Charlton 4 (Buyens 23,pen, Wilson 55,59. Church 89) Colchester United 0.

Watched in polite appreciation by little over 5,000 fans (it was rowdier on the Marie Celeste) as they dismembered Colchester United, Charlton cruised sedately into the second round of the Capital One Cup. Their League One opponents were never in with a chance following the contentious penalty decision, which saw their captain Magnus Okuonghae sent off for “deliberate handball” on 23 minutes. So let’s tackle that game-changing flashpoint immediately.

The visitors were coping comfortably until George Tucudean reached the right byline to cross low to the far post, where Franck Moussa shot first-time against the desperately plunging figure of Okuonghae from close range. Whether the ball struck the defender’s hand or his ribs is in the eye of the beholder and depends largely on the beholder’s allegiance. Most neutrals were undecided. But the big centre back’s punishment was positively medieval. He conceded a penalty (hung), was sent off (drawn) and, pending appeal, faces suspension for three games (quartered). By rights, he should also have been dragged away in chains and waterboarded. Phil Mitchell’s ever-available lawyer, Ritchie, is believed to have accepted the brief.

Yoni Buyens duly converted the penalty with insolent aplomb and it was downhill for United from then on. Incensed manager Joe Dunne understandably highlighted the incident as critical to the result and he had a point. The reality is, of course, that the Us were outclassed by a home side which intelligently used the increase dimensions of the Valley pitch to give them a thorough chasing and provided an object lesson in exploiting a supposedly awkward one-man advantage.

The Essex chaps, roared on by 472 belligerent followers who kept up a barrage of hurtful, beastly slurs about the ground, home support and immediate neighbourhood, actually started brightly. Former West Ham prodigy Freddie Sears first blasted Gavin Massey’s long pass over the bar, then did likewise with Sean Clohessy’s cutback minutes later. In fairness to them, the wind was taken out of their sails by the penalty decision, but they were heading for the rocks anyway.

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With the brilliant Buyens magnetically attracting the ball and pulling the midfield strings, the Addicks began to pull away from their visitors. In a rehearsed corner routine, Jordan Cousins’ diagonal delivery set up Tucudean to shoot ferociously from the 18-yard line, Chris Lewington’s legs blocked defiantly and Buyens drove the rebound against a charging defender. But it took Bob Peeters’ men until early in the second half to put Colchester in their place.

Sears had the first word in the second period, his fierce 20-yarder forcing Stephen Henderson’s only save of note, before two quickfire goals from impressive Lawrie Wilson sealed the issue. Ten minutes after the break, the busy wide man caught up with Moussa’s angled pass to the right of goal and screwed a low shot back into the far bottom corner. A crisper, no-nonsense drive completed neat approach work by Callum Harriott and Moussa to finish United off. Wilson’s excellent contribution added to several selection dilemmas (not “headaches” as he was keen to stress), which Peeters must solve before Wigan’s arrival on Saturday.

Suspiciously at first, a subdued Valley began to warm to this brand new collection of Addicks. Before departing shortly after the hour mark, Buyens was different class, Moussa showed enough to suggest he’s a shrewd acquisition, Andre Bikey was huge in all senses of the word. Tucudean was unlucky not to open his account when his second half shot, following Jordan Cousins’ piercing pass, was cleared off the line by Clohessy while substitute Johan Gudmundsson slotted into Buyens’ central midfield role just past the hour and is clearly a good ‘un.

Charlton’s old boys were no less impressive. Wilson’s goals and ceaseless industry speak for themselves, Michael Morrison put neither foot nor head wrong, youth products Cousins, Morgan Fox and Callum Harriott more than did their bit. And in 17-year old debutant Joe Gomez, Sparrows Lane has unearthed another diamond -and not just in the rough; even nominally out of position at right back, this one already sparkles. Trust Peeters to nurture his special talent carefully.

It was left to late substitute Simon Church to gild Charlton’s lily. Having replaced the out-of-luck Tucudean, he pounced on the hash made by Lewington in dealing with Gudmundsson’s long range potshot and poked Charlton’s fourth past the struggling keeper. The standing ovation, to which these promising Addicks departed, was richly deserved. It’s early days-of course it is- but, whisper it, we might be on to something!

Charlton: Henderson, Gomez, Morrison, Bikey, Fox, Wilson, Buyens (Gudmundsson 63), Harriott, Cousins, Moussa (Vetokele 60), Tucudean (Church 72). Not used: Pope, Nego, Pigott, Ben Haim.

Colchester: Lewington, Gilbey, Okuonghae (sent off), Moncur, Gordon, Clohessy, Eastman, Massey (Holman 46), Vose (Bean 29), Ibehere, Sears (Szmodics 63). Not used:Walker, Thompson, Kent, Curtis.

