Birmingham City 0 Charlton 1 (Stephens 56).
When diminutive referee Scott Mathieson ordered three added minutes at the end of this tense, scrappy game, an unmistakeable frisson of deja-vu caused hairs to stand up on necks in the away end of this pleasantly scruffy old ground.
Squirming anxiously behind the goal, 855 travelling fans had gone through this before. Twice in fact last season when Birmingham City salvaged 1-1 draws with last gasp equalisers in both league games. To concede once could be dismissed as misfortune; to lapse a second time just has to be carelessness; but a third added time disaster was not only unthinkable but unendurable. City substitute Peter Lovenkrands clearly sympathised because, in a hectic conclusion, he ended Charlton’s agony by blasting a six-yard sitter wildly over the bar.So it was uncomfortably close at the end but the Addicks held on to this second successive 1-0 victory away from home.
Depleted by injuries to Richard Wood and Yann Kermorgant during last week’s clash with Wigan, Chris Powell reacted with his usual resourcefulness. Bringing in the admirable Dorian Dervite and the invaluable experience of Johnnie Jackson, he changed his formation to a counter-punching 4-5-1 and was rewarded by impressive stubbornness from every member of his resilient side. This fourth consecutive clean sheet was built on defensive solidity, which began up front with the tireless endeavour of Simon Church, ran down the spine of the team and was supported at the back by the flawless goalkeeping of Ben Hamer.
This was, it should be said, no desperate backs-to-the wall feat of resistance. Hustling and harassing all over the pitch, the Addicks soaked up everything City had to offer, sapped their resolve, then polished them off with an opportunistic 56th minute goal of their own. Masterminded by their streetwise manager, this was the text-book away performance.
Entertainment was admittedly in short supply, particularly during a sterile first half, in the drab course of which the visitors created the better chances. As early as the second minute, Jackson’s close range header was repelled by Darren Randolph’s face; Church glanced Jackson’s precise cross wide; Church exploited Kyle Bartley’s slip to set an opening for Jackson to drag a shot wide. It was hardly one-way traffic but the best the Blues could offer was Lee Novak’s rasping drive which Hamer saved brilliantly at full length. Novak’s foul on Hamer ruled out Dan Burn’s “scoring” header.
Nine minutes after the break, the visitors stepped up the pace and lowered the boom on their weakening hosts. Tricky left winger Cameron Stewart had already shown a willingness to cut inside right back Paul Caddis to let fly right-footed. His first effort was painfully blocked by Burn but his sights were set. A second drive brought Randolph down to save awkwardly at his right post, Jackson nibbled at the rebound, Randolph parried gamely but sent the ball spinning towards the far post, where Stephens was waiting to tap into an empty net. In sublime form recently, the stylish midfielder had added an overdue goal to yet another masterful contribution in Charlton’s cause.
Laboured and predictable in their intention to batter the Addicks into submission, City aimed everything at Nicola Zigic’s lofty head but Dervite and a rock-like Michael Morrison dealt capably with the crude aerial assault. Alongside their resolute centre backs, stalwart full backs Lawrie Wilson and Rhoys Wiggins snuffed out wide men Chris Burke and Demarai Gray, with Bradley Pritchard improving on an erratic first half to do his usual indefatigable bit on every blade of grass available to him. Jordan Cousins continued to belie his extreme youth and Stewart is combining his defensive duties with attacking menace on the left flank. So solid was this Charlton crew that Powell’s first and only substitution was the 90th minute replacement of an understandably weary Jackson by Jordan Cook. From start to finish, this remarkably plucky team were a credit to their boss. And it was no surprise that they did it again. This lot would go through walls for him.
Birmingham: Randolph, Caddis, Bartley, Burn, Robinson, Burke, Reilly, Adeyemi, Gray (Lovenkrands 62), Novak ( Ferguson 62), Zigic. Not used: Doyle, Mullins, Lee, Shinnie, Brown.
Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Wiggins, Pritchard, Stephens, Cousins, Jackson (Cook 90), Stewart, Church. Not used: Alnwick, Hughes, Evina, Sordell, Harriott, Lennon.
Referee: Scott Mathieson. Att: 14,070.