Charlton 2 (Morrison 53, Kermorgant 82) Oxford United 2 (Mullins 13, Davies 24).
Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.
Under normal circumstances, a 3rd Round FA Cup tie involving Charlton and Oxford United would make little impact outside their own parochial boundaries. In fact, this reasonably entertaining game would have slipped by unnoticed had the public not been diverted by lurid details of broken drains, immobile water tables, protective domes and two previous postponements in conditions which the rest of the country was finding surprisingly clement at this time of year.
So with the er, shall we say carrot, of a 4th Round journey to Huddersfield beguiling them, these sides finally closed in combat. Well, one-sided combat anyway because for 45 minutes, the Addicks performed as if still waterlogged. According to Chris Powell, his chaps contributed their worst half of football so far this season; as one who has witnessed all the others, he’ll get no argument from me.
Charlton were dreadful. Sluggish, unco-ordinated, apparently still marooned in their dressing room, they couldn’t put a foot right. Which is not to rob their League Two visitors of credit for exploiting the situation. United sensed an opportunity, worked tirelessly to press home their unexpected advantage and ran their hosts ragged on their way to a 2-0 interval lead. An unpromising assignment in West Yorkshire clearly held more attraction for them.
Dozy Charlton were still sleepwalking when they fell behind. A right wing corner from Scott Davies was returned to him by Richard Wood’s powerful but misdirected header. The midfielder’s second delivery caused penalty area chaos, during which Johnny Mullins’ bobbled shot found a berth inside the left post, with help from two deflections. A lucky goal but hardly against the run of play.
Ten minutes later, Oxford doubled their lead. Young Jordan Cousins, in the throes of a rare off-day, was caught dawdling in possession by Mullins, who fed top scorer James Constable. The centre forward’s feint to shoot instead made space for a precise pass which allowed Davies to run through to beat Ben Hamer with a firm crosshot. The natives, such as they were, had become decidedly restless. Had the impressive Sean Riggs’ crisp half-volley, from Tom Newey’s precise cross, not cleared the bar by inches to make it three, outright mutiny might have erupted.
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As it was, the Addicks departed at half-time to a heartfelt chorus of disapproval. One florid faced bloke dismissed it all as “rubbish” another irate citizen confessed to being “embarrassed.” Not a word was said in Charlton’s defence but this game wasn’t over. Not while Powell had anything to do with it.
No doubt encouraged by a few well chosen managerial words, the Addicks set about restoring order upon resumption. The early goal they needed arrived just eight minutes into the second period, with Jordan Cook delivering a peach of an inswinging corner, which Michael Morrison’s emphatic header dispatched into the top left corner.
Their confidence might have been shaken but the U’s spiritedly hit back. A clever diving header from Constable re-directed Riggs’ cross inside the left post but Hamer managed a low scrambling save at his right post. Not much else was heard from the visitors up front but they still had their valuable lead to protect.
Midway through the second period, Danny Green replaced the struggling Bradley Pritchard and it was the often frustrating newcomer who made the difference. Green began to torment left back Tom Newey with pace and trickery and sensibly saw plenty of the ball. With time beginning to run out, he nutmegged Newey along the right byline, glanced up to weigh his options, then picked out Yann Kermorgant with an astute cutback. Keeling over in text book style, the Frenchman applied just enough mustard on his sideways-on volley to leave Ryan Clarke helpless.
Kermorgant’s timely equaliser had turned the tie on its head and, in added time, the Addicks came close to sparing themselves an unwanted replay in Berkshire. Lawrie Wilson’s deflected centre looped up to substitute Callum Harriott at the far post, was headed purposefully goalwards but flicked off David Hunt’s head to safety. Seconds later, the whistle blew…and it began gently to rain.
Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Wood, Wiggins, Pritchard (Green 66), Cousins, Jackson, Cook (Harriott 78), Church (Pigott 78), Kermorgant. Not used: Pope, Hughes, Evina, Dervite.
Oxford: Clarke, Raynes, Wright, Hunt, Newey, Rigg, Marsh (Smalley 53), Mullins, Ruffels, Davies (Williams 87), Constable (Kitson 78). Not used: Rose, Long, Bevans, O’Dowda.
Referee: S. Martin. Att: 5,566 (870 Oxford).