About Kevin Nolan

Bournemouth 0 Charlton 1 (Kermorgant 90).

Kevin Nolan reports from Dean Court.

As this scruffy, scoreless game lurched into three added minutes, it seemed that a corner hustled off Simon Francis by Rhoys Wiggins gave Charlton an ideal opportunity to wind down the clock en route to an increasingly important point. The bush telegraph was already buzzing with the news that the Addicks’ nearest promotion rivals were enduring late nightmares of their own elsewhere. An exacting, laborious afternoon was suddenly working out not too badly at all. But it was about to get dramatically better.

A succession of left wing inswingers from Danny Green hadn’t unduly troubled Bournemouth’s well organised defence but his latest and last delivery brought with it sudden mayhem to the Cherries’ six-yard box. Touched on by Danny Haynes, it was nodded goalward by Yann Kermorgant’s head through a madding crowd of striving bodies, was disconcertingly swung at and missed by Johnnie Jackson, then squirted clearly over the goalline. An instantly flagging linesman confirmed referee Oliver Langford’s decision to award a goal that all but propels Charlton into The Championship. With luck like this, they can hardly fail to make it. Just don’t expect them to apologise for what can only be described as legal robbery.

An unrecognisable shadow of the City slickers who dismantled Chesterfield on Tuesday, Charlton had struggled to make any impression on stubborn Bournemouth. Operating in pleasantly sylvan surroundings, with bowling greens, cricket pavilions and rugby pitches clustered around them, these streetwise Cherries are nobody’s mugs. A mere stone’s throw from Thomas Hardy’s vividly etched Wessex heaths, they might be cultural miles from the dockside likes of Tranmere and Hartlepool but they’re hard as nails. And since coming to the conclusion that posh Boscombe wasn’t pulling its weight, AFC Bournemouth have gone it alone for the better. They still harbour faint hopes of making the play-offs, though this wretchedly unlucky defeat hasn’t helped their cause.

Claiming that the home side was unlucky doesn’t automatically imply that their visitors were outrageously fortunate. Not a bit of it. Off colour, jaded and leg weary though they were, Charlton stuck together, endured and stayed in a drab contest until making the most of one of their rare chances. It wasn’t elegant but it’s no accident that they have regularly pulled off results like this one all season. With experts predicting an inevitable slide, their bloodyminded refusal to buckle has sustained them while those around them have faltered. For a study in team spirit, look no further than Charlton Athletic 2011-12.

A dreadful first half was shaded by Lee Bradbury’s men. They came close to grabbing the lead when top scorer Wes Brown slid in at the far post to connect with Scott Malone’s hard low cross but scraped the outside of Ben Hamer’s left post. In reply, a finely judged pass from ex-Cherry Danny Hollands sent Bradley Wright-Phillips sprinting clear of marker Miles Addison but his low angled drive was comfortably dealt with by Daryl Flahavan. Hollands was generously welcomed back to Dean Court, or Seward Stadium as it’s needlessly re-named, while the every touch of Wiggins, another Bournemouth old boy, was roundly booed. A football crowd is among the strangest of animals. Sensibly ignoring them, Wiggins stayed sound as a pound.

Genuine livewires but lacking edge up front, The Cherries continued to press, with Shaun McDonald’s snaps hot dangerously clearing the crossbar. Malone was an elusive wide man but the consistent Chris Solly contained him magnificently. Solly exceeded his brief shortly before the break with a superb recovery tackle to stop Wes Fogden in his tracks. That Charlton’s full backs are the best in Division One is beyond discussion.

On the end, no doubt, of a harsh word or two from management, the Addicks improved in the second period. When Malone tripped Green, Jackson’s cutely angled free kick set up Green to shoot ferociously from the edge of the penalty area. Seeing the ball late, Darryl Flahavan saved brilliantly. Back came the South Coasters, with Morgan heading Francis’ precise cross narrowly wide, before former Charlton youth graduate Harry Arter came within inches of notching a fine late goal. Leaving several tiring opponents in his wake, he ended a terrific solo run with a crisp low drive, which beat John Sullivan, a 70th minute substitute for ankle injury victim Hamer, but slipped agonisingly past the post. That was it, so it seemed, but there was one last twist in this game’s tale.

As Wiggins embarked on his lung-bursting late run to earn his crucial corner, Charlton’s pursuers were simultaneously collapsing like dominoes in various parts of the country. Even a point would have been more than useful but fate had singled them out for its special favour. This was their day. And it just doesn’t get any better than this day. The uproarious eruption around the away dug-out left no doubt about that. But with Colchester visiting The Valley on Tuesday evening, there’s little or no time to savour it. Tuesday’s a new day.

Bournemouth: Flahavan, Francis, Cook, Addison, Daniels, Fogden (Stockley 90), Arter, MacDonald, Malone (Tubbs 82), McDermott, Thomas. Not used: Gregory, Zubar, Cooper.

Charlton: Hamer (Sullivan 70), Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Green, Hollands, Stephens, Jackson (Russell 90), Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (Haynes 82). Not used: Cort, Clarke.

Referee: Oliver Langford. Attendance: 8,034.

Chesterfield 0 Charlton 4 (Wright-Phillips 41, 56, Jackson 59, Trotman o.g. 67).

Kevin Nolan reports from the B2net Stadium.

Showing ruthless effficiency, Charlton kept their title bandwagon rolling with this smoothly executed demolition of relegation haunted Chesterfield. The Spireites were expertly softened up in a one-way first half, before being sunk without trace in the second period. A boxing referee might have stepped in before the end to spare the poor so-and-soes unnecessary punishment.

It was natural that Charlton’s 710 travelling fans approached the city of the crooked spire cautiously. Any scenario featuring top against bottom contains within it the obvious banana skin cliche. Not in the least bit interested in old wives’ tales, these so-modern Addicks simply gobbled up Chesterfield, banana, skin and all. There was never any doubt that they would.

