after Sam Sodje and Chris Iwelumo also netted to lift Charlton into second place in the Championship.
The former Shandong Luneng player had already had an effort disallowed in the first half for a foul by Iwelumo, but he got his fourth goal of the season with a close-range header.
Pardew's side, who have now won three consecutive matches, had taken the lead when Sodje scored from close range before Iwelumo lashed in a fine strike.
But Pardew said: "It's important for any team, especially in this division, to not get carried away with defeats or victories and just keep a constant flow throughout the team.
"We didn't panic when we lost those three games, we had a steely determination and a positive attitude to turn things around. And we have to keep a steady head now because my experience of this division tells me that December and January are going to be very important months."
Charlton are eight points behind leaders Watford, who were held to a 2-2 home draw by Colchester.
Despite the setback Hornets manager Adrian Boothroyd believes his side are much improved from last season.
"If you look at the way we played when we were in the Premier League and the way we play now we are better with the ball," he said.
Adam Johnson, on loan from Middlesbrough, had given Watford an early lead before Clive Platt levelled midway through the first half.
Kevin Lisbie put the visitors in front a minute after the interval, then Marlon King saw his weak penalty saved by Dean Gerken. But King made amends with a brilliant overhead kick three minutes later.
Ipswich moved into the play-off places after demolishing 10-man Bristol City 6-0 at Portman Road.
Jonathan Walters scored a hat-trick and Pablo Counago, Tommy Miller and David Wright were also on target, while City had Bradley Orr sent off.
Preston manager Paul Simpson refused to contemplate the sack after his side slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Hull.
"My job is to just try and prepare the players and to come in and work hard and try and make things right," he said. "It's other people's job to look at my position and that's something I don't need to talk about."
Neil Warnock admitted he had given his Crystal Palace players a first taste of his temper as they fought back to draw 1-1 against fellow strugglers QPR at Selhurst Park.
On-loan Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair had given QPR the lead but Warnock's pep talk woke Palace and Clinton Morrison equalised with two minutes to go.
"The desire was missing a little bit, so I had to have a few words for the first time. Now they know what I'm like," Warnock said.
"The spirit in the second half was good and you'd have thought we'd won the World Cup at the end."
Caretaker Burnley manager Steve Davis claimed his team's 1-0 win at Leicester was one of the best moments of his career.
Davis, a long-time Burnley player, was in charge after Steve Cotterill's midweek exit and Andy Gray's goal won it for him.
"Today has to be top of my list for football memories," Davis said. " Burnley is my club and everyone knows what it means to me."
Elsewhere, Wolverhampton rose to fifth place after Neill Collins's first half header sealed a 1-0 win over Barnsley at Molineux.
Plymouth are just outside the top six after beating rock-bottom Norwich 3-0. Sheffield Wednesday thrashed Southampton 5-0, Blackpool beat Scunthorpe 1-0 and Sheffield United won 1-0 at Stoke.
West Bromwich Albion travel to Coventry on Monday.