About Kevin Nolan

Peterborough United 2 (Swanson 24, Bostwick 71) Charlton 2 (Jackson 55, Haynes 58).

Kevin Nolan reports from London Road.

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

The only posh thing about Peterborough United is their nickname. A world away from the traditional, urban heartlands of English football, they fight their corner in the fenlands of Cambridgeshire in a tiny, dog-eared ground, supported by a small but passionate fanbase. Every season they are asked to “punch above their weight” and more often than not that’s exactly what they do. Forced to sell their best players to survive – most recently coveted midfielder George Boyd in the throes of yet another relegation scrap- they gamely re-group and carry on. There’s much to admire about them until, of course, you have to play them. Then it can be the stuff of recurrent nightmares, as more than one fancied team have found out.

With four points from their last seven games, Charlton were out-of-form visitors to London Road. Two demoralising home defeats, without a goal to show in either of them, hardly sent them out on the road again in the best of shape. But away from The Valley, where their dismal record undermines them like a virus invading their system, they are a vastly different proposition. They matched United blow-for-blow in a spirited, sometimes chaotic encounter and, in coming away with a precious point, fended off their hosts for the time being. If Chris Powell keeps them in the Championship, then it’s job done. Make that bloody well done.

The bright start the Addicks made to this pulsating match was a reproach to the nervous, crabbed attitude they bring to home games. Free from care, they tore into startled Posh and, with a little more luck, might built a winning position before United pulled themselves together.

As early as the fourth minute, Lawrie Wilson bludgeoned his way through abortive handball appeals before letting fly with a ferocious left-footed drive which cannoned back off the underside of the bar. Then Ricardo Fuller drove a low ball across the six-yard box, with Danny Haynes a desperate toe’s-width from applying a scoring touch. By the time, however, that both Haynes’ volleyed snapshot and Fuller’s header from Wilson’s centre were saved by Bobby Olejnik, Charlton’s opening storm was beginning to subside.

Their usual madcap selves, meanwhile, United announced their recovery with a chance squandered by resolute centre back Gabriel Zakuani. Favoured by the bounce after Tommy Rowe’s header from Grant McCann’s inswinging corner was blocked by David Button, Zakuani blasted over the top from the penalty spot. The visitors were still exhaling in relief when Posh took the lead.

Bit-part midfielder Danny Swanson, without a goal to his name this season, took off on a solo run in as much hope as expectation. Charlton’s defence melted in front of him, with Michael Morrison embarrassed by an unintentional nutmeg, before Swanson finished coolly past the advancing Button from 15 yards. It was a bitter blow which might have gone from bad to worse but for Button’s alert save from Dwight Gayle, with impeccable Chris Solly caught out for once.

A minute after the break, Lee Tomlin squandered a golden opportunity to put clear daylight between the teams. Played through a statuesque defence by Swanson’s defence-splitting pass, the chunky playmaker’s low shot should have found the bottom right corner but instead clipped a post. It was a bad miss for which Posh paid almostly immediately as the Addicks punished their profligacy with a quickfire two-goal salvo.

One day after his 19th birthday, hot prospect Callum Harriott had flickered through a difficult first half but resumed in more determined mood. His delightful pass dovetailed with Johnnie Jackson’s clever diagonal run and the skipper took a steadying touch before finishing across Olejnik into the far bottom corner. United were still absorbing the blow when Haynes emphatically cleared up the debris left by Olejnik’s save from Morrison by enthusiastically hammering the rebound into the roof of the net.

Facing such mercurial opposition as Posh, a third goal was a clear priority but after eluding an out-of-position Olejnik, Haynes’ chip from an awkward angle was alertly cleared off the line by Zakuani. It was the Addicks’ turn to suffer as another unexpected scorer made them pay.

Encouraged to advance into Charlton’s half, like Swanson before him, centre back Michael Bostwick chanced his arm from 25 yards and squeezed a forceful shot between Button and his left hand post. It was hardly the worst of goalkeeping howlers but Bostwick’s speculative effort should have been saved. As already observed, though, you never know what to expect from freewheeling Posh.

And it might have got worse during a wild and woolly added time melee, during which Button magnificently saved Rowe’s point-blank header and Jackson miraculously conjured the loose ball to safety while lying prone on the goalline. Referee Langford’s final whistle, at that desperately late stage, was music to the Addicks’ ears; yet another last gasp setback would have asked too much of their frazzled fans. The occasional coronary, more than likely.

Peterborough: Olejnik, Little, Zakuani (Brisley 72), Bostwick, Rowe, Payne, Swanson (Barnett 74), Tomlin, McCann (Ferdinand 59), Mendez-Laing, Gayle. Not used: Day, Alcock, Newell, Knight-Percival.

Charlton: Button, Solly, Taylor, Morrison, Wiggins, Wilson, Pritchard, Jackson, Harriott, Haynes (Dervite 90), Fuller (Obika 77). Not used: Hamer, Hughes, Evina, Wagstaff.

Referee: O. Langford. Att: 6,050

Charlton 0 Burnley 1 (Austin 43).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Those anxious glances Charlton have been throwing over their shoulders recently are becoming more frequent – not to mention more anxious. This second successive defeat at The Valley, their eighth of the season, continued the demoralising process of dismal home form undermining their magnificent performances on the road. Only the convenient ineptitude of several struggling wretches below them in the  table continues to cushion their fall but the gap remorselessly narrows. Unpredictable Peterborough are poised to exploit any resultant weakness on Tuesday evening. You never know what to expect from that wild-eyed crew of lunatics.

It seems that worried Chris Powell is no nearer to solving the conundrum. His delight at putting one over on old mentor Nigel Pearson at Leicester two weeks ago has quickly dissolved into the despair of losing, first to brilliant Nottingham Forest, then to well organised but less than brilliant Burnley.