And if, admittedly, the Derbyshire side were among the poorest opposition Charlton have faced this season, that takes nothing away from their commanding performance. From back to front, every player did his duty, none more so than the sometimes awesome Chris Solly and, even more pleasingly, Danny Green, who showed how devastating he can be. Yann Kermorgant wasn’t too bad, either, while Bradley Wright-Phillips followed up Saturday’s ice-breaker against Stevenage with his 16th and 17th goals of the campaign. There were even faint claims that he’d notched the first hat-trick of his career but they fell on stony ground. It was defender Neal Trotman who turned in Green’s 67th minute cross.

His confidence boosted by his long-awaited breakthrough three days previously, Wright-Phillips was clearly keen to capitalise on his change of fortune. So it says much for his mental strength that he succeeded in putting behind him a disastrous early miss. Clean through as Kermorgant flicked on Ben Hamer’s huge clearance, the slim sharpshooter momentarily rounded keeper Tommy Lee but stumbled over the ball in the act of shooting. It took character to recover from that embarrassment.

Kermorgant, meanwhile, was his usual menacing self. His far post header sent Johnnie Jackson’s inswinging corner skidding narrowly wide. He popped up at the same post minutes later to connect with Green’s delightful cross but a textbook downward header was marvellously saved at full length by Lee.
It was all Charlton, their overwhelming superiority interrupted only by a rare Chesterfield break, in which Liam Ridehalgh set up Jordan Bowery to test Hamer. When Nicky Ajose fired dangerously wide, there were signs that the Blues were on the road to recovery. That impression was rudely dispelled, four minutes before the interval, by Wright-Phillips’ opener.

Sheer pugnacity from Solly won the ball in midfield and created space for Green to chip over Lee, not the biggest of League One keepers. A slight deflection turned probable cross into lethal shot but ricocheted off the underside of the bar. From two feet, Wright-Phillips was unlikely to bungle the rebound.

Completely on top but not yet out of sight, the rampant visitors nonchalantly applied the finishing touches to their record-equalling 12th away win of the season with three rapid-fire second half goals. In scoring the first, Wright-Phillips might or might not have been offside as he swivelled on to Jackson’s miscued drive but the sideways-on volley he rifled past Lee from 12 yards was the instinctive work of a striker dramatically back to form.
Three minutes later, Chesterfield’s misery was heightened by a third setback. A restless bundle of energy, Solly turned Ridehalgh inside out before rolling a carefully measured pass back for Jackson to find the bottom right corner with his less favoured right foot.

Doing as they pleased by now, the Addicks poured on the agony. A fine, blood-twisting run by Green was capped by a low, driven centre which was turned past Lee by Trotman, with Wright-Phillips in watchful attendance. The striker’s sheepish “celebration” rather gave the game away, not that the visiting hordes behind the goal were having any of it. Once again, they insisted in song that “Bradley Wright Phillips… is better than Shaun.” Maybe. Maybe not. One thing is certain. Bradley is a sung hero.

Gamely, the Spireites kept going to the end. Bowery headed against the bar, with substitute Leon Cort throwing himself heedlessly in front of Alex Mendy’s follow-up. And in added time, Danny Whittaker’s curling drive forced Hamer’s only meaningful save. A 12th clean sheet was obviously a priority for the Addicks bang in-form keeper.

The benefits of such an easy victory could have profound implications for the title run-in. Having experienced recent difficulty in getting the better of one lowly side after another, Charlton reminded themselves – and us – that they are the best side in League One. That hardly entitles them to saunter to the finishing line but it does provide them with the confidence of knowing that there isn’t a side which can live with them when they hit their stride. There may be the odd misstep on the way but the Addicks are on their way out of League One. By the right exit door, more to the point.

Chesterfield: Lee, Ford, Trotman, Thompson, Ridehalgh, Westcarr (Mendy 62), Davis, Allott, Bowery, Lester (Whittaker 66), Not used: Fleming, Smith, Boden.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison (Cort 68), Taylor, Wiggins, Green, Hollands, Stephens, Jackson (Haynes 78), Wright-Phillips, Kermorgant (Haynes 78). Not used: Sullivan, Russell.

Referee: Colin Webster. Attendance: 6,405.

Charlton 2 (Morrison 49, Wright-Phillips 64) Stevenage 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

It seems like yesterday that Charlton were in the Premier League, while Stevenage Borough, nee Stevenage Town but recently re-branded as Stevenage FC (it seems only a matter of time before they call themselves “Steve”) were plotting their meteoric rise from The Conference. Yesterday was five years ago, to be precise.

The first of only two teams to have beaten the Addicks in the league this season, Stevenage’s achievements have been phenomenal. Two consecutive promotions have catapulted them into League One, from which they are making a bold bid to pass straight through into The Championship via the play-offs. Like ’em for their chutzpah or loathe ’em for their iconoclastic impudence, the Hertfordshire arrivistes are here to stay or, at least, until their bubble bursts. The latter is probably more likely.

Rarely have visitors to The Valley been awaited with such trepidation by the locals. Battered into submission at Broadhall Way in October, admittedly by a treacherously deflected Stacy Long drive, Charlton were braced for more of the same. On that wretched occasion, Chris Powell might feel, in retrospect, that his decision to tinker with his defence in a bid to protect diminutive right back Chris Solly from Stevenage’s aerial bombardment was a tactical faux pas. The initiative was passed to the hosts and they duly edged a miserable game of head tennis. Powell’s men have nursed a sense of grievance since that chastening defeat. Revenge, some four months later, was a dish served – and enjoyed – with cold relish.

There was little about the admirably well behaved visitors to trouble Charlton on Saturday. Forget the narrowness of the scoreline. Stevenage were outclassed, even outmuscled, beaten out of sight by a side without a single weakness.

Back from the migraine which caused him to miss Tuesday’s disappointing draw with Rochdale, the impeccable Solly was part of an immaculate back four, with centre backs Michael Morrison and Matt Taylor impassable and Rhoys Wiggins in buccaneering form, which considers it an affont to concede a goal. Behind them, steadily improving Ben Hamer quietly registered his 11th clean sheet of the season.

In midfield, the Addicks lacked for nothing. A newly motivated Danny Green showed why he continues to keep Scott Wagstaff out of the team, Danny Hollands soldiered through his usual work quota, Dale Stephens established himself as the side’s best passer, while skipper Johnnie Jackson returned from a brief injury absence to add his almost indispensable leadership to the cause.

Up front, Yann Kermorgant and Bradley Wright-Phillips tore their opposition to shreds. With Kermorgant providing the ammuntion, Wright-Phillips missed several chances but brought the house down by ending his tortuous 11-game scoring drought. Their movement and anticipation were too much for a defence which had allowed only four more goals (27) than parsimonious Charlton.

The Kermorgant-Wright-Phillips combination bubbled menacingly during a first half, which Stevenage opened and closed by missing two reasonable chances of their own. As early as the second minute, ex-Addick Lawrie Wilson lobbed tamely into Hamer’s hands from close range; in added time, Wilson fed Long, who found unmarked Luke Freeman at the far post but the youngster’s volley scarcely troubled Hamer. Not much else was heard from the visitors. Charlton, meanwhile, were merely toying with their prey. It was time to make their move.

Just four minutes after the interval, a quite spectacular strike by Morrison broke the quasi-deadlock. Biding his time at the edge of the penalty area as Hollands threw in long from the left touchline, the rugged defender chested down a scuffed clearance, stumbled slightly but used the momentum to smash an unstoppable drive into the top right corner. A packed away end was happily protected by Chris Day’s net.

Shortly after the hour, Wright-Phillips scored surely the most popular goal of the campaign. Played into space on the right by Stephens’ perfectly weighted pass, he shot instinctively across Day and found the net off the desperately retreating Jon Ashton’s leg. Celebrations were many and mighty among both overjoyed colleagues and a bumper crowd which had kept faith with their profligate son.

Prompted by Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips went looking for more but found, in the defiant Day, an opponent of quality. On two occasions the keeper came out on top of one-on-one confrontations, on a third he saved smartly from the striker’s crisp low shot. Each chance was created by the magnificent Kermorgant, whose airborne prowess is enhanced by underrated ability on the deck.

With Stevenage put in their place,the Addicks face only one more date with top-six opposition (at Huddersfield on March 24th). More’s the pity, really, because their record against their nearest promotion rivals is hugely impressive. From nine games, they have collected 22 of their current total of 72 points. They have nothing to fear in this division except, as Franklin Delano Roosevelt warned, fear itself. Suddenly Tuesday night’s assignment at rock-bottom Chesterfield seems fraught with danger. Nah, only joking! It should be OK.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Green, Hollands, Stephens, Jackson (Haynes 81), Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (Pritchard 89). Not used: Sullivan, Cort, Clarke.

Stevenage: Day, Henry, Roberts, Ashton (Aneke 75), Laird, Wilson, Bostwick, Long (Myrie-Williams 67), Byrom, Freeman, Beardsley (Charles 22). Not used: Julian, Cowan.

Referee: C. Pawson. Attendance: 26,546.

Charlton 1 (Kermorgant 57) Rochdale (Adams 53).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

The once smooth progress of Charlton towards the Championship has slowed recently to an leadenfooted shuffle. This third 1-1 stalemate in four league games reduced their lead at the top of League One to seven points over second placed Sheffield United, who now have a game in hand. It’s always tough at the top. And it promises to get tougher, with uncompromising Stevenage next up at The Valley on Saturday.

In each of the three draws, the Addicks have fallen behind, before coming up with second half equalisers. That speaks volumes for their spirit but leaves unanswered, awkward questions about their inability to dominate the modest likes of Bury, Tranmere and, on Tuesday, Rochdale. They are looking decidedly shopworn. Still unbeaten in 2012, however, they plough on remorselessly under gathering pressure.

Averaging approximately a goal per game since the New Year, Charlton have resourcefully made the most of each precious strike. The goal which pegged back capable Rochdale was not only a beauty but ended an eight-game sequence, during which none of their forwards has found the net.

Scoreless since he converted a superb free kick on Boxing Day at Yeovil, Yann Kermorgant has plugged away gamely but lucklessly, his endless stream of cleverly headed flicks almost wilfully ignored by his strike partners. Chances have been few but when centre back Kevin Long was suckered into fouling the combative Breton ten yards outside the penalty area, the buzz of anticipation was palpable. And the crowd’s expectation was vindicated as Kermorgant curled an unstoppable free kick into the top left corner, the same spot picked out last Thursday by Oliver Muldoon to knock cocky Spurs out of the Youth Cup. Setpieces are clearly an important part of the coaching agenda at Sparrows Lane.

Having surrendered the lead they had taken just four minutes previously, second-from-bottom ‘Dale might reasonably have been expected to buckle. Not a bit of it. They persevered with the patient pass-and move game which had served them well and gave almost as good as they got during the remaining half hour. They deserved the point they worked so hard and skilfully to earn.

Forced into change by the continuing absence of inspirational skipper Johnnie Jackson and the last minute illness of outstanding right back Chris Solly, the Addicks lined up lopsidedly with left back Rhoys Wiggins moving across to replace Solly and Cedric Evina slotting in for Wiggins. Danny Green again filled in for Jackson on the left flank, while Bradley Pritchard stepped into Green’s right wing role. Bradley Wright-Phillips was a seamless replacement for hamstring victim Danny Haynes in partnership with Kermorgant up front. The impression was of a make-do-and-mend side doing their best to paper over unavoidable cracks. But that unquenchable spirit sustained them again.

A mildly critical Valley shifted uncomfortably during an uneventful first half of honest endeavour and slender achievement. Wright-Phillips, despite his long scoring drought, was his side’s likeliest scorer and was barely beaten to Wiggins’ lofted pass by alert keeper Peter Kurucz. A reminder of his lethal ability was then provided by the raking, low drive, following Kermorgant’s astute lay-off, which beat Kurucz but missed the left post by a whisker. By the time Wright-Phillips’ header from Green’s cross was smartly saved by the Hungarian keeper, the uncomfortable feeling grew that this was to be another fruitless outing for the goal-starved striker. Being bundled off Evina’s unselfish cutback hardly improved mood. Fortunately for Charlton, his hard-grafting colleague was due a change of luck.

