Cardiff City secured their first league win since returning to the Championship as Jack Moylan scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Charlton Athletic.

The Bluebirds took the lead after eight minutes when Alex Robertson found Yousef Salech on the edge of the Charlton box, and the Cardiff striker's deft touch played through Moylan who in turn found the bottom corner.

The hosts had their second midway through the first half, when Moylan turned provider for Salech, who shrugged off Tyler Bindon before beating Arthur Okonkwo from close range.

Charlton found a route back into the game before the half-hour mark, as Bindon's through ball played in Tyreece Campbell, and the Jamaica international slid the ball under Nathan Trott to halve the deficit.

Cardiff almost had their third two minutes later in an increasingly end-to-end first half, but Moylan was denied a clean sight of goal by an excellent last-ditch block from Charlton skipper Lloyd Jones.

The Bluebirds should have restored their two-goal cushion after 38 minutes as Moylan's header at the back post was clawed off the line by Okonkwo, only for Joel Colwill to get the rebound all wrong and miss the target from six yards.

And the visitors once again had Okonkwo to thank for keeping the score 2-1 with half-time approaching, as the on-loan Wrexham goalkeeper scrambled across his line to stop what looked destined to be Salech's second of the game.

Having seen his side struggle as the first half went on, Charlton boss Nathan Jones made two changes at the break as Amari'i Bell and Timothy Ouma replaced Milenic Ali and Bindon.

And it was the visitors who had the first big chance of the second half, as former Cardiff man Karlan Grant was played through on goal but could only find the side-netting.

The Bluebirds responded with a good chance of their own, Joel Bagan's cross finding Colwill at the back post, but Okonkwo was equal to the effort once again.

After seeing countless chances come and go, Cardiff eventually restored their two-goal lead on the hour mark, as summer signing Moylan smashed an effort in off the post from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Bagan came close to adding a fourth for the Bluebirds, but his effort curled away from the far post and behind for a goal-kick.

Ollie Tanner was next to threaten, as he drove into the Charlton box and beat Bell but was denied by the outstretched leg of Okonkwo.

Charlton rarely threatened in the second half but should have pulled one back when substitute Charlie Kelman found himself one-on-one with Trott; however, he was denied what would have been a goal with his first touch by the Cardiff keeper.

Moylan almost added a spectacular fourth, but his curling effort from distance drifted just wide before he was replaced to a standing ovation by the home supporters, Calum Scanlon coming on in his place.

The only sour note on an otherwise positive afternoon for the Bluebirds was a late injury to striker Salech, who left the field with his arm in a sling while clutching at his right shoulder.

Victory for the Bluebirds ends what has been a tough return to the second flight, but they go into the international break having broken their winless streak at the eighth time of asking.

For Charlton, it is now five games without a win, having previously sat top of the Championship after three successive victories to start the campaign.

Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy told BBC Radio Wales:

"I'm very pleased that all of our supporters get the chance to enjoy their evening, it was a very important game of us.

"We knew today's game was going to be tough but we played a great game, created good chances and today we took enough of them to win.

"We obviously had a real awareness of what Charlton do but we got into the spaces to create chances, and I'm particularly pleased with how we responded to their goal.

"Jack [Moylan]'s goal at a really good time for us as it gave us breathing space and allowed us to see out the game with a lot of control."

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones said:

"It's an unrecognisable performance to what we normally do. We got out-worked, out-battled, out-ran, out-passed and out-thought.

"Ironically we have had three massive chances in the game, but that would have only papered over the cracks of a really poor performance.

"They play pretty consistently, they're a good side, but we were inept today with how we pressed and our work-rate.

"It's an unacceptable performance from us out of possession which is why we've conceded how we have."