Bolton Wanderers 3 (Adboyejo 19, Maghoma 51, Bodvarsson 71) Charlton 3 (Small 22, Jones 40, Kanu 61)
Safely quartered, like General Melchett, miles behind the action, Kevin Nolan suffered at home as Charlton brought a precious point home from the North West. He makes the argument here that it was one gained rather than two lost at currently the most daunting venue in League One.
It would be reasonable for neutrals to assume that Charlton, after surrendering second half leads of 2-1 and 3-2 in this gripping up-and-downer, had blown a golden opportunity to win their first game since November 28th and ease their relegation worries. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, because this battling bunch of Addicks gave everything they had and left nothing on Bolton’s rain-sodden pitch in achieving this coupon-busting result.
It became clear from kick-off that Nathan Jones has no intention of accepting anything but maximum effort from any of his players as Ian Evatt’s high-flying Trotters were badgered, bothered and beset by their busy visitors. Clearly reluctant to allow Wanderers to dictate matters, Jones’ supposedly soft Southerners pressed urgently, restricted space and threw a large Cockney spanner into Bolton’s engine room. It didn’t always work and eventually they tired but their front-foot aggression was, by a country mile, an improvement on their usual bashful diffidence.
Charlton’s uninhibited start was beginning to hint at more to come when, with sickening familiarity, they fell behind to
the home side’s first meaningful attack. It was the same old story -or so it seemed – when Zac Ashworth’s searching cross was turned in at the near post by Victor Adeboyejo. But if the locals expected their 19th minute opener to break the Addicks, they were in for a rather nasty shock. Three minutes later, the visitors equalised through an unlikely source.
Thierry Small had been chosen by Jones as his new left back and brought authority and no-nonsense physicality to his new job. He began disastrously by gifting Adeboyejo possession dangerously close to Harry Isted’s goal and was hugely relieved when the burly forward was ushered into a safe cul-de-sac by Terell Thomas. That proved to be his only error as he made an impressive debut, which was crowned by his first goal for his new club. And if there was an element of luck involved, neither Jones nor the 456 intrepid pilgrims, who made the long journey north, were in any mood to apologise.
Pressing forward down the left flank, Small found space for a deliciously delivered cross, which neatly cleared Eoin Toal’s head on its untouched journey inside Joel Coleman’s left hand post. The early impression was that Karoy Anderson had feathered the ball past the keeper but it turned out to be Small’s goal and was duly credited to him.
Stung by the surprise development, Bolton hit back through Josh Dacres-Coyley, whose ball in from the left drifted through Charlton’s six-yard area, needing only a touch to convert it, but passed harmlessly to safety. Their dismay intensified when the Addicks grabbed the lead five minutes before the break.
Small was again involved, his short corner enabling George Dobson to cut back a cross which eluded Daniel Kanu but was swept home through a forest of legs by Lloyd Jones. An unsighted Coleman’s first view of the ball was in picking it out of his net.
Charlton’s first lead of a tit-for-tat afternoon lasted only six minutes into the second half. It was neutralised by a wonderful strike by Paris Maghoma, who twisted and turned on the 18-yard line to create the perfect angle for the right-footed drive he curled into the top right corner, despite Dobson’s sinew-straining efforts to block him. Charlton’s skipper did not dive in recklessly, as the Dobson “downdoers” allege, but was simply outwitted by a skilful opponent. The photo of Maghoma’s strike exonerates him. Enough already!
Again the spirited Addicks refused to accept the apparently inevitable. They were being magnificently led up front by Kanu, whose rapid improvement makes it hard to believe that he doesn’t turn 20 until November. Kanu was a revelation and richly deserved the goal he scored just past the hour. Yet again, Small featured, his attempted one-two with Freddie Ladapo resulting in the shot blocked by Gethin Jones, which fell kindly for Kanu to turn sharply and find the net off the right post.
Bolton’s second equaliser, scored by half-time substitute Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, with nearly 20 minutes left, was especially bad news for Jones’ beleaguered side, They were already fraying round the edges when the Icelandic striker beat his marker to the near post and turned Dacres-Coyley’ s hard, low cross past Isted.
With nine added minutes swelling to a half hour the time remaining, it seemed dollars to doughnuts the visitors would concede again, as they have so often during this wretched season. Instead they dug in and survived, aided in their efforts by the late arrival of Chuks Aneke, their not-so-secret weapon. Big Chuks picked up the slack for an understandably weary Kanu, gave the frustrated Trotters all they could handle and almost stole all three points with a fiercely angled shot which Coleman beat away. At the other end, meanwhile, Gethin Jones should already have beaten Aneke to it but, though unmarked in front of goal, could do no better than glance Aaron Morley’s precise cross limply wide. His miss might have significant consequences for both of these historic football clubs. In the short term, at least, it keeps Charlton alive to fight another day – namely next Saturday at home to league leaders Portsmouth. Nobody said it would be easy!
Bolton: Coleman, Gethin Jones, Toal, Iredale, Dacres-Coyley, Ashworth (Ramsey 90+1), Sheehan (Morley 77), Maghoma (Mendes Gomes 83), Dempsey, Adeboyejo (Bodvarsson 46), Collins (Jerome 78). Not used: Forrester, Taylor. Booked: Maghoma, Sheehan.
Charlton: Isted, Watson, Lloyd Jones, Thomas, Small, Dobson (Camara 73), Coventry (Gillesphey 73), Anderson, Ladapo (Aneke 73), Kanu (May 86). Edmonds-Green. Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Edun, Tyreece Campbell. Booked: Jones, Coventry, Anderson, Dobson, Kanu, May.
Att: 20,179 (456 visiting).