Huddersfield Town 3 (Lynch 40, Hogg 77, Hammill 82) Charlton 2 (Stephens 32, Sordell 59).
Kevin Nolan reports from the John Smith Stadium.
A Tuesday evening jaunt to Yorkshire for a devalued Cup competition usually involving second-string teams, amounts to a self-inflicted ordeal guaranteed to separate the men from the boys, the women from the girls, the sane from those feigning sanity.
There were 179 such troubled souls at John Smith Stadium, 29 of whom had travelled in the single supporters coach. Among these odds and sods was your reporter, his brief to bring you news first-hand of Charlton’s stirring fight to win a place in the third round. With alcohol banned from the coach, we were left to survive, as W.C.Fields lamented, on nothing but food and water. And, needless to say, we were doomed to disappointment. You never get used to it. You’d think we would but we don’t. We don’t have many marbles between us, you see.
Not that our heroes went quietly. Far from it. For lengthy periods in this entertaining Cup tie, they were a better side than in-form Huddersfield, leading twice before succumbing to two late goals. The point is, though, that they came up with still another way to contrive defeat, when unexpected victory seemed unavoidable.
Making eight changes from the line-up which started the abortive league game against Doncaster Rovers at the weekend, Chris Powell sent out an experimental team, featuring three sturdy centre backs and two fleetfooted wingbacks. If the idea was to “have a go” at Town, who had battered Bournemouth 5-1 at this pleasant venue at the weekend, the early results were gratifying.
As the visitors moved quickly into gear, Lawrie Wilson’s vicious drive was beaten away by Alex Smithies, Michael Morrison had two efforts blocked after Richard Wood headed Dale Stephens’ corner down to him and Stephens glanced Cedric Evina’s clever cross narrowly wide. Although James Vaughan caused concern in failing, by inches, to convert Adam Hamill’s flighted pass, the Addicks had already done enough to justify the lead Stephens gave them just past the half hour.
Desperate to check Evina’s menacing run before he crossed the 18-yard line, Hamill crudely chopped him down from behind. Mission accomplished, it seemed, until Stephens threaded a low free kick through the toilsome masses and in off the far post. As soon as the good news reached the other end of the ground, celebrations were heartfelt among the pilgrims, whose painful progress up the clogged motorways briefly promised to bear fruit.
Completely on top by now, Charlton’s celebrations were promptly silenced by Town’s 40th minute equaliser. Bringing the ball out from the back at a retreating defence, left back Joel Lynch chanced his arm from distance, caught Ben Hamer by surprise and squeezed an unremarkable shot between the keeper and his near post.
Driven forward by the midfield trio of Stephens, the insatiably hardworking Bradley Pritchard and most encouragingly by skipper Johnnie Jackson, whose return from a brief period on the panel is especially timely, the Addicks reacted well to the setback. Uninhibited youngster Joe Pigott ‘s rasping drive tested Smithies before his partner Marvin Sordell restored Charlton’s lead on the hour.
An apparently nettled Sordell had begun the second half by picking up a yellow card for a ludicrously late challenge on veteran centre back Peter Clarke. He might well have seen red for the offence but used the escape to maximum effect. Peeling off his marker as Pigott nodded Evina’s fine cross back from the far post, the embattled striker dispatched an emphatic volley beyond Smithies. His first goal for Charlton was at least memorable.
But it wasn’t enough because Mark Robins’ full strength Terriers were proving hard to shake off. Helped by a large slice of luck, they were level again 13 minutes from time. Oliver Norwood’s optimistic drive was probably heading into Hamer’s arms when a wicked deflection off teammate Jonathan Hogg left the keeper flatfooted and helpless. Although Hamer kept them briefly at bay with an excellent save from substitute Sean Scannell, the suddenly buoyant home side kept coming. Another blocked effort from Scannell rebounded to Hamill, who made no mistake from close range.
So that was the Capital One Cup taken care of for yet another year. Our 29 coach survivors were swelled by one with the addition of a one-way traveller and off we journeyed into the darkness. Never again! Never ever again! Well, at least not until three weeks from now when we’re back in Huddersfield for another Tuesday evening engagement, this time in the league. We won’t let anyone down. We’ll be there. We don’t have the sense we were born with.
Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.
Huddersfield: Smithies, Gerrard, Clarke, Lynch, Hogg, Hamill, Clayton (Stead 70), Norwood, Carr (Hunt 55), Paterson (Scannell 46), Vaughan. Not used: Bennett, Ward, Gobern, Wallace. Booked: Hamill, Lynch.
Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Wood (Cort 79), Evina, Pritchard, Stephens, Jackson (Green 85), Sordell, Pigott (Kermorgant 85). Not used: Pope, Hughes, Wiggins, Cook. Booked: Sordell.
Referee: Geoff Eltringham. Att: 6,250.