Deprived of the irresponsibly suspended Yann Kermorgant and dead leg victim Chris Solly, Powell jettisoned his natural caution, shuffled his pack and indulged an unsuspected gambler’s instinct. Off form Ben Hamer was dropped for league debutant David Button; Lawrie Wilson replaced Solly at right back; Dale Stephens lost his place in a three-man midfield comprising Bradley Pritchard, Dorian Dervite and Johnnie Jackson.

It was up front, though, that the changes were truly rung. A second debutant in loan signing Jonathan Obika joined Ricardo Fuller and Danny Haynes in, ostensibly at least, a hell-for-leather attacking trio. The boss’s boldness was admirable but, regrettably, not vindicated by results. Obika was ineffective, Fuller laborious, with only Haynes providing one or two scares for the largely untroubled visitors.

Leading Burnley’s attack, meanwhile, was 26-goal Charlie Austin who, so the matchday programme informed us, was enduring something of a slump with only six goals in seventeen games since Sean Dyche took over the managership from Eddie Howe, whose initiative it was to sign the coveted striker from Swindon Town. We can adjust that figure to seven in eighteen now and if Austin scores a better goal than the one which sunk Charlton, he and Dyche will be justified in savouring it.

There had been little to divide two mediocre sides before Austin struck two minutes before the break. The Clarets were enjoying a slight edge while the Addicks, without a clean sheet in 14 previous games, paddled along with that about-to-capsize air of vulnerability they have about them in home games. With an urgently needed break in reach, up popped the predatory Austin to hole them below the waterline.

Picking up an innocuous ball some 30 yards to the left of Charlton’s goal, Burnley’s prolific striker turned smoothly infield to set up an uninhibited, right-footed drive which gave Button no chance on its unstoppable way into the far top corner.There was no particular insight needed in predicting that his singular talent had prematurely settled a pre-ordained issue.

Not that Charlton gave in. Haynes had already extended Lee Grant with a looping header during a monotonous first half when, before the hour, he came as close as his colourless side would come to equalising. An incongruously flowing move was begun by Fuller’s perceptive pass inside Daniel Lafferty, which allowed an overlapping Wilson to shake off the outmanouevred left back, before crossing accurately on the run. Timing his leap perfectly, Haynes’ text-book header was destined for the bottom right corner until Grant plunged full-length to touch the ball safely around his post.

Shortly after Haynes’ game effort, Powell wisely abandoned his abortive 4-3-3 experiment, bringing on Danny Green for Obika and Callum Harriott for Dervite in a re-vamped 4-4-2 shape. The intention was clearly to introduce width and Green, but sadly to a lesser extent an over elaborate Harriott, had some success. It seemed self-defeating, however, that without aerial specialist Kermorgant to play off, the Addicks embarked on a relentless mortar assault on the trenches, into which pragmatic Burnley retreated after Austin’s bombshell gave them the advantage.

In increasing desperation, centre backs Michael Morrison and Leon Cort began spending more time in the visitors’ penalty area than their own, deserted territory. It was a spirited but clueless response, with which Burnley, unabashed in deploying all 11 players inside their own half, dealt stoically. There was clearly no point in trying to club them into submission but Charlton, persistently if ill-advisedly, had a stab at it. And so, laboured and wearisome, the long march to freedom trudges onward….

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

Charlton: Button, Wilson, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins, Pritchard, Dervite (Harriott 63), Jackson, Haynes, Fuller, Obika (Green 63). Not used: Hamer, Hughes, Evina, Taylor, Wagstaff.

Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Long, Shackell, Lafferty, Stanislav (Ings 73), Bartley, Kacaniklic (Stock 88), Edgar, Paterson, Austin (Vokes 85). Not used: Jensen, O’Neill, Mills, Treacy. Booked: Austin, Lafferty, Vokes, Paterson.

Referee: S. Hooper. Att: 20,065.

Charlton 0 Nottingham Forest 2 (Majewski 53, Lansbury 60).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

An explanation of Charlton’s miserable home form continues to elude management, fans and, no doubt players who consistently distinguish themselves on the road. Four wins from seventeen Valley games makes miserable reading and may yet drag the Addicks down among the relegation strugglers.

This engagement with Nottingham Forest (don’t mention Notts Forest; I did earlier this season but I think I got away with it), seemed to offer the ideal platform for a reversal of form. Another bumper crowd showed up despite the arctic conditions; the morning snow helpfully failed to settle; groundsman Colin Powell gamely battled climate change to prepare a balding but perfectly playable pitch; stentorian ringside announcer Dave Lockwood nonchalantly shrugged off scurrilous rumours that he’s been lip-synching recently and called the faithful to prayer. But then it all began to go wrong. As too often it does at The Valley.

Arriving on the crest of a wave after demolishing Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, Forest simply took up where they had left off and drove their outplayed hosts to distraction. Orchestrated by midfield schemer Andy Reid, a sylph-like version of the stout little chap who all too briefly trod the boards in S.E 7, the visitors hogged the ball, passing it between them accurately and patiently. Though they lacked an end product in the early going, their air of menace suggested that they were moving through smooth gears and would kick on eventually. They certainly didn’t need the advantage handed them by midweek goal hero Yann Kermorgant eight minutes before the break.

Taking exception to Greg Halford’s muscular ball-shielding on the left touchline, a peeved Kermorgant kicked out irresponsibly at Forest’s lofty centre back who, needless to say, made the most of the moment. Unsure of himself, referee Madley polled linesmen Cooper and Hicks before donning his black cap and consigning the rebellious Frenchman to the tumbrils. Kermorgant will now be unavailable to Chris Powell until the cataclysmic visit of Millwall on March 16th. Reduced to an experienced pair of regular hamstring-twanging strikers in Danny Haynes and Ricardo Fuller -and with Bradley Wright-Phillips turning out for Brentford – Powell could have done without the aggravation. Kermorgant let his manager down; he let his teammates down; he let a mainly adoring crowd down; but, most of all, of course, he let himself down. It was right let-down all round. For with his departure went Charlton realistic chances of weathering the growing storm.

Having bashed six past Huddersfield, Forest made hard work of making their superiority tell. The bulk of their first half chances fell to Polish midfielder Radoslaw Majewski, scorer of a hat-trick against Town. An early drive cleared the bar, a better opportunity was tamely rolled with the outside of his right foot straight at Ben Hamer. Reid’s contribution, apart from his characteristically metronomic passing, was a comically miscued volley, which briefly endangered life and limb in the north Stand Upper Tier. There was even faint hope that Forest’s fire would burn itself out but Kermorgant’s ill-discipline put paid to that notion, not that it ever looked likely to materialise. Eight minutes after the interval, they grabbed a lead they were unlikely to relinquish.

It was Majewski, almost inevitably, who made the overdue breakthrough. His quicksilver burst into the penalty area from the left flank seemed doomed to disappointment amid a posse of red-shirted defenders but momentary hesitation by Scott Wagstaff allowed him to poke a low shot beyond Hamer into the right corner. Charlton were all but beaten already by a side which had dominated them without the need of a gratuitous imbalance.

Still reeling from the setback, the Addicks were easy prey to the second goal, the responsibility for which rests squarely with Hamer. There was a reasonable case for a foul by Darius Henderson on Dorian Dervite in the build up but Hamer should have made short work of dealing with Simon Cox’s tame shot. Instead he spilled it to Henri Lansbury, who scored easily from two yards. Following his game-deciding error at Hull recently, Hamer’s starting place is far from secure, with David Button waiting eagerly for his chance.

Between the goals, Elliott Ward had crashed Reid’s superbly flighted cross against an upright. The chunky Irishman was running riot now and Henderson almost made it three when he hit the same post from another of Reid’s terrific deliveries. In response to the onslaught, Charlton managed a grand total of two off-target efforts. Bradley Pritchard blazed over when Michael Morrison headed Chris Solly’s first half free kick down to him; Johnnie Jackson went closer with a last minute free kick, after Halford was booked for scything down substitute Ricardo Fuller. Forest keeper Karl Darlow was untroubled by anything remotely on target. He could have stayed at home and fished in the Trent. If Reid had joined him, the Addicks might have had half a chance. Nah, probably not!

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins, Dervite, Wagstaff (Haynes 59), Stephens (Fuller 46), Pritchard (Obika 90), Jackson, Kermorgant. Not used: Button, Evina, Taylor, Wilson. Sent off: Kermorgant.    

Notnum Forest: Darlow, Reyes, Halford, Ward, Cohen, Guedioura, Lansbury (McGugan 76), Majewski, Reid (Greening 85), Cox (Sharp 80), Henderson. Not used: Evtimov, Collins, Moussi, Blackstock. Booked: Halford.

Referee: A. Madley. Att: 18,697.

Leicester City 1 (Wood 69) Charlton 2 (Kermorgant 19, Haynes 78).

Kevin Nolan reports from the King Prawn Crisps Stadium.

Re-vamped Charlton, featuring three changes from the side which capitulated tamely at Hull three days previously, proved too good for promotion seeking Leicester City in this pivotal fixture. A wonderful winner from substitute Danny Haynes iced the cake but there was pleasure to be found in every mouthwatering layer.

With Rhoys Wiggins replacing his capable deputy Cedric Evina at left back, Dorian Dervite recalled to his familiar role as midfield defensive shield and Scott Wagstaff’s all-round industry preferred to Lawrie Wilson’s attacking instincts in right midfield, the Addicks operated from a sound but fluid 4-1-4-1 system. Yann Kermorgant was asked to operate on his own up top, a position from which the Beast of Brittany terrorised his former club, proving equally effective on the ground as he was predictably in the air. His was a masterclass in mobile front running but, on a day when almost everything else worked, there were heroes wherever you sought them. This outstanding result against one of the Championship’s best teams effectively dispelled the wispy relegation clouds hanging over SE 7, following four games without a win. Those same clouds have drifted across to torment another part of South East London but let’s not go there. Not our problem anyway.

A hesitant start saw City control the opening action, with tricky winger Anthony Knockaert bursting through to sting Ben Hamer’s fingers and Michael Morrison clearing resourcefully from Paul Konchesky’s dangerous low centre. The visitors hadn’t done much until Kermorgant fired them into their important early lead.

Popping up near the left corner flag, Wagstaff typically hustled dawdling Danny Drinkwater into seeking refuge from his attentions along the byline, presumably in search of goalkeeper Kaspar Schmeichel. Nipping in front of startled right back Ritchie De Laet, busy Bradley Pritchard cut back a low pass to the penalty spot, from where Kermorgant’s crisply struck drive unerringly found the bottom right corner. A pantomime hate figure in these parts since missing an overegged semi-final play-off penalty, the Frenchman celebrated his second goal against his former employers this season with gentlemanly Gallic restraint. There were those among us who would have made rather more of it. Indeed, 680 jubilant souls at the far end of the ground did exactly that.

City were not about to submit quietly, of course, and before the interval, Ben Marshall drove through the middle before hitting a drive powerful enough for Hamer to need two awkward attempts at saving it. A better chance was promptly carved out by De Laet, who rampaged through the challenges of Wiggins and Wagstaff to set up Knockaert but the Belgian blasted carelessly over the bar.

A second goal was clearly a priority and shortly after the break, Pritchard had the opportunity to put daylight between the teams but floated Kermorgant’s subtle pass over the bar. After Chris Wood’s foul on Dale Stephens, Johnnie Jackson’s free kick was pawed out to Morrison by Schmeichel, who redeemed his error by brilliantly turning aside the centre back’s venomous, angled volley.

