Charlton 0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (Meekings 80).
Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.
Charlton’s final pre-season friendly did rather more than hand them their only defeat before the campaign begins in earnest at Bournemouth next Saturday. It also left manager Chris Powell pondering a glaring deficiency in a 21-man squad which boasted, in Yann Kermorgant, only one striker with genuine experience, with back-up provided by rookie Joe Pigott, a 19 year-old whose bright promise has been untried at league level.
Elsewhere, the Addicks seem solid if uninspiring. Every area, from the capable goalkeeping back-up provided for Ben Hamer by David Button, through a well-stocked defence and midfield, seems conscientiously covered. But up front, following the departures of Danny Haynes and Ricardo Fuller, Kermorgant seems destined to toil alone. Expect bulletins outlining his general wellbeing to be posted daily on an easel outside The Valley because Yann does enjoy a spot of ill-health from time to time. Pity the poor manager. And cut him some slack. His 4-5-1 formation seems as much a matter of expediency as tactics. It doesn’t help that he’s skint. Or so we hear.
In Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Charlton’s last pre-season opposition was well chosen. The Caley Jags, as they are colourfully known, matched their hosts in organisation and spirit. They were also scrupulously fair in their physical approach and commitment. Mainly English immigrants, there was none of the William Wallace (as wildly misrepresented by sassenach-hating Mel Gibson) about them but they gave as good as they got. Terry Butcher’s well organised side drew the sting from their hosts, wore them down and eventually “sent them hame tae think again” with a fine goal ten minutes from time.
Butcher’s ersatz Scots might have won more comfortably had Ross Draper been a trifle luckier with an excellent 16th minute effort. Taking Danny Williams’ square pass in his stride, the powerful but elegant midfielder beat Hamer with a curling drive, which rebounded harmlessly off the left hand post. Draper also forced a smart save from Hamer with a firm snapshot before the busy keeper dealt with Aaron Doran’s awkwardly skidding low drive at the second attempt.
The Addicks had started purposefully, with the aggressive Chris Solly creating two chances for Bradley Pritchard, the first of which was turned dangerously across Dean Brill’s goal, the second, from Solly’s quickthinking throw, sliced comically close to a corner flag. It was the menacing Kermorgant who came closest to breaking a less than riveting deadlock by connecting meatily with Callum Harriott’s perfect cross but directing a downward header too close to Brill.
Those fleeting chances aside, Caley handled Charlton comfortably. Allowing them to pass laboriously among themselves, mainly sideways and back, they remained watchfully goalside, conserving their energy while they awaited the inevitable error. Lacking dynamism, Powell’s men rarely threatened and inevitably ran out of steam.
Organising the visitors’ sturdy resistance was 20 year-old centre back Josh Meekings, a former Ipswich Town academy graduate. Butcher knows a bit about centre halves and in Meekings he seems to have found one after his own heart. The youngster’s give-and-take duel with Kermorgant was an interesting feature in an otherwise routine encounter.
With a goalless draw on the cards as time wore on, Meekings made a rare foray over the halfway line before seeking out wide man Doran with what briefly seemed an over-enthusiastic pass to the right byline. The exuberance of youth was served, however, by the 22 year-old Irishman who not only reached the ball but cut back an inviting cross. Having intelligently followed his own pass, Meekings crisply half-volleyed wide of second half keeper Button. Kermorgant almost immediately equalised but his expertly struck volley shaved Brill’s bar.
So the day belonged deservedly to the cross-border raiders and was celebrated with feeling by the knot of supporters who followed them down and had thrown themselves generously into the festivities surrounding groundsman Colin Powell’s testimonial day.
Fair play to them but Caley left a sombre Powell with more questions than answers about his prospects. His forward line consists of one forward and, as such, can it be accurately described as a forward line? Added to which, does he have a playmaking schemer capable of the occasional defence-splitting pass? Or a ruthless defensive midfield enforcer (the absent Andy Hughes perhaps). The answers to these and other pertinent inquries are eagerly awaited, not to mention urgently sought. Because these Addicks appear a little understaffed. Still, whadda we know? They could make liars of us!
Kevin Nolan’s Match Report is brought to you in association with , 294 Burnt Ash Hill, London, SE12 0QD.
Charlton: Hamer (Button 46), Solly, Morrison, Dervite (Cousins 87), Wiggins (Evina 65), Pritchard, Stephens (Green 63), Gower (Pigott 76), Jackson, Harriott, Kermorgant. Not used: Wood, Cook, Hollands, Wilson, Cort.
Inverness: Brill, Raven, Warren, Meekings, Shinnie (Tremarco 78), Doran (Devine 85), Draper, Polworth, Vincent (Greenhalgh 72), Williams (Ross 53), McKay. Not used: Esson, Cooper.
Referee: C. Breakspear.