Kevin Nolan’s Match Report: Charlton Athletic v Leyton Orient (31/03/2012)

Charlton 2 (Wagstaff 7, N’Guessan 82) Leyton Orient 0

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Strong, committed and defiant, Leyton Orient ticked most of the boxes on the list of demands made of them by Charlton’s promotion rivals. Harbouring ambitions of becoming the first- and only – team to pull off a league double over the league leaders, they played some neat stuff, gave their hosts a few nervous moments and weren’t above putting it about, as five cautions for physical fouls testified.

The most important box, though, was ticked by Charlton, who bookended a solid, if sometimes nervy, performance, with goals seven minutes from the start and eight minutes from the end of a massively important game. Their victory held off their frustrated Sheffield pursuers by six (United) and eight points (Wednesday) respectively. If they can keep it together now, they will be crowned League One champions. But ifs, like ands, are about as much use as pots and pans as my Mum used to say.

Springing from the starting blocks, the Addicks clearly meant business and visiting goalkeeper Paul Rachubka’s heart was probably in his mouth when he clipped Bradley Wright-Philips as the fleetfooted striker rounded him in pursuit of Yann Kermorgant’s clever flick. Well up with the play, referee Mark Brown decided against a spotkick but was again ideally positioned to spot Ben Chorley’s crude foul on Kermorgant four minutes later.

This time the O’s were appropriately punished for their wrongdoing. Kermorgant regained his feet instantly to send left back Rhoys Wiggins careering down the left wing with a quickly taken free kick. Accelerating away from defender Scott Cuthbert, Wiggins fired over a low cross which Scott Wagstaff met crisply at the near post to celebrate his 22nd birthday with his fifth league goal of a start-stop-start again season. A more perfect launch pad was hard to imagine and Charlton appeared to have promptly punched home their advantage but Leon Cort was correctly adjudged to have handled Dale Stephens’ corner into the net, with Orient reasonably but vainly suggesting that a booking, not merely a lecture, should have been his reward.

With stylish ex-Addick Matt Spring pulling the constructive strings in midfield, the East Londoners gradually found their feet and it was from Spring’s free kick that Kermorgant conceded a left wing corner, swung in dangerously by Adam Reed to cause havoc in Charlton’s penalty area. Chorley’s ferocious shot was blocked on the line by a human wall formed by Wiggins and goalkeeper Ben Hamer and somehow the rebound was smuggled clear. Spring’s blistering 30-yard drive, saved magnificently at the second attempt, by Hamer, confirmed that Orient had recovered from their nightmare start and were firmly in contention.

A roistering first half continued with Cort glancing another of Stephens’ inswinging corner narrowly wide of the right post and concluded with David Mooney, one of four former Addicks starting for Orient, somehow escaping a booking for poleaxing Wagstaff with a hopelessly timed challenge on the right touchline. Eccentric Mr. Brown had seen enough by now, with substitute Syam Ben Youssef and Jimmy Smith earning bookings for reckless fouls on Lee Cook and the embattled Kermorgant respectively before the break.

An amazing point-blank double save by Rachubka from Wright-Phillips and Cook, following Danny Hollands’ long throw, kept Charlton at bay early in the second period, while their failure to add a second goal transmitted their on-field nerves to the ever-twitchy stands, where a molten mass of tension was already beginning to form. Their peace of mind was hardly helped by the sight of Kevin Lisbie popping up to nod Reed’s 68th minute corner narrowly wide or by the desperation with which Hollands hurled himself at Terrell Forbes’ cross to clear from Spring at the expense of a corner. Orient were hardly potent but an equaliser was still far from unlikely.

With a quarter hour left, Chris Powell’s introduction of loanee Dany N’Guessan for Wright-Phillips caused raised eyebrows, two of them not a million miles north of your reporter’s nose. Not for the first time in a hugely impressive first full season, however, the rookie manager trusted his instincts and routed his would-be critics. N’ Guessan had hardly touched the ball during some seven fruitless minutes when Cook, who had contributed some neat touches but nothing earth-shattering, picked up a throw from Wiggins, took two steps into space and delivered the kind of cross, for which the description “sumptuous” was intended. Rising above the stricken Forbes, N’Guessan did it complete justice with an emphatic header into the roof of Rachubka’s net.

That sudden whoosh of air was easily explained as the collective expulsion of breath being held by another excellent Valley crowd. Like their team, they’re standing their ground, paying their dues and praying unaplogetically that May 5th sees them bidding a less than fond farewell to this unforgiving division. We’re all in this together, you, me, the chaps from the Bullingdon Club.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins, Wagstaff, Hollands, Stephens, Cook (Green 87), Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (N’Guessan 75). Not used: Sullivan, Taylor, Pritchard.

Orient: Rachubka, Cuthbert (Ben Youssef 31), Chorley, Leacock, Forbes, Porter (Andrew 82), Spring, Smith, Reed, Lisbie, Mooney (Cox 70). Not used: Laird, Taiwo.

Referee: Mark Brown. Attendance: 17,425.

N.B. No supporters of Leyton Orient were injured in the making of this report. Their feelings were scrupulously protected. Greenwich.co.uk accepts that the same claim cannot be made, in respect of the supporters of Huddersfield Town, Charlton Athletic’s opponents last week. Feathers were ruffled, angry words exchanged. We feel an apology is in order and proffer this one in a spirit of North-South rapprochement.

We are sorry you lost your temper and suggest you look for it in the same place as you last saw your sense of humour. We also share your embarrassment at Geoffrey Boycott’s claim to be Yorkshire-born and that most of the characters in Emmerdale appear to be Cockneys. We also stand ready to relay to Lancashire your remorse that the unpleasantness between you in the 15th century was all your fault. There was certainly no need for it. We need to get along together so don’t be strangers. Call us.