Wood had otherwise been quiet but his voracious appetite for goals was fed on 69 minutes. Favoured by the run of the ball as another of De Laet’s aggressive runs was blocked, the deadeye Kiwi finished instinctively past a helpless Hamer. Suddenly, you didn’t fancy Charlton’s chances so much.

Reacting positively to the Foxes equaliser, however, Chris Powell’s introduction of Haynes was a bold move, even if the withdrawal of the excellent Dervite raised the occasional eyebrow but the move worked like a dream. Haynes hadn’t managed a touch before he read yet another of Kermorgant’s cleverly headed flicks and, with minimal backlift and barely a glance up, exploded a ferocious drive into the top left corner. Charlton’s opener had been greeted enthusiastically enough; the spectacular winner almost literally raised a small part of the roof.

Apart from Hamer’s superb save to keep out Drinkwater’s 30-yard rocket, there was, of course, one last hurdle to surmount. And that would be Charlton’s fabled vulnerability to the added time board, particularly when it shows four minutes. We’ve been there before but the Addicks were coping comfortably enough until Solly’s uncharacteristic foul on Wood gave the sharpshooter one last gasp chance from a 20-yard free kick. From the press box, his drive seemed bound for the net but more reliable witnesses cowering at the other end, assured us it flew well wide. Yeah, right! Course it did.

Must pull myself together before concluding. It definitely went wide and Charlton had finally laid their four added minutes bogey. The perfect end to the perfect day. Useful results elsewhere, too. What’s not to like about Charlton Athletic? And you just gotta love football too.

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Keane, Konchesky, Knockaert (Dyer 64), James (King 79), Drinkwater, Marshall (Gallagher 64), Nugent, Wood. Not used: Vardy, St. Ledger, Logan, Waghorn.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins, Dervite (Haynes 77), Wagstaff (Taylor 90), Stephens (Wilson 90), Pritchard, Jackson, Kermorgant. Not used: Button, Evina, Kerkar, Fuller. Booked: Jackson.

Referee: Michael Naylor. Att: 19,920.

Hull City 1 (Gedo 33) Charlton 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from the KC Stadium.

It’s become commonplace for losing managers to pluck something positive from the debris. Following this routine loss to promotion hopefuls Hull City, Chris Powell did his best to honour that tradition with the observation that his side had “gradually got into it and soldiered on. I asked for a response at half-time and I got that.” As a succinct example of damning with faint praise, this one could serve as a template.

In his more private reflections, Powell might concede that Charlton submitted all too tamely to a side that, despite the contrast in their current ambitions, were only marginally better than his own. A single, disastrous first half goal, entirely avoidable but just as predictable, was enough to settle the issue and the impression was left of a manager who had already moved on – to another daunting assignment at Leicester City on Tuesday evening.

The arrival of Gedo’s 33rd minute goal had been mildly threatened since the kick-off, with the visitors accepting their billing as underdogs and retreating passively into their own half. As early as the 8th minute, the alert intervention of Dale Stephens was required to clear David Meyler’s header off the line. City proceeded to dominate possession, meanwhile, without showing any of the attacking chops expected of Premier League hopefuls, until their visitors gave them a helping hand.

A determined tackle by Johnnie Jackson on Paul McShane conceded a right wing corner which Robbie Brady’s left foot swung toward the penalty spot. Taking charge of the situation, Ben Hamer left his line, was caught in two minds whether to punch or catch but did neither. Instead he missed the ball entirely, allowing it to drop to Gedo, lurking near the far post. Reacting swiftly in the ensuing scramble, the Egyptian forward prodded what proved to be the winning goal over the line, despite Lawrie Wilson’s game effort to keep it out. Charlton’s lamentable failure to achieve a clean sheet, which now stretches back to the Millwall game at the Den on December 1st, was duly extended.

Little was being seen of the Addicks up front but the defensive bravery of Leon Cort kept them in the hunt, such as it was, before the interval. Throwing himself in front of Meyler’s ferocious, goalbound drive, the big centre back took one for the team in heading clear.

As Powell correctly claimed, Charlton improved after the break and occasionally suggested they might equalise. Their best chance fell to busy Bradley Pritchard, who briefly found himself in penalty area space as Chris Solly’s determined run was carried on by Yann Kermorgant. Quickly closed down, Pritchard managed an improvised toepoke, which, tricked narrowly wide of the left post. His various talents, regrettably so far, do not include scoring; the opportunity had fallen to the wrong player.

More likely to manage the feat was 68th minute substitute Danny Haynes, whose pace troubled the Tigers. His crisp volley disappeared into David Stockdale’s midriff; a foot or two either side might have left the keeper helpless but, then again, if ifs and ands were pots and pans etc. One last chance came Haynes’ way in the late going, following good work by Kermorgant and Pritchard. His hopeful lob was parried to safety by Stockdale and all that remained was the lesson, delivered by the cool Humbersiders to their bewildered victims, in running down four added minutes. The Addicks hardly saw the ball until Hamer’s brilliant save denied substitute Tom Cairney’s last kick effort to double City’s lead. Had Charlton shown similar resourcefulness against Birmingham recently, they would be two points nearer their safety target. But there we go with those pots and pans again…

We’ll close with a polite memo to management. Surely there is room, chaps, in this side for the brilliant Rhoys Wiggins. Over to you.

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

Birmingham: Stockdale, Chester, Hobbs, McShane ( Fathi 58), Elmohamady, Meyler, Bruce, Quinn, Brady, Simpson (Koren 71), Gedo (Cairney 90). Not used: Jakupovic, Rosenior, Evans, Prowschwitz.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Cort, Evina (Dervite 90), Wilson (Wright-Phillips 80), Stephens, Pritchard, Jackson, Kermorgant, Fuller (Haynes 68). Not used: Button, Taylor, Wagstaff, Wiggins.

