Morecambe 1 (Love 61) Charlton 4 (Leaburn 17, Blackett-Taylor21, 43) Fraser 69.
Like a WW1 general, Kevin Nolan kept up with Charlton on the North Western Front from a safe distance.
Winless in five games and still haunted by faint fears of relegation, Charlton comprehensively took care of business on the North West coast. Unrecognisable as the jaded side which was grateful to share the points with Accrington Stanley three days previously, they destroyed Morecambe in the first half with a devastating three-goal blitz. Typically, they relaxed enough to allow the Shrimpers a brief shaft of hope before re-asserting themselves and polishing them off with the pick of their four goals.
The overdue win, not to mention Charlton’s performance, challenged manager Dean Holden’s ability to improvise in the face of his latest injury setbacks. Deprived of Steven Sessegnon and Lucas Ness and with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi nursing a knock on the bench, Holden skilfully shuffled his pack and was vindicated by the replacements. Terell Thomas came in for Ness on the left side of a back four, Tyreece Campbell filled the hole left by Sessegnon, while Scott Fraser took over from the disappointing Gavin Kilkenny and Albie Morgan got the midfield nod over Jack Payne. All four newcomers made significant contributions to a masterly away win.
With Corey Blackett-Taylor in particularly blistering form, the Addicks made a fast start at the Mazuma Stadium. There was an unmistakably no-nonsense air to their approach, the early tackles and aerial duels were won and Derek Adams’ side clearly had their hands full. More than full, in fact, as Blackett-Taylor was keen to demonstrate. His uncomplicated running and willingness to shoot tested Connor Ripley twice before the visitors crowned their early superiority with their first goal, which featured a bizarre blend of slapstick and deadly intent.
The latest of Blackett-Taylor’s forays earned a left wing corner which Morgan trotted over to swing in right-footed. The knockabout stuff was provided by Campbell’s awkward scuff and George Dobson’s earnest but badly shanked effort from the edge of the area. Adjusting athletically to Dobson’s miscue, Thomas contrived a spectacular, airborne backheel, to which Miles Leaburn reacted in kind, controlling expertly on his chest before swivelling to smash a vicious volley past Ripley. It was Leaburn Jr’s seventh league goal of an injury-punctuated season. This kid is the real deal.
Four minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead from another left wing corner, this one swung outwards by Fraser’s educated left foot. At the far post, the imposing Ryan Inniss overpowered the physically disadvantaged Liam Shaw and headed back towards the opposite upright, where Blackett-Taylor and Jensen Weir arrived in tandem and between them bundled the ball over the line. Replays suggested it was Weir rather than Blackett-Taylor who applied the decisive finish but, understandably, was reluctant to claim credit. By default, Charlton’s flying marauder chalked up his seventh goal of the campaign – a trifle sheepishly but thankfully.
Before the interval, Blackett-Taylor made it three with a similar finish, which indisputably belonged to him. The early running was made on the right by the hugely promising Campbell, who darted into the penalty area, shadowed by defender Farrend Rawson. Shaping to cross with his right foot, Campbell instead checked back sharply, paused to appraise the situation, then chipped a measured left-footed cross to the far post, where Blackett-Taylor charged in to score. This time, there was no Weir around to cloud the issue.
Resuming after he interval with a lead they were unlikely to relinquish, the Addicks complacently rested on their laurels. The excellent Sean Clare was an urgent exception and his fine solo run deserved a rare goal but Charlton’s job-done attitude was predictably punished. It was Inniss, who marred his so-solid performance with an all-too familiar error. His blindly directed backheel was intercepted by Omar Niasse, who made ground along the left touchline before finding Daniel Crowley inside him. The central midfielder timed his pass perfectly for Donald Love to close in on Ashley Maynard-Brewer and slot coolly past the advancing keeper.
Morecambe’s goal proved to be more irritant than spur for an improbable Shrimpers’ comeback. They were completely outclassed and less than ten minutes later were put in their place by an outstanding team goal. A bout of routine passing was carried on through Clare to Fraser, who triggered a sharp one-two with substitute Rak-Sakyi, took an additional touch and placed a low drive past Ripley into the far corner.
As Charlton coasted to victory, there were fine individual performances to savour, the best of them by Michael Hector, Thomas and, if his one mistake can be overlooked, by the rock-like Inniss. Morgan’s unselfish industry was admirable, Fraser supplied class and Blackett-Taylor was, at times, unplayable. There were no obvious weaknesses in a side which played with refreshing freedom from constraints like shape, formation or stifling tactics. Just a group of talented footballers doing the right thing at the right time, making it up as they went along. Simple really – not a proposition by Wittgenstein. These players have me looking forward to personally visiting Cambridge on Saturday for more of the same.
Morecambe: Ripley, Love, Gibson, Rawson, Crowley, Hunter, Weir, Niasse, Shaw, Mayor, Simeu. Not used: Smith, Delaney, Stockton, Gnahoua, Watts. Booked: Weir.
Charlton: Maynard-Brewer, Clare, Inniss, Hector, Thomas (Egbo 82), Dobson (Kanu 76), Morgan, Fraser (Henry 76), Blackett-Taylor (Rak-Sakyi 56), Leaburn (Bonne 76), Campbell. Booked: Thomas, Morgan, Dobson.
Referee: Andy Haines. Att: 3,795.
N.B. This report is dedicated to family friend and all-round top bloke – Jimmy Mulcahy. Jimmy’s up against it right now but he’ll make it. Say a prayer to whoever you believe in – or if you don’t believe in anyone think well of a fellow Charlton fan but more importantly a decent human being. Get well, Jimmy, we’ve got you covered. See you at The Valley. Kevin Nolan and his family, many of whom you know.