Sensing their high-flying hosts’ nervousness, Rochdale had their first half moments, with Gary Jones’ shot deflected narrowly wide and Dale Stephens forced to head Jason Kennedy’s centre too close to his own bar for his peace of mind. Unconvincing though they were, it was still a mild shock when the league leaders fell behind eight minutes after the interval.

Caught pushing anxiously forward, Charlton were outnumbered in a three-on-two break led by Welshman Nicky Adams, who exchanged passes with Jones to his right before managing a scuffed shot on the run. A helpful deflection off Wiggins wrongfooted Ben Hamer on its treacherous way inside the right post, to the unrestrained joy of 121 intrepid wayfarers from Greater Manchester. The Addicks were up against it again but their despair was shortlived, thanks to Kermorgant’s moment of pure magic.

Galvanised by their instant equaliser, the home side had the better of the remaining chances. Stephens drove menacingly wide, before Kurucz produced a magnificent save to keep out Kermorgant’s far post header from Pritchard’s perfect cross. Kurucz continued his defiance with an instinctive close range block from Kermorgant after Stephens’ corner created chaos. At the other end, Wiggins produced a desperate last ditch block to foil substitute Joe Thompson, with Michael Symes bending the loose ball wide. It wasn’t impressive, Lord knows, but another small step forward was taken on Tuesday evening. Charlton aren’t exactly sprinting to the line but it’s getting closer all the time. Stay with ’em, these gutsy geezers are worth the effort.

Charlton: Hamer, Wiggins, Morrison, Taylor, Evina (Cort 82), Pritchard, Hollands, Stephens, Green (Wagstaff 65), Wright-Phillips (Clarke 72). Not used: Sullivan, Hayes.

Rochdale: Kurucz, Darby, Amankwaah, Long, Widdowson, Adams (Thompson 82), Kennedy Barry-Murphy, Jones, Jordan, Symes. Not used: Lucas, Grimes, Tutte, Holden. Booked: Long.

Referee: F. Graham. Attendance: 15,067.

Tranmere Rovers 1 (Brunt 33) Charlton 1 (Morrison 60).

Kevin Nolan reports from Prenton Park.

Like postmen persecuted by a persistently baleful mutt, Charlton just can’t shake off Tranmere Rovers. No matter how hard they struggle to outwit dogged Rovers, nothing works. They still end up with their teeth buried in their socks. This fifth consecutive 1-1 draw between the sides was easily the most predictable result on the English football coupons on Saturday.
Uncomplicated and unsophisticated, the Wirralsiders make no secret of either their intention or tactics. They get stuck into an unapologetically direct game, with the ball moved aerially from back to front, with minimum risk of interception. They don’t score many goals (31 now in 31 games) but keep it tight defensively (36 goals conceded, only 12 of them at home). This latest 1-1- draw was a dot on the cards.

Grateful for their point at The Valley in October, Charlton again started sluggishly and found themselves a goal down at the interval. Once again there was an element of luck about their equaliser though, to be fair, they finished strongly and did enough to share the spoils. Long before the final whistle, Owen Fon Williams acknowledged as much, with an overdue booking for his delaying tactics. Some of these League One keepers could teach procrastination a thing or two about thieving time.

Not that Tranmere were unworthy of their point. They rushed their table-topping visitors out of their stride in an error-strewn first half and but for Ben Hamer’s brilliant goalkeeping, they might have put this game out of Charlton’s reach by half-time.

Young loanee Ryan Brunt, operating alone up front, was Hamer’s first victim. Meeting Martin Devaney’s accurate cross at the far post, Brunt directed a text-book downard header which was sneaking inside the left post until Hamer scrambled desperately across his line to save. As it turned out, his first goal in league football had been only briefly delayed.
Without injured skipper Johnnie Jackson and with Danny Haynes making his first start in place of Bradley Wright-Phillips, Charlton struggled to secure a foothold in a game already threatening to drift away from them. Yann Kermorgant was given their best chance by Owen Fon Williams’ miskicked clearance but was unable to beat the backtracking keeper from distance. Mere minutes later, Rovers took the lead.

Breaking quickly after Danny Hollands’ pass was intercepted, Devaney made tracks in the inside right channel before trying his luck right-footed on the run. Reacting alertly to his blocked effort, he teed up an overhead effort which eluded a forest of legs before being turned into the bottom left corner by the faintest of touches from Brunt. A thoroughly dismal half could hardly end soon enough for the visitors.

Not surprisingly, the Addicks improved after the break. Hollands should have equalised but placed his close range header too close to Fon Williams, who parried smartly. Haynes then wriggled through a posse of defenders, only to be crowded out in the act of shooting. But Charlton weren’t kept waiting long for equality.

A string of corners helped apply pressure on Rovers, with Dale Stephens swinging them in dangerously from the right. On the hour, Michael Morrison powerfully headed Stephens’ latest delivery against the crossbar before launching a one-man appeal that the ball had bounced down over Fon Williams’ line. Much to his delight and Rovers’ dismay, referee Andy Haines and his eagle-eyed linesman agreed. Charlton were level and the momentum shifted behind them.

Though deflated, the home side were far from finished. A swirling free kick from Adam McGurk (scorer of Tranmere’s goal at The Valley) caught a favourable breeze before being touched on to the bar by Hamer, who then excelled himself by leaving his line alertly to foil McGurk, who had been sent clear by a quickly taken free kick.

A much livelier second period gathered pace with Hollands awkwardly kneeing a difficult chance over the bar and, at the other end, Robbie Weir forcing a fine save from Hamer with a crisp snapshot. The end-to-end exchanges continued as Danny Green’s perceptive pass provided the overlapping Rhoys Wiggins with space to cross on the run. Arriving beyond the far post, Kermorgant made a hash of his volleyed effort.

Having replaced apparent hamstring victim Haynes, Wright-Phillips’ search for a drought-busting goal duly resumed. The sharpshooter was no doubt thankful for the offside flag which spared his blushes for a horrendous miss from two yards. Undaunted, he tried again but nodded Green’s cross too high, then turned provider with a juicy centre of his own which Kermorgant also wasted. Once prolific, the hapless strikers can’t buy a goal between them at present. They just need to hang in there. Every dog has its day, as Charlton find to their cost every time they tangle with Tranmere Rovers.