Referee: Scott Mathieson.
Att: 16,849.

Charlton 1 (Kermorgant 87) Birmingham City 1 (Elliott 90).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Shattered by yet another inexplicably late collapse, Charlton’s solitary crumb of comfort must be that on this particularly sickening occasion a draw at least boosted their points tally to a psychologically important total of forty. There will be little else that their fans will wish to recall about this ill-fated game.

Mind you, it could have been worse – much worse. If sorely limited visitors Birmingham City had had just a little more time available to them following Wade Elliott’s 92nd minute equaliser, a third consecutive 2-1 setback would most certainly have been Charlton’s fate. The panic which paralysed the Addicks during the two remaining added minutes was all too familiar. They seem pathologically incapable of seeing a lead through to its logical conclusion and, as a consequence of that failing, risk being sucked down into a relegation struggle.

What made this latest lapse an even more bitter pill to swallow was the apparently decisive timing of Yann Kermorgant’s opening goal. Just three minutes were left when the excellent Chris Solly crowned an inexhaustible performance in both defence and attack, by making space along the right flank for a pinpointed cross which Kermorgant headed down and beyond the reach even of City’s outstanding young goalkeeper Jack Butland. It looked briefly like Charlton’s turn to inflict late pain on stunned opponents

Having pounded away fruitlessly at Butland’s goal for most of the second half, the clearly superior home side had merely to go through efficient motions to seal a victory which had been a long time coming but was even sweeter for the wait.

Instead, Charlton dropped back, formed a defensive line in front of their penalty area and invited their visitors on to them. Accepting the invitation, the previously toothless Blues suddenly fancied their chances. They swarmed forward, were delayed by a series of anywhere-will-do clearances, but refused to surrender. There was considerably more luck than judgement in the low shot-cum-centre whipped into the six-yard box by Chris Burke but Elliott made the most of it. His instant shot was swept past Ben Hamer to spark unintelligible celebrations in the Jimmy Seed stand behind the beaten goalkeeper. Only referee Andy D’Urso’s merciful final whistle spared Charlton further humilation. Not that considerable damage hadn’t already been inflicted on them.

Falling back on the football manager’s default position of optimism, Chris Powell will understandably sift through the wreckage for silver linings. And there were, admittedly, plenty of them to find. Taking this critical game by the throat, Charlton controlled most of the action, made but missed several chances, and were good value for the win Kermorgant’s strike belatedly seemed to have given them. Only their usual lack of a cutting edge kept the outplayed Brummies in the hunt but their approach play was frequently impeccable. Led superbly by versatile Ricardo Fuller, they appeared capable of breaking through but were frequently foiled by Butland.

Signed by Stoke City on transfer deadline day but loaned back to Birmingham, the 19 year old prodigy made several key saves, the first of them a sprawling low diversion of Fuller’s low snapshot. His point blank defiance at Scott Wagstaff’s feet was followed by another full length plunge to defy Wagstaff after Fuller bullied his way along the right byline. His handling was both safe, sound and enough to make Charlton regret Stoke’s generous decision to send him back to the Second City.

Fuller was the Addicks’ bright spark, his swivelling volley of Solly’s throw-in flashing across goal, his touch and instinct consistently sound. It wasn’t all one-way, of course, and Solly’s timing of a penalty area tackle on elusive Robert Hall was executed with typically incisive timing. An emergency second half challenge from Cedric Evina which forced Marlon King to shoot wildly over the bar had the double virtue of saving his side and denying the deeply unpopular King the satisfaction of scoring. On a day of such deep disappointment, you take consolation where you find it.

And, boy, was this one disappointing day. Er, sorry, I’m showing a bit of bias here. And we’re not allowed that in the press box. So let’s hear it for plucky City. Well played, chaps. Now shove off back to Birmingham!

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Evina, Wilson (Green 71), Stephens, Jackson, Wagstaff (Dervite 90), Kermorgant, Fuller (Wright-Phillips 90). Not used: Taylor, Button, Pritchard, Wiggins.

Birmingham: Butland, Robinson, Davies, Caldwell, Caddis, Burke, Gomis (Thomas 68),Elliott, Reilly (Zigic 90), Hall (Redmond 73), King. Not used: Doyle, Mullins, Lovenkrands, Hancox. Booked: Reilly.

Referee: Andy D’Urso. Att: 17,269.

Charlton 1 (Jackson 47) Sheffield Wednesday 2 (Reda Johnson 84, Lita 89).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Sucker punched twice in the closing stages of a game they should already have sewn up, Charlton’s recent winning streak was brought to a sickening halt by relegation haunted Sheffield Wednesday. Though hardly secure while defending the lead provided by prolific Johnnie Jackson’s seventh goal of the season, the Addicks seemed capable of protecting their slender advantage to the bitter end. But they were to find out how bitter an end can be.

Unchanged from the line-up which, give or take a necessary adjustment here or there, had registered three consecutive victories, Charlton were six uncomfortable minutes away from making it four in a row until Reda Johnson’s towering, headed equaliser unnerved them. As they clung on desperately to a useful point, substitute Leroy Lita robbed them of even that consolation with a cruelly deflected winner.

A monotonous first half had done nothing to prepare us for the late drama. In fairness, though, it provided the occasional talking point, not least of which was the mess made by Wednesday left back Reda Johnson in somehow prodding wide of a gaping goal after Ben Hamer dropped Lewis Buxton’s free kick at his feet. Or when Anthony Gardner’s header met Danny Pugh’s inswinging corner, flicked off teammate Michail Antonio but was awkwardly scraped off the goalline by Cedric Evina. The Addicks had moments of their own, the best of them the header crashed against Wednesday’s crossbar by Michael Morrison after Matt Taylor returned Dale Stephens’ soaring free kick from the far post. There was little else to recommend a sterile opening session.

