Brighton & Hove Albion 2 (Dunk 67,90) Charlton 2 (Vetokele 4,75).
Kevin Nolan reports from the Amex Stadium.
Two towering headers from Brighton centre back Lewis Dunk, both of them from right wing corners, the second of them deep into added time, denied Charlton an epic victory at the gleaming Amex Stadium. Their understandable disappointment was mitigated, however, by their organised, spirited resistance to Sami Hypia’s talented Brighton side.
Twice in front, thanks to the cool marksmanship of Igor Vetokele, the Addicks were within touching distance of all three points when Danny Holla’s corner was scraped away to Kazenga Lua Lua and instantly chipped back into the goal area chaos, where Dunk’s header was planted into the top left corner. Psychologically, it felt like losing to the devastated visitors. The reality is, of course, that they didn’t lose – nor have they lost in their opening five league games. Bob Peeters’ game, counterpunching team has, in fact, made an excellent start to the season.
In scoring for the fifth time in as many starts, Vetokele has settled down with impressive ease to the hurly-burly of the Championship. Mobile, intelligent, surprisingly good in the air, the 22 year-old Angolan is sharp as a tack, as he wasted little time in demonstrating just four minutes after kick-off. A brisk move involving Yoni Buyens and George Tucudean was petering out harmlessly until Vetokele seized on a loose ball and expertly drove it low inside David Stockdale’s right-hand post. His well-taken goal gave Charlton the perfect start but unruffled Albion immediately began to force them on to the back foot.
A minute after Vetokele’s opener, a rare slip by Tal Ben Haim presented Joao Texeira with an open goal from no more than 10 yards. An open goal, that is, apart from the forbidding presence of Stephen Henderson, whose instinctively outflung left hand kept out the sure thing at the expense of a corner. Texeira’s miss (and Henderson’s fantastic save) duly launched a period of steady pressure, which was studded with regular chances.
Match Report Sponsored By Grant Saw Wealth Management
The first of those chances fell to Adrian Colunga, who was set up by Gordon Greer’s header from the inevitable Holla’s corner but, unmarked at the far post, volleyed wildly over the bar. Just as wasteful was Holla himself, who endeared himself to the large away contingent by ballooning Joe Bennett’s deep cross into their jubilant ranks. As the Seagulls flocked hungrily around Henderson’s goal, it fell to the more experienced Craig Mackail-Smith to show more poise with the target in sight.
Recently returned from a lengthy injury lay-off, Mackail-Smith’s truly prolific days are probably behind him but the cagey veteran still needs careful attention. Shortly after the interval, he spun sharply on to Bennett’s pass and shot mere inches wide on the turn. Not so dangerous was right back Bruno Saltor, whose volley from another of Bennett’s precise deliveries sailed off into the stratosphere.
Huffing and puffing, Brighton were begining to run out of inspiration by the time Andre Bikey conceded a right-sided corner to deny lively Lua Lua an opening near the right byline. Holla dropped his flagkick on to Dunk’s brow and the big centre back looped a soaring header over the diminutive Chris Solly, on goalline duty in the left corner. According to his many fans, Charlton’s imperturbable right back is only five foot three inches tall, which can’t be right. Can it? Nah, he’s bigger than that but not quite big enough to reach Dunk’s header. Shame, really, but you are what you are and it is what it is.
Briefly rattled, the Addicks faltered and Bikey’s panicky clearance fell to Lua Lua, whose snapshot was capably fielded by Henderson. As collapse threatened, Andrew Crofts broke clear but with only a square pass needed for Texeira to tap in an empty net, hit Ben Haim instead. Then, abruptly, Charlton stopped their tormentors in their tracks by hitting them with a classic goal on the break.
Having replaced a subdued Tucudean at half-time, Simon Church brought with him his customary willingness to work tirelessly for the team. His persistence on the right helped him elude Texeira’s tired challenge before a low centre picked out Vetokele at the near post. The elusive striker’s shuffling change of feet improved the angle for a shot passed carefully into the net off the far upright.
Again, Albion turned the screw, with new signing Sam Baldock appealing more in hope than expectation for a penalty when his shot rebounded off Ben Haim. At the other end, Bikey raised the siege briefly with a solid header sending Johnnie Jackson’s free kick a foot too high, before Vetokele’s needless foul on Holla gave Gary Gardner an inviting free kick in the penalty area “D”. A resolute wall did its job and Charlton seemed home and dry. Not quite, as it turned out, because Brighton’s 11th corner finally wore them down and Dunk’s last gasp goal carried with it joy and despair in equal measure. The Addicks know all about that after sickening Huddersfield in identical circumstances last week. Thing is, of course, both games were drawn. And, whisper it, pre-kickoff a draw would have been cheerfully accepted by the Addicks in each case. Just depends how you look at it.
Brighton: Stockdale, Saltor, Greer, Dunk, Bennett, Colunga, Crofts (Gardner 46), Texeira, Forster-Caskey (Baldock 78), Holla, Mackail-Smith (Lua Lua 61). Not used: Ankergren, Hughes, Calderon, Ince.
Booked: Dunk, Forster-Caskey.
Charlton: Henderson, Solly, Ben Haim, Bikey, Wiggins, Gudmundsson (Fox 80), Buyens, Jackson, Cousins (Wilson 61), Vetokele, Tucudean (Church 46). Not used: Pope, Morrison, Moussa, Harriott.
Booked: Church.
Referee: Keith Hill. Att: 26,189 (1,992 visiting).