Tranmere: Fon Williams, Holmes, Goodison, Taylor, Buchanan, Devaney, McGurk (Akins 83), Weir, Wallace, Welsh, Brunt (Tiryaki 85). Not used: Labadie, McChrystal, Coughlin. Booked: Fon Williams.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Pritchard, Hollands, Stephens, Green, Haynes (Wright-Phillips 56), Kermorgant. Not used: Sullivan, Wagstaff, Cort, Clarke. Booked: Hamer.

Referee: Andy Haines.

Charlton 2 (Jackson 42, 45 pens) MK Dons 1 (Bowditch 87).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Almost five months ago, Charlton arrived at MK Dons evocatively named stadium.mk, unbeaten in their opening nine games and solidly ensconced at the top of League, a position they have jealously guarded since. Beaten only once themselves, Dons were comfortably placed in ninth place, five points behind the Addicks. Following this defeat, they now trail the leaders by a whopping 17 points; their consolation is that they have inched into fifth position, with a play-off spot a reasonable ambition.

For over a half hour on that crisp September evening, Charlton were all but played off the park by their brilliant hosts. A breathtaking display of pure football, easily the best they have encountered this season, saw them struggling to stave off an embarrassing hiding. Dons were too good for them yet took into their half-time dressing room only a single-goal lead and that from a penalty conceded by the usually impeccable Chris Solly. It wasn’t enough and the improving visitors reeled them in during a far more even second period. Yann Kermorgant’s first goal for his new employers won them a valuable and ultimately merited point.

On Tuesday, Karl Robinson’s side were again impressive, on this occasion emerging for the second half, two goals and a man down, yet proceeding to dominate the startled league leaders. Charlton were thankful that Dean Bowditch’s fine effort, which deservedly reduced the arrears, arrived as late as the 87th minute. Even then, they endured an undignified struggle to protect the points.

MK Dons have only themselves to blame for blowing this particular game. They were more than holding their own as a competitive first half wound down until the fatal indiscipline of Scottish centre back Gary McKenzie ruined their chances. The aggressive defender had already been booked for an violent foul on Kermorgant when he clashed with the big Breton amid the confusion caused by a Johnnie Jackson corner. A six of one, half dozen of the other clash turned ugly in the moment it took McKenzie to deliberately head butt Kermorgant in full view of referee Stroud. A red card was inevitable, as was a penalty since the ball was still in play. Jackson’s nerveless spotkick into the bottom left corner ensured that McKenzie’s boneheaded behaviour incurred the full majesty of the law.

Toiling away on the left flank for Dons, meanwhile, was Alan Smith, a fading veteran presumably hired to bring streetwise savvy to the greenhorn Bedfordshire country club. Smith had generally pottered about to no great effect before popping up to help his defence out after Danny Green’s thunderous drive crashed back from the bar. In the feverish scramble which developed around the rebound, he stuck out an ill-advised foot, flagrantly tripping Jackson to concede a second penalty. Charlton’s skipper dispassionately scored his 12th goal of the season from the spot, with Smith booked for his ridiculous protests.

Their two-goal deficit was poor reward for the visitors’ first half efforts, many of them inspired by marauding right wingback James Tavernier, on loan from Newcastle United. Moments after Jackson had shaved a post from a free kick, Tavernier tormented Rhoys Wiggins with a sinuous run before crossing dangerously from the touchline. A helpful deflection set up a point blank header for Smith, who gaped in amazement as Ben Hamer clawed away the sure thing. Ex-Addick Charlie McDonald fired the rebound over the bar as the Addicks lived on their nerves.

Still seeking to end a scoring drought stretching back nine games since November 19th, Bradley Wright-Phillips came close to changing his luck by blocking a clearance from the hapless McDonald. The rebound ballooned under the bar, where it was claimed with difficulty by backtracking keeper David Martin. Optimistic appeals that it had crossed the line were correctly dismissed by Mr. Stroud. Wright-Phillips’ overdue breakthrough will come eventually, possibly when it’s least expected. Meanwhile, the blistering pace of new boy Danny Haynes offers an alternative, briefly or otherwise, for patient boss Chris Powell. Trust him to get it right.

The second half of what promised to be a comfortable stroll turned into a gruelling ordeal for the nervy Addicks. Pushed back by the defiant ten men and unable to retain possession, they were required yet again to defend grimly, something they have made almost an art form, with a paltry 20 goals conceded in 28 league games preceding this encounter. It seemed they might protect that outstanding record when a flying Hamer brilliantly tipped Stephen Gleeson’s piledriver over the bar but, with three minutes left, Bowditch’s goal ensured another of those nerve shredding finishes, to which The Valley faithful have become wearily accustomed.

Having replaced the increasingly tetchy Smith, Jay O’Shea made an immediate impact with a clever pass which caught Wiggins, for once, on the wrong side of his man. Taking a steadying touch, Bowditch detonated a rising drive into the near top corner. Six more minutes (three of them added) passed in a blur of hectic activity, during which the abiding memory remains yet another of those sturdy blocks, patented by the indomitable Solly, perilously close to Hamer’s besieged goal.
Piece of cake, really. Don’t know what all the fuss was about. We all need to calm down and get hold of ourselves. I didn’t fight in two world wars (and Cyprus) to fall apart now. We’re all in this together. Me, you, David Cameron, his missus, all their mates….

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Green, Holllands, Stephens, Jackson (Haynes 63), Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (Pritchard 90). Not used: Sullivan, Cort, Clarke.

MK Dons: Martin, Tavernier, Mackenzie (sent off), Williams, Lewington, Chadwick (Powell 76), Potter, Gleeson, Smith (O’Shea 83), Bowditch, McDonald (Kouo-Doumbe 46). Not used: McLoughlin, Ibehre.

Referee: K. Stroud. Attendance: 15,569.

Always keen to explore the philosophical implications behind matters of great importance, Basil Fawlty knew a thing or two about the effects of losing to the last minute goal. He understood that it knocked what was left of your stuffing out of you. As he shrewdly observed, “it’s so final!”

Okay, so Basil was actually talking about death at the time but it’s not such a leap from one thing to the other. They both leave you breathless. And though Charlton didn’t suffer last gasp heartbreak and it’s true nobody died on Saturday, the mood aboard Betty Hutchins’ supporters’ coach on its way to Chesterfield shortly after 10 a.m. became abruptly blacker than Newgate’s knocker. You could have blown us down with a feather when word filtered through that the game at BT Internet@hotmail.dot.com.uk Stadium was off. Kaput. Down the Swanee. Up the Pictures. A Diabolical Liberty.

We’d set off from Anchor and Hope Lane at 9.20 a.m in reasonably good shape and hoping for the best, ignorant of the fact that the overnight temperature in North Derbyshire had plummeted (temperatures either plummet or soar) to ten below and that there had never been a chance this game would go ahead and, in fact, should have been already postponed. But there are, of course, motions to be gone through and referee Colin Webster presumably thought he was doing everyone a favour by scheduling his pitch inspection for 10 o’clock. So by the time he drew the blindingly obvious conclusion that play had never been remotely possible, we were already on the M25, blissfully unaware that we were on a journey to nowhere. It hadn’t occurred to Webster to swerve his hotel shower till later, bolt his breakfast and do his job at 9 a.m. instead. Then a quick call to Charlton might have had us back in bed by ten. Here’s a word for Webster’s Dictionary. Twerp. Here’s three more. Waste of space.

The reaction through the coach was one of quiet resignation. Football fans are used to being mucked about. But a second successive Saturday in front of Ceefax was almost too much to bear. I don’t know how they do it. At the game, after all, you can offer helpful advice and kid yourself anyone even hears it. At Tuesday’s clash with Bury, I knew exactly what Dale Stephens needed not to do when the ball rolled out to him in the 93rd minute. I was still screaming “Don’t shoot!” as his fearsome drive bulged the rigging. I’m no tactical titan, that’s for sure but I do what I can. And I’m always ready to share my acumen with childlike generosity. “Get rid of it!”, I cry, or “Anywhere’ll do!” But I’m not all about negativity. When we’re behind, I’ve been known to urge Charlton to “Keep it on the Island!” You won’t find those pieces of sound advice in the modern coaching manuals. It did Harold Phipps no harm. Dear old Harold mastered the first two but found the third one tricky.

So I settled down to watch England in the rugby, promising myself I wouldn’t keep checking the Sheffield clubs. And I stuck to my guns until half-time when my manly restraint was rewarded by two 0-0 scorelines. I couldn’t stand it, though, and when I checked again, stone me, Jermaine Johnson had scored for Wednesday at Exeter, while United were 2-0 up at home to Wycombe.

Well, that’s it, I told myself and returned to the rucking and mauling in Rome for consolation. At precisely 4.47 p.m I braced myself for disappointment and punched up 318 to confirm the worst. And, blimey, good old Exeter were only beating Wednesday 2-1 but it wasn’t over. Back I went to the rugger, where the pack had collapsed or something, so I sensibly left them to it and , dreading the worst, tempted fate again at St. James Park. Still 2-1, ten to four but they’re still at it. By now, I was hysterically willing the invisible Grecians to get rid of it and assuring them that anywhere will do when an unseen hand smoothly replaced that agonising “L” with what was, by then, the two most attractive letters in the alphabet. “FT” it announced and we had consolidated our advantage over Wednesday without even playing. United won 3-0 but you can’t have everything.

Expecting to be home about 10.30, there was an unexpected Saturday evening to fill but we were too drained go out. A thoroughly satisfying menu of Dad’s Army, Harry Hill and Desperate Midwives on our Eye pods did the trick before the football saw us off. But not before one more helping of “The Kipper and the Corpse” from Basil and the chaps. And then it really was final.

Charlton 1 (Stephens 90) Bury 1 (John-Lewis 43).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

An evening of screaming frustration for Charlton was relentlessly heading for a demoralising conclusion when, with three of five added minutes already played, a skidding rebound from visiting goalkeeper Cameron Belford’s parry of Michael Morrison’s close range effort reached midfielder Dale Stephens some 30 yards from Bury’s goal.

Making his first start following a three-month injury absence, Stephens could have been excused for chipping the ball back into a heavily congested penalty area in search of an equally desperate colleague. Instead an all-or-nothing first time blockbuster ripped past Belford on its way into the top right corner and pandemonium gripped an almost disbelieving Valley. This was one of those instances when a draw felt as psychologically satisfying as a victory. And the irony of the last-gasp equaliser won’t be lost on Belford, whose blatant time-wasting, as much as his inspired goalkeeping, had seemed certain to rob the Addicks of their unbeaten home record.

For Stephens, the moment was especially sweet. His return as a late substitute during last Saturday’s narrow win over Exeter had brought with it the added class which this hard-grafting side had lacked in his absence. His ability to dictate the flow of movement and pace helps the side change defence into attack more fluently, a virtue clarified by his brief cameo at St. James Park.

Against determined Bury, whose irritating gamesmanship was balanced by spells of impressive football, Stephens started well as the fulcrum of a team showing slight signs of understandable staleness. The barnstorming momentum which carried all before it during the early season blitz on League One has stuttered since the New Year and spirit alone has sustained the promotion charge. On the playmaker’s slim shoulders will be carried the responsibility of restoring flair to the industry. His recovery from injury seems particularly well timed.

Thrashed 3-0 by Rochdale, next Saturday’s visitors to The Valley, in their last game, the Shakers clearly had no intention of providing cannon fodder for the runaway league leaders. Well organised and spirited, they gave as good as they got and, in Belford, had a last line of defence in defiant mood.

The chunky keeper cheerfully swapped insults with the North Stand, stood his ground and was well on his way to the last laugh until Stephens spectacularly intervened. His good work began with a smart save from Morrison and continued with a quite brilliant block of Leon Clarke’s angled drive, after Johnnie Jackson capped a great run with a perfect pass. He was at it again to turn a downward header from Yann Kermorgant past his right post, again following Jackson’s bright approach play.

Growing worryingly disjointed and laborious, Charlton’s mission prior to the break became clearly to stay in the game and reach the interval unscathed. They had lived dangerously as early as the 3rd minute when Giles Coke cleverly chest chest trapped a cross before half-volleying wide but were comfortable, if uninspired, before falling behind shortly before a welcome break. A clever flick from wide man Ryan Doble provided lone wolf striker Lenell John-Lewis with the half-yard he needed to swivel sharply and beat Ben Hamer from 15 yards. An already discouraging task promptly doubled its degree of difficulty.

Struggling they might have been but there’s no doubting the Addicks’ fighting spirit. An otherwise disappointing Danny Green began the second period by bruising Belford’s hands with a venomous drive, then the winger’s inswinging corner was headed back from the far post by Morrison for Matt Taylor to nod a reasonable chance over the bar. The visitors weren’t exactly hanging on but were grateful that a fierce shot from the irresistible Rhoys Wiggins deflected safely off Peter Sweeney and even more thankful that Wiggins’ full back partner Chris Solly clipped the outside of the woodwork with an effort, which might (or might not) have flicked off a defensive hand.

Hope was making room for despair as the minutes ebbed away. But you don’t count out Chris Powell’s battlers until it’s officially over. They kept battering at Bury’s resistance and Stephens found his range with two well struck, though narrowly wide, snapshots. It looked all up when Jackson drove over the bar but Stephens had one last shot in his locker. And as it bulleted beyond the heroic Belford, the sheer joy of the uber-late goal carried all before it. It wears off, of course, but the euphoria makes the world a briefly better place. If society could tap into it, we’d really be on to something. Speaking personally, I’ll spend much of Wednesday patting kids on the head and helping old ladies over busy roads with their shopping. It’s the least I can do. And I always do the least I can do.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Green, Hollands (Pritchard 84), Stephens, Jackson, Kermorgant, Clarke (Haynes 73). Not used: Sullivan, Hayes, Cort. Booked: Green.

Bury: Belford, Picken, Hughes, Sodje, Skarz, Amoo, Sweeney, Schumacher, Coke (Carrington 86), Doble (Worrall 85), John-Lewis. Not used: Williams, Bishop, Eastham.

Referee: Andy D’Urso. Attendance: 13,264.

Exeter City 0 Charlton 1 (Green 55).

Kevin Nolan reports from St. James Park.

In football, if you can’t be good, at least be lucky. It’s good advice, which Charlton followed to the letter in South Devon. In squeezing past lowly Exeter City, the Addicks weren’t all that good but just when they needed it most, they got lucky. And like the champions they expect to be in May, they rode that luck to three more vital points. So it turned out they were good enough.

A first half of so-so quality had drifted by almost unnoticed when, 10 minutes after the break, Danny Green moved along the right wing and crossed disappointingly into goalkeeper Artur Krysiak’s catching orbit. Distracted by his near post, the big Pole succeeded only in fumbling the ball over his goalline, under modest pressure from Yann Kermorgant. Green duly claimed his third goal of the season and possession being 9/10ths of the law, may hang on to it.

Not that the visitors were undeserving of this important win. Their performance might have lacked sparkle but they had enough about them to prevail by other means. While the Grecians struggled in the defensive vice that has seen Charlton concede only 19 goals in 27 league games, a third consecutive 1-0 victory for the leaders was always likely. Organisation and discipline are part of playing well. Even Barcelona understand their tika-taka is underpinned by those frequently overlooked qualities.

So Charlton’s 11th win on the road was unspectacular but soundly based on team spirit and watertight resistance. Any one of a magnificent back four could have been named man-of-the match. Behind them, Ben Hamer survived a couple of the potentially disastrous handling errors which have troubled him lately but contributed two fine second half saves as City sought an unlikely equaliser.

In midfield, the meteoric rise of Bradley Pritchard gathered pace. Owner of an enviable engine, the non-league graduate worked selflessly for the cause, snapping into tackles, stealing possession and passing sensibly. An occasional goal would round off the satisfying development of a player who, just last season, was doing his stuff in the Conference. Manager Chris Powell assures us that he has a few in his locker.

Powell might reserve his broadest smile, though, for the brief, but impressive substitute cameo provided by fit-again Dale Stephens. Recovered from injury after a three-month absence, the slim stylist showed sufficient class during a 10 minute-plus stint to remind the boss what he’s been missing. Even in League One’s frenetic hurly-burly, there’s nothing quite like an innate ability to put a foot on the ball, pick the right pass and dictate the pace of a game. They used to call them “schemers” and no amount of trendy toffee about “operating in the hole” or “dropping in behind the strikers” devalues their importance to a team. Expect Stephens to be back in the starting line-up before very long. It’ll be like having a new player.

Elsewhere, there was precious little action to describe. Commanding centre back Matt Taylor, a St. James Park alumnus, supplied the visitors’ best first half effort with a nimbly executed overhead shot, which Richard Duffy alertly kicked off the line. Adventurous left back Rhoys Wiggins also got forward to force an alert save from Krysiak at his right post.
At the other end, John O’Flynn wastefully headed a Scott Golbourne cross into Hamer’s hands before Danny Coles pounced on rare hesitation from Pritchard but fired left-footed over the bar.

Green’s flukey goal had the effect of triggering a second half flurry of activity. Spurred into reprisal by the setback, Grecians gaffer Paul Tisdale went hell-for-leather with two attacking substitutes in Guillem Bauza and Danny Nardiello, whose knuckleheaded dismissal at The Valley in September torpedoed Exeter’s chances in an eventual 2-0 defeat.

Tisdale’s aggressive statement of intent almost paid instant dividends as Bauza turned sharply to draw an excellent save from Hamer. The Spaniard tried again with a glancing header but Hamer defied him for a second time; first to the rebound, Richard Logan blasted it wildly into the crowd and was probably relieved to discover that he’d been flagged offside.

A second goal was recommended but strikers Bradley Wright-Phillips (9 games) and Kermorgant (5 games) can’t buy one between them at the moment. They did combine brilliantly, to be fair, with Wright-Phillips escaping down the left before delivering a peach of a centre which his French partner headed powerfully but inexplicably wide of the left post. Sums up their current plight in a way.

By now practised in the art of stretching a little a long way, the Addicks sensibly made do with what they had, efficiently mopping up City’s spasmodic forays on their way to another deceptively narrow, yet relatively comfortable, victory. Their hapless victims were left to “suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” inflicted by Green’s errant right foot. Their fate was sort of like a Grecian tragedy.

What did you think of the match? Post your comments below!

Exeter: Krysiak, Tully, Golbourne, Duffy ( Bauza 56), Archibald-Henville, Coles, Dunne, Noble, Bennett, Taylor ( Nardiello 64), O’Flynn (Logan 56). Not used: Pidgeley, Jones.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Green ( Stephens 82), Hollands, Pritchard ( Haynes 89), Jackson, Wright-Phillips (Clarke 71). Not used: Sullivan, Cort.

Referee: Graham Salisbury. Attendance: 5,439.

Charlton 1 (Jackson 21) Sheffield United 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Victims of the same lethal weapon which destroyed their noisy neighbours Wednesday last week, Sheffield United were sent packing from an euphoric Valley as Charlton completed a magnificent back-to-back league double over their hot pursuers from the Steel City. Having resolutely turned back Wednesday’s agricultural assault at Hillsborough, the Addicks blunted United’s more cerebral tactics with equal ruthlessness. Not for the first time this season, they demonstrated their ability to cope as efficiently with the smooth as the rough.

This vital victory confirms Charlton as the best side in League One and was sealed by a goal with uncanny echoes of the strike which decided the bruising clash with the Owls. Just seven minutes earlier in this case, skipper Johnnie Jackson lined up a promising free kick from as near as dammit the same spot, from which he launched his match-winning howitzer into the top right corner seven days ago. This latest effort differed only in that it was instead angled for the top left corner and, following earnest consultations with fellow setpiece expert Yann Kermorgant, that is precisely where Jackson planted a fiendishly perfect delivery, with full-length goalkeeper Steve Simonsen helpless to intervene. Again, a goal worthy of winning any game, as surly United boss Danny Wilson grudgingly acknowledged after first making a fool of himself by disputing the award of the free kick.

According to Wilson, United had already been robbed of a rightful throw-in, when Danny Hollands escaped from Kevin McDonald in the centre circle and was clearly upended by the outmanouevred midfielder as he made tracks into Wednesday’s half. Far from challenging referee Darren Deadman’s obvious decision, United’s frustrated gaffer, with the Hillsborough evidence still fresh in South Yorkshire minds, might have been better advised to query his player’s judgement in conceding a free kick in the same vicinity. Privately, McDonald might be asked to explain himself.

Before Jackson made his decisive intervention, the Blades had edged the exchanges, with McDonald firing Lee Williamson’s pass over the bar and Ben Hamer sent scurrying low to his left to shovel Williamson’s free kick around a post. There wasn’t much in it but the Addicks hadn’t produced much until McDonald sinned, Jackson struck and Wilson seethed. Once again, Charlton were asked to defend their slender advantage for over an hour; once again, superbly anchored by outstanding centre backs Michael Morrison and Matt Taylor, they made sound, if occasionally anxious, work of it. For all their patient pressure, the visitors created few clearcut chances, admittedly not for want of trying.

Before the break, Kermorgant’s acrobatic overhead effort, after Morrison returned Jackson’s inswinging corner from the far post, skimmed the bar before Harry Maguire ended an absorbing half by heading Williamson’s deep flagkick wastefully over the top.

Still struggling to turn his unmistakeable style into tangible effect, Danny Green opened the second half by escaping a booking for heavily bringing down Lesinel Jean-Francois, then pounced on a heading error by the possibly dazed left back but shot firmly into Simonsen’s midriff. With the bit between his teeth, Green burst clear again to surprise Simonsen into beating his drive awkwardly away.

Contentious cautions issued to non-stop Bradley Pritchard and Hamer, both for questionable timewasting, presaged referee Deadman’s total misreading of a far from dirty game. Before the last ten minutes dissolved into an ugly exchange of yellow and red cards, however, the Addicks escaped intact as Hamer, his handling anything but secure throughout, dropped Williamson’s corner at Ched Evans feet. Perhaps startled by the chance, United’s top scorer spooned his shot over the bar.

With less than a quarter hour remaining, substitutes Darrel Russell and James Beattie joined the action to make brief but dramatic impacts on this suddenly simmering match. Russell’s first contribution was a fullblooded challenge on McDonald in the centre circle, deemed by Deadman to have been two-footed and deserving of dismissal. Kermorgant objected, Beattie took exception to his objection (“My chairman is a lawyer and reliably informs me that strangulation is against the law”, was Chris Powell’s deadpan comment) and United’s veteran striker trailed Russell to the dressing rooms.

All Charlton’s fault, concluded Wilson, as he leaped vainly to reach the grapes and points dangling so tantalisingly over his head. Must be a barrel of fun when he and Wednesday manager Gary Megson square off (4-4 mayhem the last time they tangled). The truth both of them are at pains to ignore is that the South East Londoners have proved too good for them this season. Throw in Huddersfield (and far more forgivably, Halifax) and, one way or another the Addicks have made soggy puddings of their Yorkshire rivals. Roasted ’em, in fact.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Green (Russell 76), Hollands, Pritchard, Jackson, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (Haynes 86). Not used: Sullivan, Cort, Clarke. Booked: Wiggins, Pritchard, Hamer, Kermorgant. Sent off: Russell.

United: Simonsen, Lowton, Collins, Maguire, Jean-Francois (Williams 76), Williamson (Porter 86), McDonald, Doyle, Quinn, Evans, Cresswell (Beattie 76). Not used: Long, Montgomery. Booked: Doyle, McDonald, Evans, Williamson. Sent off: Beattie.

Referee: Darren Deadman. Attendance: 20,992.