Referee: C. Breakspear. Att: 5,752.

Brentford 1 (Smith 85) Charlton 1 (Vetokele 64).

A point away from home on opening day normally justifies quiet satisfaction. And Bob Peeters won’t be displeased with either this result or Charlton’s performance at sardine-packed Griffin Park, where up-for-it Brentford were seeking to ride the wave of optimism which carried them out of League One last season. These newly promoted sides can be awkward handfuls until their novelty wears off and stark reality asserts itself.

Unfortunately, Peeters and a sparky, densely populated away end possibly quit the scene with the gnawing feeling that their useful point wasn’t quite reward enough. They will be haunted by the chance spurned by Callum Harriott with 12 minutes left which, if converted, would have finished off the game West Londoners and earned them all three. Leading 1-0 at the time, it was almost inevitable that the Addicks would live to regret his miss. Not to mention, while on the subject of misses, the wastefulness shown by by George Tucudean in hitting the legs of advancing goalkeeper David Button when played clear by Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s glorious first half pass.

Harriott’s opening was engineered by Igor Vetokele, one of seven starters making their Charlton debuts (Franck Moussa was introduced in added time to make it eight) whose unfamiliarity will eventually dissipate but who for the time being are virtual strangers. Football teams usually change through a subtle process of natural selection, involving the constant replacement of age by youth, with one door opening as another closes. Fans hardly notice it happening. This latest Charlton team, on the other hand, is the result not so much of osmosis but whatever the scientific opposite of osmosis happens to be. This current side hasn’t evolved. It’s more the product of reconstructive surgery. But it might work.

Sharp, mobile and competitive, Vetokele was, by a distance, the pick of the newcomers. Subdued during a first half mostly dominated by Brentford, he nonetheless caught the eye and came into his own after the interval. His first strike in Charlton’s colours was the clever downward header which sent Chris Solly’s fine cross back across David Button in text book fashion but was brilliantly tipped on to his left post by the goalkeeper’s plunging save. Hardly a towering centre forward, the 24 year-old Angolan international is deceptively good in the air, as he demonstrated in giving the Addicks a 64th minute lead, by beating Button to Johnnie Jackson’s wickedly inswinging corner and nodding past the outwitted keeper from close range.

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While the Bees were still coming to terms with a perceived sense of injustice, Vetokele’s ceaseless industry conjured the critical chance for lively substitute Harriott. Ruthlessly closing down a dawdling Button outside the penalty area, he winkled the ball clear for his teammate to shoot first time at an unguarded goal. Possibly hitting the ball too cleanly, Harriott’s drive bounced to safety off the underside of the crossbar and was collected by the desperately retreating Button. Time was already running out on Sam Warburton’s spirited side but a turning point had been reached. These Bees were still carrying a sting.

Enlivened by their escape, Brentford pressed for an equaliser and, with five minutes remaining, rode their luck in finding one. A suspicious hint of handball helped 78th minute substitute Tommy Smith to control a pass to the left of the visitors’ goal before a treacherous deflection off Talal Ben Haim sent his right-footed snapshot spinning past a wrongfooted Stephen Henderson. Shrewdly acquired by Warburton shortly before the season kicked off, the streetwise veteran would dispute any suggestion of luck, instead pointing out that fortune favours those willing to chance their arm in unpromising circumstances. He’s been doing it so for long now that it wouldn’t pay to argue with him.

However lucky Smith’s goal was, the force was with the home side in the waning minutes. South London hearts were almost broken when Jackson’s anxious foul on Nick Proschwitz gave busy midfielder Alex Pritchard an opportunity to nick the points from a perfectly located free kick. Henderson was well beaten as the ball clipped the bar on its way to safety. Before the whistle, Smith blasted a last kick chance wildly into the crowd.

Another of the new arrivals to impress, Henderson did his bit with two vital saves to keep Charlton level before Vetokele scored. His impressive first half acrobatics kept out Judge’s dangerously deflected effort before, in the second period, he duplicated Button’s save from Vetokele by diving to his left to turn aside Andre Gray’s accurately aimed header.

As yet another debutant at roasting Griffin Park, Peeters will hopefully sift more positives than negatives from a testing afternoon. He’s seen it all and he won’t need to be told that if you don’t take your chances, it costs you. But at least Charlton made chances, something you couldn’t often say last season. And in taking one of them, Igor Vetokele is already on his way to a rewarding relationship with his new fans. They can really work with that first name!

Brentford: Button, McCormack, Craig, Tarkowski, