Crystal Palace 1 (Rak-Sakyi 90) Charlton 1 (Aneke 38)
An organised, disciplined performance in all departments, particularly at the back, earned Charlton a well-deserved draw with a strong Crystal Palace side and had manager Nathan Jones purring with pleasure at the progress made by his pleasing blend of new arrivals and already entrenched Addicks. Halfway through their pre-season preparation, they ticked all the boxes, as they say. All the boxes, that is, but one – namely their failure to couple an encouraging display with a bragging rights victory over their Premier League neighbours. Try telling any Addicks’ supporter that didn’t matter.
Jones was right, of course, to take the longer view of his side’s energetic resistance in suffocating conditions. “I think we’re in a good place and I’m very, very pleased. In terms of being a team in and out of possession, being aggressive and disciplined – absolutely outstanding.” There was more, but the gaffer’s satisfaction at giving as much as they got was evident and fully justified. It seems almost churlish to bring up their late, late concession but it was a familiar scenario, not mitigated by the identity of its brilliant author.
Palace were frankly bereft of ideas by the time Jesurun Rak-Sakyi was included among a platoon of substitutes intended to freshen up their flagging efforts to impose their Premier League pedigree on their pesky visitors. Rak-Sakyi’s galvanic influence, as a loanee, during the 2022-23 season, included, if memory serves, 15 goals, and a number of man-of-the-match performances. His was a sterling contribution to another otherwise dreary campaign and earned him respect in S.E.7.
Rak-Sayki returned to Selhurst Park, expecting to challenge for a regular first-team place last season but spent more time in rehabilitation than on the pitch. Occasional glimpses on TV reminded us of his talent but the 2023-24 season was otherwise best forgotten. Looking taller and stronger than he seemed in a Charlton shirt, he produced a stunning, last minute equaliser here, which featured sparkling footwork to leave an ungainly heap of wrongfooted defenders in his wake before a perfectly weighted finish was passed beyond Harry Isted from close range. It was a goal of rare elegance, celebrated with considerate restraint by its scorer and re-awakened memories of a late equaliser at Cambridge, which might or might not have been his first goal for the Addicks.
Galling though their late concession was, the League One underdogs could direct attention to their 38th minute opener, scored by a deceptively skilful striker, as worthy of meritorious mention alongside Rak-Sakyi’s more cerebral effort. It was claimed by Chuks Aneke, who was making a rare start alongside Daniel Kanu up front, and cheered up not only Jones but the many contributors to Charlton’s Livestream. Aneke was already proving a restlessly physical problem for Palace’s when Kanu picked up Thierry Small’s headed deflection of a long clearance, held up play impressively under pressure and rolled a reverse pass intended for Aneke. From the edge of Palace’s penalty area, big Chuks thundered a rising drive past Sam Johnstone into the top right corner and the Addicks took a deserved lead into the interval break.
Snapping into tackles and urgently retrieving lapses in possession, Charlton were good value for their lead. Their industry restricted their hosts to rare sights of goal, among them Odsonne Edouard’s wild effort, which briefly endangered the Crystal Palace TV tower behind Ashley Maynard’s goal. Chances were, in fact, few and far between at both ends, the best of them the second half scorcher which Tyreece Campbell bent against Johnstone’s left hand post, following smart work by Tayo Edun. Second half substitute Harry Isted alertly repelled a raking drive from Jeffey Schlupp while Edouard haplessly headed wide, with Isted groping helplessly for Kamada’s teasing cross. Two desperately tired sides were already settling for a single-goal decider when Rak-Sakyi reached into his considerable repertoire to conjure his magical equaliser.
Nathan Jones might have been chagrined by the lateness of the Eagles facesaver but he was giving nothing away. A battling draw away to Premier League opposition ranks as positive progress and no whiff of disappointment was allowed to mar his upbeat mood. His fully committed players had shown impressive stamina and went toe-to-toe with supposedly superior opposition. There was plenty to admire… let’s draw a line under the late setback for now.
Charlton: Maynard-Brewer (Isted 46), Ramsay (Watson 62), Alex Mitchell (Jones 62), McGillesphey (Potts 62), Asiimwe (Zak Mitchell 62), Anderson (Coventry 62), Bishop (Edun 62), Small (Edwards 62), Taylor (Docherty 62), Aneke (Hylton 46), Kanu (Campbell 62).
Leave a Reply