Charlton 2 (Kermorgant 14, Stephens 73) Wycombe Wanderers 1 (Beavon 45).
Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.
After clinching promotion to the Championship at faraway Carlisle last week, just one outstanding item remained on Charlton’s agenda for the 2011-12 season. It was necessary -vital even- to go up as champions. The best fans in S.E.London demanded no less from easily the best side in League One.
Yet again these remarkably resilient Addicks delivered the goods. At times, their performance levels dipped below par and it was relegation-threatened Wycombe who looked more like title winners. The visitors understandably departed with a chip on their shoulder because their bright, enterprising contribution to a rousing game could so easily have been rewarded with at least a precious point. Disappointment has been the unhappy lot, however, of many a side who deluded themselves they had Charlton backed on to the ropes only to find themselves suckered into overreaching their front foot and being picked off by counterpunching experts with many different ways of winning.
At the end of a fluctuating opening, during which Bradley Wright-Phillips’ header was kicked off the line by Craig Eastmond, with shapshooter Stuart Beavon’s low drive testing Ben Hamer and Matt Bloomfield shooting inches wide at the other end, Yann Kermorgant and Johnnie Jackson combined to create space for Wright-Phillips to let fly on the turn but Nikki Bull alertly parried.
With little to lose, Wanderers grew in confidence, a surprising development which made even more sickening the blow that knocked them sideways on the quarter hour. It seemed that centre back Danny Foster’s foul on Kermorgant, over 30 yards from Bull’s goal, had been committed with a keen eye on percentages. If so, the Chairboys hadn’t done their homework because their hosts have claimed no fewer than four key goals this season, from directly netted free kicks. Kermorgant’s right foot and Jackson’s equally deadly left foot have shared the honours; this time the brick-built Breton stepped up to curl an unstoppable drive onto the bottom left corner. Magni-flaming-fique!
In reply, a low shot from Bloomfield deflected off Michael Morrison but luckily straight at Hamer before Wright-Phillips wasted the first of two excellent first half chances. A typically adroit header from Kermorgant sent him clear into one-on-one confrontation with Bull but the advancing keeper’s left leg blocked the indecisive effort. Bull again saved marvellously, this time from find-of-the season Bradley Pritchard, who cleverly controlled a Chris Solly chip but was foiled by the defiant keeper’s agile touch over the bar. Wright-Phillips’ weak effort to convert another Solly pass slid wide and seemed to have concluded a busy, end-to-end half. But Wycombe and the elusive Beavon had other ideas.
Scorer of 23 goals in a side with only 61 goals to its credit, Beavon has arguably been League One’s outstanding striker. One of his goals was scored in a 2-1 defeat by Charlton back in October and he victimised the Addicks again as one minute of added time commenced. Breaking through on the left, his fierce shot was turned aside by Hamer, with the loose ball returned instantly by right back Marvin McCoy and headed firmly home by Beavon. It was no more than the Chairboys, all grown up into Chairmen by now, deserved.
News that Sheffield United were trailing 1-0 to MK Dons, thanks to an Alan Smith goal of all things, supplied a silver lining to a threatening cloud, but it was the Buckinghamshire chaps who controlled much of the second period. Beavon continued to be a persistent pest and forced Hamer into another fine stop, before the busy keeper combined with Leon Cort to smother Bloomfield’s fine solo run as he closed in on the near post. On the hour, Hamer distinguished himself with a brilliant save to deny Joel Grant, who seemed certain to convert Beavon’s astute short pass from close range. Wanderers were comfortably on top but, once more, walked into a knockdown shot. And this one put them away for good.
An unusually unproductive Wright-Phillips had been replaced by Danny Haynes, whose pace brought instant rewards. Bursting into the inside left channel, his resourceful cross from the byline was nodded down by Kermorgant and struck first time by Dale Stephens through a crowded penalty area into the left corner. Bar the shouting – and there was plenty of that – the league title had been duly delivered.
Haynes had already justified his arrival but might have made The Valley’s customary suffering unnecessary when sent away by still another of Kermorgant’s wickedly perceptive passes. Out came Bull to prolong the agony.
For once, it didn’t matter. There was no way these redoubtable Addicks, led by their cool captain Jackson, intended to falter. 10-men MK Dons were doing their bit back in Bucks and an invisible wall had been erected in front of Hamer in S.E.7. Following the closing formalities at both venues, the impeccably impartial tones of pitchside announcer Dave Lockwood modestly hinted that Charlton were champions and, with rancour toward none, the faithful wholeheartedly saluted a team that simply refused to consider failure. The worry was all ours. They never doubted themselves. Let that be their lesson to us.
Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Cort, Wiggins, Wagstaff, Stephens, Pritchard, Jackson, Kermorgant, Wright-Phillips (Haynes 71). Not used: Sullivan, Taylor, Cook, N’Guessan. Booked: Wright-Phillips.
Wycombe: Bull, McCoy, Foster, Johnson, Basey (Dunne 85), Bloomfield, Eastmond, Lewis, Strevens, Grant, Beavon. Not used: Laing, Ainsworth, McClure, McNamee. Booked:
Referee: D. Sheldrake. Attendance: 18,539.