Charlton 0 Reading 1 (Williams 73).
Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.
Goalscoring. Football’s endgame. In Charlton’s case, everyone talks about it, the same way Mark Twain moaned about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. In fact there’s been endless talk about goalscoring at The Valley, none of which ever amounts to anything. What you see is what you get and you don’t get much these days.
In scrupulously distributing a meagre total of 27 goals throughout 38 games, Charlton have, in fairness, been a model of thrift. Their admirable defence has seen to it that each goal has been used to its maximum. Six 1-0 victories have kept the flame alive; this seventh 1-0 reverse reduced it to a mere flicker. But their heads- and the flame – are still above water.
The Addicks were far from outplayed by Reading. During a low-key first half, they actually held a slight edge over the promotion hopefuls, played some neat stuff and reached the interval in reasonable shape. The uncomfortable truth that they hadn’t threatened the visitors was offset by the knowledge that the Royals hadn’t sparkled up front either. A goalless draw- not the most disastrous of results – seemed attainable.
The 21st minute chance created by Lawrie Wilson for Jordan Cousins highlighted Charlton’s chronic weakness near the opposition’s goal. Played into shooting range by Wilson, the long-limbed youngster lacked conviction, his feeble effort hardly troubling Alex McCarthy. Reading’s contributions before the interval included a crisp free kick from setpiece expert Danny Guthrie expertly pouched by Ben Hamer and Chris Gunter’s dangerous waist-high cross, which a full-length Hamer touched away from Adam LeFondre’s head.
As expected of promotion candidates, the Royals stepped it up after the break. Their chances arrived more frequently, the first two of them sliced horribly wide by Danny Williams, a third driven carelessly off target by Le Fondre. Rhoys Wiggins replied for the Addicks with a low drive testing McCarthy’s reactions. On the hour, though, Reading came closest so far to snatching what was clearly to be the game’s only goal.
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Among a posse of defenders tracking the menacing run of Royston Drenthe, an excitable Callum Harriott lent his colleagues an unwanted hand by tripping the flying Dutchman from behind. Harriott was booked and setpiece expert Guthrie almost doubled his punishment with a wickedly swerving free kick from 30 yards. Plunging sideways while almost colliding with the woodwork, Hamer bravely manhandled the ball over the bar.
With no threat from Charlton’s marshmallow attack, in which Simon Church fluttered aimlessly, Reading were by now inching on top. The debatable 66th minute replacement of Johnnie Jackson by recent loanee Davide Petrucci cast the fatal die.
With games arriving thick and fast, the sensible deployment of his thinning resources by Jose Riga has been impressive. His introduction of Petrucci, however, was open to considerable question. Exactly what an obviously off-pace newcomer brought with him in relieving a possibly tiring skipper is difficult to identify. But his impact was immediate.
Confronting Guthrie in a 50-50 challenge after turning down an invitation to shoot, tentative Petrucci predictably came out second best to the more truculent Reading midfielder, a lapse he compounded with a languid pursuit of the his departing opponent. Easily shaking off his powderpuff adversary, Guthrie was free to pick the perfect pass to Williams on his right as Le Fondre ran intelligently off the ball to his left. Sidestepping Wiggins, the elaborately-coiffed American drove the matchwinner emphatically into the top left corner.
With nearly twenty minutes left, more of those bloody statistics entered the equation. Since the estimable Jackson’s added time strike earned his side a 1-1 draw at Ipswich on New Years Day, Charlton haven’t managed an equaliser in 14 games. You have to go back six more days to the 3-2 Boxing Day victory over Brighton to find a game in which they’ve scored more than once. Which meant that this result was already done and dusted since it was safe to assume that neither of those depressing statistics was about to be demolished. Don’t talk to me about goalscoring. Try the weather instead.
Anyway, it’s a long way from over. Charlton must regroup and come at Yeovil Town on Tuesday night with renewed hope. Their relegation rivals, including Yeovil, had it their way on a sickening Saturday but that’s how it goes. So Jose, find places for Jonathan Obika and Reza (for Church and Harriott), and, without making him a scapegoat, leave Petrucci on the bench until he begins to appreciate that in a relegation battle, you fight for your rights and dispute every inch, every ounce. Over and out.
Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Wiggins, Harriott, Cousins (Obika 80), Poyet, Jackson (Petrucci 66), Adjarevic (Ghoochannejhad 58), Church. Not used: Phillips, Sordell, Wood, Fox. Book: Morrison, Wiggins.
Reading: McCarthy, Gunter, Pearce, Gorkss, Obita, McAnuff, Guthrie, Williams, Drenthe (McCleary 64), Le Fondre (Robson-Kanu 76), Pobrebnyak. Not used: Federici, Kelly, Morrison, Bridge, Blackman.
Referee: Andy Madley. Att: 15,800 (1,794 visiting).