Kevin Nolan’s Match Report: Exeter City v Charlton (29/03/2024)

Exeter City 1 (Purrington 6) Charlton 1 (Diabate 87 o.g.)

From a comfortable armchair, Kevin Nolan pays tribute to Charlton’s fiercely loyal travelling support and acknowledges the backbone Nathan Jones has installed in the side since he arrived; just in time, as it happens!

Locked in a members-only struggle for rights to 15th position in League One, also-rans Exeter and Charlton surprisingly attracted a maximum crowd to their Good Friday confrontation, a game which went largely un-noticed elsewhere. The gate was augmented by a sold-out away end, 1335 dogged wayfarers having battled through holiday traffic to reach the lesser St. James Park. Fair play to them, “their spirits have been bruised, never broken”, as the peerless Luke Kelly once sang about the battered citizens of Derry.

They’ve suffered over recent years, have Charlton supporters, but their loyalty to one of the more decent clubs in the English football pyramid has not faltered. They’ve had a lot to put up with, as a kaleidoscopic parade of cowboys, spivs and chancers have tarnished a proud pedigree but they’ve survived them all, even that god-awful dirge inflicted on them by a wannabe James Hetfield. And their current on-field recovery under new boss Nathan Jones has at least eased fears of relegation to the dungeon of League Two.

Jones has turned the directionless bunch of lost souls he inherited from professionally dour Michael Appleton into a stubborn outfit capable of going toe-to-toe with the best sides in the division, as Bolton, Portsmouth and Derby discovered in February. The point they quarried from this earnestly contested encounter, after they had trailed for over 80 minutes, was not enough to guarantee safety but extended their unbeaten run to nine games and inched them closer to safety. Under Appleton, they would probably have lost down in Devon.

Rocked back by their hosts’ lightning start, Charlton were still finding their feet when the Grecians scored the goal which promised to be the matchwinner. The last of an opening flurry of corners was re-cycled by Tom Carroll to Scottish midfielder Jack Aitchison, whose cross cleared Tennai Watson and was nodded off the defender’s head and past Harry Isted by Ben Purrington, the same former Addick whose vital goal at Wembley 2019 was always destined to be overshadowed by Patrick Bauer’s last gasp heroics. It was a disastrous start but Jones’s resilient troops recovered from it and hit back spiritedly.

Only two minutes after Purrington’s strike, a long ball from Michael Hector, back to his influential best in a first start since January, was brilliantly controlled by Watson and laid off to Karoy Anderson. The youngster’s powerful strike was beaten away by Viljami Sinisalo, who proved equally competent in dealing with Thierry Small’s fierce drive, after the left wing back had been sent to the left byline by Alfie May’s cleverly contrived pass. At which stage, the Addicks were on top and came within a whisker of equality as the first half ended in controversy.

Sent through following combination between May and strike partner Daniel Kanu, George Dobson held off rival captain Pierce Sweeney and managed a scuffed effort, which cannoned off Sweeney and Sinisalo’s flailing left hand on its way into an empty net. From seemingly nowhere, Purrington arrived to hook the ball clear, possibly after it had crossed the line, but leaving referee Declan Bourne little alternative but to wave play on. It was a bitter blow for the Addicks but they gamely battled on.

Re-doubling their efforts after the break, Charlton continued to make chances, with interval substitute Freddie Ladapo’s angled shot saved by Sinisalo. At the other end, Sweeney’s pointblank blockbuster was brilliantly deflected over the bar by Dobson before Yanis Wildschut’s artful cutback was miserably screwed wide by Luke Harris. Largely untroubled, Isted did his bit to keep the Addicks in the hunt by magnificently saving Wildschut’s corner-bound drive at full length.

Harassed and harried, the West Countrymen seemed likely to hang on to their slender advantage as the final whistle neared. But that was to reckon without the positive effect that 66th minute substitute Chuks Aneke was to have on the outcome. His arrival brought with it his usual impact, both on his teammates and a weakening home defence, who could have done without his combination of brawn and brain. To say the big man makes his presence felt is to grossly underestimate his influence and his contribution to Charlton’s late equaliser.

Challenging Cheick Diabate in the air for Tyreeq Bakinson’s hanging, right wing cross, Aneke’s physicality was enough to nudge the defender off course but his header was heading harmlessly off target until it deflected off the horrified Diabate and made its way past a helplessly wrongfooted Sinisalo. The inhabitants of the rickety old stand behind Sinisalo celebrated wildly; six minutes into the seven added to normal time, their glee would have known no bounds had May shown his usual calm finishing.

Played through by Ladapo and Bakinson into one-on-one confrontation with Sinisalo, May chose to round the keeper but created a rapidly diminishing angle, from which his shot rebounded off the near post. Seconds later, Charlton’s eighth 1-1 draw of the season was confirmed and left them with work still to do before safety is assured. But Nathan Jones is the man for the job!

Exeter: Sinisalo, Sweeney, Aimson, Purrington (Diabate 77), Niskanen, Carroll, Woods, Wilschut (Rankine 71), Aitchison (Alli 77), Harris (Cole 71), Cox (Eisa 77). Not used: Fitzwater, McDonald. Booked: Woods.

Referee: Declan Bourne. Att: 8,088 ( 1,335 visiting).