Charlton 1 (Dervite 90) AFC Bournemouth 0.
Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.
A useful if deflating 0-0 draw -their third in a row under Jose Riga’s embryonic stewardship – seemed as much as Charlton could expect from this evenly contested duel when the fourth official informed us that four minutes would be added. It wan’t set in stone yet, though, because in Johnnie Jackson’s setpiece skills, the Addicks had one last ace to play.
Coming under mounting pressure, Bournemouth were beginning to unravel, Tommy Elphick’s panicky shove on Jon Obika betraying frayed nerves. The skipper’s unnecessary foul allowed Jackson to try his luck from a promisingly placed free kick, an opportunity the inspirational home captain clearly relished. His curling delivery was on target but Lee Camp got both hands to the ball and shovelled it over the bar. And that was that, or so it seemed.
Except, of course, that momentum was still with the Addicks as Jackson hustled his “old bones” out to take the left wing corner. His perfect outswinger was thundered past Camp by Dorian Dervite’s head and the Cherries had suffered the same desperately late fate as QPR a month ago. The Valley erupted in mindless euphoria again, with Dervite leading an ecstatic procession in the direction of the dug-out, while Jackson, ever the maverick, headed off alone to commune with his North Stand public. There ain’t nuthin’ – not nuthin’ – to beat the last gasp winner!
A winner which admittedly, during Bournemouth’s opening half hour of domination, seemed highly unlikely. Eddie Howe’s well-coached side have made light work of the Championship following promotion from League One last season and they showed a fretting home crowd how they’ve gone about it. Neat and constructive in their approach, they kept the ball, passed and moved cohesively, causing the Addicks problems in staying with them. While leading marksman Lewis Grabban was well shackled by Dervite and Michael Morrison, however, the visitors rarely threatened to break through and Charlton dug in, survived and steadily improved. As Howe conceded later, the Cherries “didn’t look like scoring.” Neither did the Addicks until Dervite’s belated Gallic flourish.
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During the South Coasters’ period of ascendancy, there were occasional chances, the first of which midfielder Marc Pugh drove narrowly too high. Steve Cook’s crisp half volley tested Ben Hamer; ex-Addick Harry Arter did likewise from 30 yards; at the other end, Danny Green took Diego Poyet’s pass in stride, cut in from the left and forced Camp into a smart save at his near post. Jackson’s inswinging corner was glanced wide by Dervite, then Green’s intended cross clipped the outside of a post with Camp a startled onlooker. Obika announced his 41st minute arrival in place of an injured Callum Harriott by turning sharply but firing straight at Camp.
The balance shifted after the interval and the consistently outstanding Poyet came close to claiming his first senior goal with a dipping volley which shaved the bar but Bournemouth were still an occasional handful. Pugh was their driving force and his fine right-footed curler beat Hamer but drifted inches wide of the far post.
Alongside fellow teenager Poyet, a reinvigorated Jordan Cousins forms a defensive midfield shield of precocious quality, with Charlton’s record of 41 goals conceded in 33 games bettered by only six Championship rivals. Centre backs Dervite and Morrison continue in sturdy form, and with full backs Lawrie Wilson and Rhoys Wiggins a match for any around, the Addicks are difficult to breach. Three successive clean sheets, meanwhile, establish Hamer’s right to be in goal. Defensively and in midfield, where Jackson makes nonsense of claims he’s over the hill, the Addicks are in sound shape. Up front, with only 25 goals to date, it’s obviously not so healthy but Obika might help as he did last term.
The urgent arrival set up Cousins to slice wildly wide before, on 80 minutes, Charlton’s best chances so far were magnificently foiled by Camp. Slipped through by Cousins, Simon Church’s shot on the run was blocked by the advancing keeper; the rebound cannoned off the referee to Jackson, whose first time effort was also saved by the defiant Camp. The Addicks were building up a head of steam by now and suddenly 976 pilgrims from leafy Hampshire were baying for the final whistle. It arrived eventually…but a heartbeat too late from their point of view. One corner, one header and that was all she wrote.
Burnley up next and further good news via Bournemouth…former Cherry Danny Ings won’t be around to torment us. You take comfort where you find it.
Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Wiggins, Green (Sordell 65), Cousins, Poyet, Jackson, Harriott (Obika 41), Church. Not used: Thuram, Pritchard, Wood, Tudgay, Nego.
Booked: Wiggins, Jackson, Obika.
Bournemouth: Camp, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Harte, O’Kane (Kermorgant 59), Pugh, Arter, Fraser (Smith 83), Surman, Grabban (Rantie 70). Not used: Allsop, MacDonald, Coulibaly, Ward. Booked: Elphick.
Referee: J. Linington.
Att: 13,537: a second below-par attendance (12,974 for Huddersfield last week) indicates some fans are “walking with their feet”, as a mate of mine puts it, in protest at the club’s treatment of Chris Powell. They’re certainly voting with them but you just know the noblest Addick of us all would be as chuffed as anyone at this vital victory. We’re on the one road, sharing the one load….