Kevin Nolan’s Match Report: Charlton v Huddersfield Town (28/02/2015)

Charlton 3 (Gudmundsson 33, Watt 48, 71) Huddersfield Town 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

On an afternoon of raw emotion, Chris Powell came home on Saturday, his path smoothed by a diplomatic declaration that he had “moved on” from his contentious dumping almost exactly a year ago.

Now at the helm of Huddersfield Town, Powell’s welcome, though warm and heartfelt by the vast majority of a bumper football-for-a-fiver crowd, was qualified by current circumstances. Though Charlton had eased their relegation worries recently, the Addicks are not quite safe yet and there’s a limit to the goodwill on offer to visiting managers. Even your author, an ardent admirer of Powell as man, manager and tunnel jump pioneer, wished him well only to a point, then prayed for his side to be mullered by the local heroes. So much for sentimentality; so much less for the protocol of press box neutrality. When the chips are down, dog savages dog and the beautiful game turns ugly.

The old pro knows how it works. He would readily accept that neither player, manager, supporter nor some short-lived owner with a undisclosed business plan, is more important than the club itself, particularly one being run with all the opaqueness of a freemasons’ lodge by a humourless bloke spotted around the place about as regularly as Damon Runyon’s Seldom Seen Kid.

So The Valley paid its dues to one of its own, then turned its attention to the apparently even-money clash between Powell’s Terriers and the Addicks of Guy Luzon, Charlton’s still-new manager (shalom, Guy, but it might be wise not to unpack completely yet) following the bum’s rush given to Jose Riga and Bob Peeters. And, boy, did the Israeli justify his assertion that winning beautiful rather than ugly was dear to his heart.

For once a moving third minute’s applause had warmed Powell’s cockles, Charlton settled down to take Town apart. Their movement was non-stop, their passing intuitive, their appetite for the ball insatiable. Not a weak link marred their performance, with the recently off-form Yoni Buyens and much-maligned left back Morgan Fox stepping up to do their bit. And when an underworked Stephen Henderson was called upon to contribute, his second half saves from Jack Robinson and, more miraculously at full stretch from Murray Wallace’s “cert” explained why three clean sheets have been achieved in four games since the big keeper returned from a 3-month injury absence.

In front of Henderson, Chris Solly’s right back excellence can be assumed while the new centre half pairing of 17 year old Joe Gomez and twice as old Roger Johnson scarcely put a foot or head wrong. With the game still scoreless, Johnson’s recklessly brave block on Ishmael Miller sent the visitors a message that Charlton’s irresistible artistry was matched by a steely determination to do what was necessary to defend their goal at all costs. Shielding them, meanwhile, with his usual wholeheartedness and positional awareness, Jordan Cousins put in another prodigious shift.

But it was the stylish smoothness of Johann Berg Gudmundsson, with the reborn Frederic Bulot his skilful ally, who encouraged the ceaseless running and interchanging from Tony Watt and Igor Vetokele which doomed Huddersfield to defeat. Gudmundsson is a delight to watch but even he was overshadowed on this enjoyable occasion by the dynamic Watt.

The ex-Celtic striker was a headache the Terriers couldn’t shake off. Vetokele had already squandered a good chance set up by his partner when Watt’s latest foray was crudely checked by outwitted Mark Hudson’s foul. The 30-yard free kick was tailored precisely for Gudmundsson’s wand of a left foot and the ball was nestling in the top right corner almost before Alex Smithies had reacted to the danger.

After Ishmael Miller had pulled a rare chance wide for the Yorkshiremen, Vetokele’s weak effort from Bulot’s pass failed to trouble Smithies and Watt ended his buccaneering first half by bursting through to riffle the sidenet.

Any fears that Charlton, though overwhemingly superior, hadn’t quite sealed the deal were laid to rest three minutes after the break when Bulot’s fine pass sent Vetokele accelerating away from Robinson on the left flank. The Angolan’s square pass was slightly behind Watt, who made light of swivelling to plant an improvised drive into the bottom left corner of Smithies’ net.

All that Charlton’s outstanding display required was a final flourish, a detail inevitably taken care of by the on-fire Watt. With 19 minutes remaining, the charismatic Scot drove at the heart of Town’s demoralised defence, shrugging aside a series of halfhearted challenges before finishing almost casually past a by now shellshocked Smithies. A fine solo goal.

Luzon, though naturally pleased by what he’d overseen, was impressively matter-of-fact in declining to rate the performance as Charlton’s best under his tenure. The demolition of promotion candidates Brentford was mentioned but the message that quality as much as quantity matters to him is clear. He’s off to a solid start and maybe he’ll last. He’s shrewd and likeable and the fans will take to him. Then possibly we can bid farewell to all the uncertainty which has undermined this fine old football club for a year now.

It’s been a right ‘mare for the supporters. A Flanders ‘mare in many ways.

Charlton: Henderson, Solly, Gomez, Johnson, Fox, Gudmundsson (Wilson 54), Cousins, Buyens, Bulot (Diarra 75), Vetokele, Watt (Eagles 81). Not used: Dmitrovic, Bikey, Church, Lepoint. Booked: Gomez, Cousins.

Huddersfield: Smithies, Robinson, Hudson, Wallace, Edgar (Smith 64), Scannell, Butterfield, Hogg (Coady 64), Bunn (Lolley 72), Vaughan, Miller. Not used: Murphy, Carroll, Gobern, Majewski. Booked: Robinson.

Referee: James Linington. Att: 25,545 (2,151 visiting).

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