Two minutes after the break, a shaft of pure quality pierced the murk as Charlton seized the initiative. A flowing move was launched by Hamer, who plucked Pugh’s corner out of the air, before sending Lawrie Wilson on a rampaging run along the right touchline. Wilson’s well judged pass was taken in his stride by overlapping right back Chris Solly and crossed to Bradley Pritchard at the far post; busy Pritchard’s skilful control set up a deft pass, which Jackson’s reliable left foot whipped in off the right post with characteristic aplomb. From innovative start to efficient finish, it was a goal designed to galvanise its scorers and deflate its victims. Except that this time the reverse proved true.

Crude but effective, the Owls wisely stuck to their pounding guns. Antonio began their recovery by cutting in from the left to fire across Hamer but also inches wide of the far corner. His effort was quickly followed by Lita’s sharp turn and low drive which sent Hamer sprawling to save. Midway through the second half, they emerged unharmed from a turning point, which, had it gone against them, would almost certainly have finished them off.

A lively bundle energy throughout, Scott Wagstaff moved smoothly inside Buxton, drew a bead from 20 yards but was unfortunate to hit the base of the right post with Chris Kirkland hopelessly beaten. Charlton perceptively faltered; the visitors derived encouragement from their lucky break.

Lanky Reda Johnson, no doubt anxious to make amends for his earlier howler, inspired Wednesday’s revival. Urged upfield by his boss Dave Jones, he climbed high to meet Buxton’s hanging centre with a perfectly looped header, which left Hamer helpless on its lofty journey back across the stricken keeper into his unguarded net.
The effect of Johnson’s equaliser on both sides was palpable. Sensing Charlton’s sudden vulnerability, Wednesday went for the kill. With the tiring home defence vainly tracking Jermaine Johnson’s sauntering progress into their penalty area, Lita pounced on his short pass to try his luck with an optimistic snapshot. A wicked deflection sent the ball caroming past Hamer to provoke almost 2,000 disbelieving but ecstatic Yorkshiremen behind the goal into wild celebrations of an unlikely reversal of fortune. The rest of The Valley sagged in disappointment.

So just when a tough season promised to gather momentum, this body blow must be absorbed; but don’t bet against these resilient Addicks bouncing back. And there’s no better place to begin the process than at flyblown old Selhurst Park next weekend, with Dorian Dervite possibly drafted in to patrol in front of the back four. And it could be time to recall Leon Cort. We’re all managers, of course, and we’re all in this together. The assassins of the NHS were served notice of that truth by thousands of protesters earlier in the day. It’s called vox populi and it echoed loud and clear on the streets of Lewisham. But then there’s none so deaf as those that choose not to hear…

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Evina (Green 90), Wilson (Fuller 90), Stephens (Wright-Phillips 90), Pritchard, Jackson, Wagstaff, Kermorgant. Not used: Button, Cort, Harriott, Dervite. Booked: Kermorgant.

Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, Gardner, Llera, Reda Johnson, Lee (Lita 55), Prutton, Coke, Pugh (Madine 67), Antonio, Jermaine Johnson (Semedo 90). Not used: Bywater, Taylor, Mattock, McCabe. Booked: Coke, Buxton.

Referee: G. Salisbury. Att: 20,292.

Blackburn Rovers 1 (Rhodes 48) Charlton 2 (Stephens 28, Kermorgant 64).

Kevin Nolan reports from Ewood Park.

The contrasting emotions of rival managers Chris Powell and Michael Appleton spoke volumes at a bitterly divided Ewood Park on Saturday.
Already becoming one of the Championship’s longer-serving bosses with two years under his belt, Powell is in charge of a confident outfit capable of mixing it with the division’s brightest and best. Despite strict financial constraints, he has steered his improving side to mid-table security, with the promise of better to come. He has made a virtue of being underestimated. And his grin just gets more knowing.

A more naturally glum character, Appleton has flitted from job to job recently before surprisingly finding himself at the helm of a nakedly ambitious club with little to be ambitious about. The poisonous local animosity toward Blackburn’s chicken-rearing board (Dopiaza’s a personal favourite) may or may not be entirely justified but their Victorian mill owners’ attitude to this most working class of towns does them no favours. As Rovers struggled, the atmosphere became uglier and the Desai family’s disastrous decision, with their underlings trailing 2-1, to retreat to the Rolls Royce which had delivered them five minutes before kick-off, was the last straw. They were sent on their way by a chorus of derision, leaving their patently decent foreman Appleton to pick up the pieces.

None of which unduly troubled their visitors, who recognised that they were playing Rovers at precisely the right time and made the most of it. A solid, disciplined performance, to which every player made a sturdy contribution, underpinned victory.  Their patented 4-5-1 formation, in which indefatigable midfield wide men Lawrie Wilson and Scott Wagstaff excelled, ensured a domination that was only briefly threatened by a cleverly filched equaliser from Jordan Rhodes three minutes into the second half. The home side- and their fickle fans- sensed the possibility of recovery and were promptly slapped down again for their temerity. The Addicks won this game going away.

Three minutes after Anglo-Turkish striker Colin Karim-Richards squandered the game’s first chance by heading Ruben Rochina’s inswinging corner tamely into Ben Hamer’s hands, Charlton playmaker Dale Stephens demonstrated that while the accuracy of his shooting can’t always be guaranteed, if he strikes them right, they stay struck. Catching up with play as Chris Solly’s darting run and low cross was scuffed out to him by Karim-Richards, Stephens expertly tamed the chest-high ball, then drove it sumptuously it into the top right corner from 25 yards. Some 411 fans behind the far goal celebrated wildly. The remaining 13,326 mutineers on hand began rhubarbing their dissatisfaction.

A defiant save by Jake Kean from Johnnie Jackson and Yann Kermorgant’s inability to master the rebound maintained Rovers’ interest before the interval, shortly after which the previously subdued Rhodes showed that his quality has not been dimmed by local discontent. Instinctively reading the trajectory of Karim-Richards’ dipping cross from the right, Rovers’ goal machine stole a yard on an otherwise vigilant Matt Taylor at the near post and glanced a diving header across a slipping Hamer into the far bottom corner.

The visitors were rattled by the setback and Stephens did nothing to restore confidence by wasting a far easier chance than the one he’d converted in such style. Unchallenged near the penalty spot, he fired hopelessly wide after a fortuitous ricochet reached him. His miss might have proved expensive had Hamer not reacted with typical alertness to Karim-Richards wickedly swerving drive but order was duly restored by Yann Kermorgant’s 5th goal of the season -or 6th if the club supports his reasonable claim to the third goal at Watford on Boxing Day.

The move began unpromisingly with Johnnie Jackson stumbling in his efforts to find Bradley Pritchard on the right flank but recovering well enough to complete the pass. A little nugget this season and a tribute to Charlton’s talent spotting astuteness,  Pritchard stepped back on to his left foot for a searching cross aimed for Kermorgant. Outjumping a knot of players, the brawny Breton improvised a deliberately looped header which left Kean rooted as it soared under the bar.

Hastily, the bosses chickened out and flew the coop. Could get nasty if they do the same when Blackburn play Leicester City’s Foxes. Or even nastier should they run into the Tractor Boys at Ipswich. Er, sorry about that, there’s an end to the poultry jokes. Stand on me.

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

Blackburn: Kean, Kane, Hanley, Dann, Martin Olsson, Murphy, Lowe, Karim-Richards, Vukcevic (Pedersen 70), Rochina (Nuno Gomes 78), Rhodes. Not used: Usai, Givet, Morris, Goodwillie, Rosado.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Taylor, Morrison, Evina, Wilson (Harriott 90), Pritchard, Stephens, Jackson, Wagstaff (Dervite 78), Kermorgant. Not used: Button, Green, Wright-Phillips, Wiggins, Fuller.

Referee: David Coote. Att: 13,467.

Charlton 2 (Jackson 23, Wagstaff 45) Blackpool 1 (Eccleston 90).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Never slow to tinker sensibly with his tactics or team selection, instinctive gambler Chris Powell sprang two surprises on a frigid afternoon during which brass monkeys were phoning in sick all over the country. Not only did he change the shape of the side which won so spectacularly at Watford on New Years Day but he handed an all but forgotten Scott Wagstaff his first league start of the season in an re-vamped 4-5-1 formation.

They were bold decisions which, if they hadn’t come off, would have exposed Powell to the inevitable “don’t know what you’re doing!” derision from that part of the crowd -any club’s crowd- that always unerringly know what they’re doing and are rarely slow to share their expertise with the innocently naive rest of us.

Deployed wide on the left of a 5-man midfield, Wagstaff could be relied upon to run himself into the ground. He also contributed hugely to the Addicks’ first goal before claiming the second one himself. His ceaseless industry was invaluable in containing a useful but toothless Blackpool side which looked ominously slick during 20 one-way opening minutes but began to sag after falling behind midway through the first half. During Charlton’s’ struggle to get to grips with the patient Seasiders, they stuck faithfully to one of their gaffer’s regular mantras to “stay in the game” and came through a testing period with only one genuinely awkward moment. After just two minutes, tricky customer Nathan Delfouneso achieved the rare feat of confounding the imperturbable Chris Solly before standing up a teasing cross to the far post, where evergreen striker Kevin Phillips headed intelligently back across Ben Hamer for the opposite corner. An untidy combination of left upright and emergency centre back Matt Taylor scrambled the ball clear. It was as close to scoring as 39-year old Phillips was to come; time drags its heels for no man.

Another change, this one forced on Powell by Dorian Dervite’s suspension and Leon Cort’s hamstring problem, saw stalwart Taylor return alongside last season’s partner Michael Morrison. A clash of heads with Isaiah Osbourne inconvenienced him briefly before, swathed temporarily in bandage, his looping header from Dale Stephens’ inswinging corner was cleared off the line by Delfouneso. As his confidence grew, Taylor was another stopgap who came through nobly for a boss who knows the value of a committed squad.

Two minutes later, with Wagstaff the early catalyst, the Addicks snatched the lead somewhat against the run of play. Alertly intercepting Matt Gilks’ poor clearance, the recalled left winger found Solly, whose pass to Kermorgant rebounded off the big Breton into Johnnie Jackson’s stride. Snapping off a not altogether convincing right-footed shot, the skipper was gratified to watch it squirt past a poorly positioned Gilks on its way inside the left post. Jackson’s second goal in successive league games was celebrated with his customary gusto.

With the Tangerines still coping with their disappointment, referee Mike Jones’ curious decision that Neil Eardley hadn’t coldbloodedly chopped down Wagstaff a yard outside the penalty area – though, quite obviously, someone had – spared Eardley, as last defender, a red card. The vocal irritation of both Wagstaff and Powell was mitigated, almost immediately, by Charlton’s second goal scored, with undisguised glee and a deliciously savoured measure of justice, by Wagstaff.

A flowing move launched by Kermorgant’s sharp turn and incisive pass sent Lawrie Wilson haring past outmanouevred left back Stephen Crainey to the right byline. The midfielder’s carefully measured cross was headed powerfully goalward by a diving Kermorgant, parried magnificently by Gilks, but efficiently buried on the rebound by natural goalpoacher Wagstaff.

Tidy and organised, meanwhile, Blackpool plugged away during the second half as nervous paralysis afflicted a home side which, at times, seemed incapable of clearing their lines. The visitors were given unwarranted hope by a series of errors but lacked the firepower to exploit the situation. It’s admirable, of course, that defenders are encouraged to play their way out of trouble but there are times when a lusty boot into a neighbouring parish is encouraged. The purists might sniff at such crudity but it’s part of the game and always will be. As a cultured defender himself, Powell always knew when to “send it”. Had Nathan Eccleston’s excellent added time volley reduced his side’s arrears some ten minutes earlier, a stadium-wide nervous breakdown could have put intolerable pressure on our local A & E departments. Heartening to see the petitions outside the ground, by the way. See that you sign. We’re all in this together, you know.

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with Maybridge – the CIS Tax Refund Specialists, 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Taylor, Morrison, Evina, Wilson, Stephens (Fuller 84), Pritchard, Jackson, Wagstaff (Harriott 74), Kermorgant. Not used: Button, Green, Wright-Phillips, Fox, Ajayi. Booked: Stephens.

Blackpool: Gilks, Eardley, Baptiste, Broadfoot, Crainey, Basham, Osbourne (Taylor-Fletcher 59), Sylvestre, Ince, Delfouneso (Eccleston 68), Kevin Phillips (Gomes 77). Not used: Halstead, Cathcart, Martinez, Harris.

Referee: Mike Jones. Att: 16,846.

Charlton 0 Huddersfield Town 1 (Beckford 11).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

The symbolic sound of over 11,000 people voting with their feet echoed through a cavernous Valley on Saturday. They were the sceptical souls who attended last week’s league game against Derby County but, in ignoring this fixture, poured scorn on the club’s claims that the FA Cup still matters to them. Charlton clearly prioritise between league and Cup; so too did the long suffering absentees who chose to stay at home. And who can say they were wrong?

For in a funereal atmosphere, 6,158 hardy annuals (their number swelled by 499 travelling optimists), who touchingly cling to hope over experience, went unrewarded for their loyalty by the Addicks’ traditionally perfunctory attitude to football’s most venerable competition. This lilylivered surrender continues a longstanding tradition of early exits and ran the recent humiliation at Northwich Victoria a close second as a modern Cup nadir. Its only saving grace was that Charlton’s unconvincing efforts to equalise Jermaine Beckford’s 11th minute goal spared them an unwanted replay and further down the line, in the unlikely event they survived that, the uninspiring prospect of hosting another all-Championship tie with Leicester City. Their fans, both present and absent, will be counting small blessings.

As a realistic contest, the game was effectively up once Cup scoring specialist Beckford fired the Terriers in front. Adroitly controlling Scott Arfield’s gloriously flighted pass as it eluded outwitted marker Matt Taylor, Beckford calmly finished past blameless debutant keeper David Button. Local victims could have saved themselves time and trouble by promptly heading for home without further ado.

Thrashed 6-1 by Leicester City just four days previously, Town deserved their place in Round Four simply for taking Round Three seriously. Virtually at full strength, in itself an expression of manager Simon Grayson’s faith in them, they responded spiritedly and were hardly flattered by the deceptively narrow winning margin. But they might have struggled against Chris Powell’s more committed Vicarage Road warriors.

Deprived of hamstring victim Leon Cort’s resolute defending, Powell made four other changes, the most surprising of which saw Taylor preferred to Michael Morrison at centre back. Chris Solly’s absence encouraged pointed, hopefully ill-founded rumours that possible transfer window suitors might prefer him not to be Cup-tied; Ricardo Fuller joined him on furlough, while Johnnie Jackson and Ben Hamer were strategically benched. As well as Button and Taylor, there were chances for Jordan Cook, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Salim Kerkar to stake claims to first-team selection.

Alongside Taylor, meanwhile, Dorian Dervite exacerbated Powell’s centre back problems by earning a richly merited 57th minute red card. His dreadfully sliced miskick allowed Beckford through again, an error he attempted to rectify by hauling down the goalside striker from behind. The visit of Blackpool to The Valley next Saturday becomes that little bit more awkward, not least because in eight attempts so far this season, Charlton have now failed to win a home game on Saturday afternoon. If it ain’t one jinx, it’s another…

Button excepted, not one of Powell’s new recruits covered himself in glory. Given no chance to save Beckford’s matchwinner, Button made one superb save from James Vaughan and while he won’t be unseating Hamer in the near future, his performance passed muster. The same could hardly be said of the anonymous Kerkar, an overawed Cook or out-of-sorts Wright-Phillips. The only satisfactory outfielder was Dale Stephens, whose passing remained neat and accurate while, it should be said, never actually inconveniencing the unruffled visitors. One enthusiastically uninhibited first half challenge, though, which left befuddled Town hard case Peter Clarke seeking the number of the truck which mowed him down, at least briefly cheered up a morose assembly. It’s always a laugh to see the biter bit.

Charlton’s chances were few and hardly clearcut. The first half passed without Alex Smithies muddying his hands, although I recall that the young keeper had to move smartly to divert Kerkar’s dipping free kick after Anthony Gerrrard crudely fouled Bradley Pritchard early in the second period. There was little else to report, so let’s not bother – apart, that is from recording the 78th minute first team debut of promising teenaged striker Adebayo Azeez. The Addicks slithered out of the 2013 FA Cup without ceremony or dignity. Let ’em go. Their brief participation was hardly noticed anyway.

Charlton: Button, Wilson, Dervite, Taylor, Evina, Cook (Morrison 59), Stephens, Pritchard, Kerkar (Jackson 78), Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (Azeez 78). Not used: Hamer, Green, Wagstaff, Fox. Booked: Pritchard. Sent off: Dervite.

Huddersfield: Smithies, Hunt, Peter Clarke, Gerrard, Dixon, Arfield, Norwood, Clayton, Scannell, Vaughan, Beckford (Novak 83). Not used: Bennett, Tom Clarke, Wallace, Robinson, Smith, Atkinson. Booked: Hunt, Arfield, Clayton, Vaughan.

Referee: Darren Drysdale. Att: 6,657.

Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.