Bolton Wanderers 1 (McNaughton 45) Charlton 1 (Kermorgant 11).
Kevin Nolan reports from the Reebok Stadium.
Though still mired in all that unpleasant relegation stuff, the good news is that Charlton show no signs of meekly surrendering the Championship status they secured so spectacularly in 2012. Clearly determined to sell themselves dearly in the land of tripe and Trotters, the point they brought back down South with them could proved priceless when the final accounts are audited next Spring.
Certainly in the short term, the Addicks are entitled to be pleased with both performance and result at Bolton, though their future seemed a little tricky when Yann Kermorgant’s excellent opener was nullified in first half added time. Not only was the timing of Kevin McNaughton’s equaliser psychologically damaging but it arrived on the end of a worrying period of pressure by Dougie Freedman’s side. A second half battering loomed but that was to underestimate the visitors’ spirit. They had no plans to go under quietly.
Without a recognised forward on the bench, as consequences of Joe Pigott’s untimely injury and Marvin Sordell’s ineligibility, Chris Powell coped pragmatically. Happy to welcome back Chris Solly for his first start since August 24th, he pushed Lawrie Wilson into midfield at the expense of Danny Green, preferred Richard Wood to Dorian Dervite in central defence and named Simon Church instead of Bradley Pritchard alongside Kermorgant. With skipper Johnnie Jackson suspended, make do and mend was again the order of the day. It helped that Solly played as though he hadn’t missed a game.
The early running was made by Powell’s uninhibited men. Put through by Kermorgant, Wilson shot unconvincingly wide, before his enterprising run set up the charismatic Frenchman, whose snapshot brought Andy Lonergan tumbling down to save at his left post. One more minute and the confident Londoners took the lead with a goal of quality.
Picking up Dale Stephens’ inconclusively cleared corner, Rhoys Wiggins’ blistering turn of speed drove a coach-and-four between Chris Eagles and Andre Moritz on the left. A quick glance confirmed Kermorgant’s menacing position near the penalty spot before the aggressive full back’s low cutback was swept first time inside the right post.
Charlton’s advantage should have been promptly doubled by Wilson, who lamely shovelled Cameron Stewart’s centre off target at the far post. Their dominance couldn’t last, of course, as the Trotters (that blissfully archaic nickname wouldn’t last long if either of those hair-dyed mugs at Cardiff or Hull got their moneyed mitts on it), gradually pulled themselves together.
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Under Freedman, Bolton play crisply to feet – on second thoughts, make that trotters while there’s still time – pass and move patiently and belie their humble position in the league. Eagles was a mobile handful, his dangerous progress into the box encouraged by momentary misunderstanding between Stephens and Wood but Ben Alnwick bailed out his colleagues by smartly saving the winger’s effort. As Wanderers improved, Chung-Yong Lee headed Eagles’ centre down and beyond Alnwick but Wood cleared alertly off the line, before Joe Mason’s clever backheel from Lee’s delivery was bravely stopped by Alnwick. Eventually, the mounting pressure told, with beleaguered Charlton mere moments away from the sanctuary of a welcome pie and mushy peas.
His goals as rare as an straight answer from Boris Johnson, McNaughton was Wanderers’ unlikely saviour. Latching on to Eagles’ square pass, he skilfully made space for a curling drive, which sailed into the top right corner. Rattling around in the cavernous reaches behind Alnwick’s goal, 327 doughty pilgrims from the Southland must have feared for their heroes’ fate in the second half. As it turned out, they had no cause for worry.
Any misgivings appeared justified, admittedly, when Mason glanced McNaughton’s cross towards the bottom left corner but Alnwick, plunging athletically to his right, saved magnificently. It was by no means one-way traffic and Lonergan responded to Alnwick’s heroics by straining to tip Kermorgant’s quickthinking volley over his bar, then saving bravely at Church’s feet as they disputed Jordan Cousins’ low delivery to the near post.
The last word(s) belonged to Bolton, with Matt Mills heading Moritz’s corner inches too high, then Spearing bringing 327 hearts into as many mouths with a last gasp volley, which dipped dangerously on its way to clearing the bar by inches. But this was a point richly deserved by Charlton, whose worried fans might see it as an early Christmas present. Who knows, there might be more to come on Boxing Day. You’re supposed to open ’em then, anyway. So come on, chaps, you know it’s better to give than receive. Meanwhile, Merry Christmas to one and all. Well, nearly all. There are limits.
Bolton: Lonergan, McNaughton, Mills, Ream, Baptiste, Eagles, Danns (Hall 83), Spearing, Lee (Davies 73), Moritz, Mason (Beckford 79). Not used: Lee-Barrett, Knight, Pratley, Kamara. Booked: Danns, Hall.
Charlton: Alnwick, Solly, Morrison, Wood, Wiggins, Wilson, Stephens, Cousins, Stewart (Dervite 90), Church (Evina 83), Kermorgant. Not used: Pope, Hughes, Green, Pritchard, Cook. Booked: Morrison, Wilson.
Referee: Philip Gibbs. Att: 14,923.