Blackpool 0 Charlton 3 (Harriott 61, 82, 90).
Kevin Nolan reports from Bloomfield Road.
Championship salvation, after months of torture, was achieved by Charlton with unexpected elan, not to mention panache. Tuesday’s decisive win over Watford was followed by this second half romp beside a chilly Irish Sea. For the first time in nine sapping months, two victories were put back to back.
When the hour came, so did the man. An enigmatic winger, with only one FA Cup goal to his credit, Callum Harriott suddenly caught fire, possibly surprising nobody more than himself by banging in five superb goals in two games, while at the same time making nonsense of Charlton’s chronic inability to score. In doing so, he carved himself a small slice of club history but we’ll get to his heroics a bit later. The boy did real good.
From a perspective reaching back far too long to mention, this one qualifies as the most aggravating, gruelling season in personal memory, even including those where Charlton were actually relegated. Between their opening day defeat next to one beach (Bournemouth) and this Jolly Boys final day outing to another (Blackpool), the Addicks have resembled barefoot bathers stepping gingerly over sharp rocks and treacherous pebbles on their undignified way to the water. Their frequent howls of agony have been echoed by their long suffering supporters.
It was clear from the outset that the previous owners had no thought other than offloading a club, about which they had no feeling, for whatever price they could squeeze from a limited market before making themselves scarce as soon as bloody possible. They certainly had no intention of offering cherished manager Chris Powell so much as a gesture of assistance. Having consolidated his beloved club in the Championship during 2012-13, Powell was left to cope with a playing staff which, far from being strengthened, was actually weakened by the financially pragmatic departure of several key contributors. With rich irony, Charlton’s goal in the 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth was scored by Yann Kermorgant, a talismanic striker Powell would lose in controversial circumstances several months later. To more ambitious Bournemouth as it turned out.
The arrival of new head honcho Roland Duchatelet in January brought a new kind of revolution in its wake. Powell’s struggling squad was promptly “augmented” by an influx of unknown players from the new owner’s cartel of European clubs, with the reluctant manager apparently under pressure to use them in his first team. The demanded insertion of erratic French goalkeeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien forced the issue and Powell’s days – as if they hadn’t already been – were numbered. With the Addicks bottom of the Championship (we repeat a little wearily in the guvnor’s defence that they had four games in hand at the time), he was ungraciously shown the door of a stadium he had graced as player and manager. Powell had had his well-intentioned critics but there are those -and, hands up, I’m one of them – who will find it difficult to forget, much less forgive, Duchatelet’s casual disrespect.
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None of which detracts from the fine job that Powell’s replacement, Jose Riga, has done in guiding Charlton to Championship safety. Cool, civil and devoid of ego, he has deployed his resources intelligently, showing decisiveness in juggling a hopelessly tangled fixture list and, above all, holding his nerve. It’s with tongue wryly in cheek that it’s pointed out, however, that his starting line-ups for the Watford and Blackpool games included only one (Astrit Ajdarevic) of the “network” additions and that Thuram-Ulien must have missed the bus to Bloomfield Road. Those teams were solidly Charlton in their composition of Academy products and experienced campaigners (with Sordell and Ajdarevic the only loanees) and could have been selected by Powell. To his credit, Riga acknowledged as much with his own choices but even he would probably concede that his predecessor was ultimately vindicated.
So we move on as move on we must. Our great old club’s progress during the summer will be monitored even more carefully than usual because this past campaign has been a horror story which, at least, was qualified by a happy ending. It can’t be repeated. Apart from mentioning that relegated Barnsley might be persuaded to make Chris O’Grady dispensable, this reporter has been rendered speechless. Well, almost speechless.
Riga’s reaction has been admirably free of triumphalism, realising as he surely does, that a virtually last minute reprieve from relegation is nothing to celebrate. But he deserves sincere thanks and unstinting gratitude for his skilful contribution. Shame he probably won’t be around to build on it because he’d be welcomed on board again.
Back briefly to chilly Bloomfield Road and the force of nature that has been Callum Harriott during the past week. His brace of goals on Tuesday were stunning. The three which capsized Blackpool were less jaw-dropping but were tasty enough in their own right.
Just past the hour, Dorian Dervite powered forward to pick out Marvin Sordell, whose cute flick opened a gap into which Harriott darted to find the bottom left corner of Matt Gilks’ net; twenty minutes later, substitute Jonathan Obika left Chris Basham floundering on the left byline before laying on an accurate cutback which Harriott drove first time past Gilks; in added time, with his confidence soaring, the rampant winger combined cleverly with Joe Pigott, then chose his spot for a low, right-footed finish. His uninhibited flourish added a late lustre to the Addicks’ route march of a season. Damned if it didn’t restore faith. Can’t wait to get started again! Any more where they came from, Callum?
Blackpool: Gilks, McMahon, Cathcart, McGahey, Halliday, Basham (Barkhuizen 72), Osbourne, Perkins, Bishop (Grandin 84), Keogh (Fuller 68), Dobbie. Not used: Haroun, Halstead, Goodwillie, Martinez.
Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Fox, Cousins (Petrucci 64), Poyet, Jackson, Ajdarevic (Obika 78), Harriott, Sordell (Pigott 87). Not used: Phillips, Church, Wood, Lennon. Booked: Petrucci, Harriott.
Referee: Kevin Friend. Att: 15,515 (1,335 visiting).
N.B. That’s another one in the can. Thanks to my sponsor, Grant Saw Wealth Management (Ian Starkey), Rob Powell at the helm of the website, Betty Hutchins who drives our matchday coach, our Hazel for setting the alarm accurately and, of course, to Charlton Athletic who, all seriousness aside, have driven me barmy over the last nine months. I wouldn’t have it any other way. See you at The Valley next season. No sense, no feeling, that’s my motto.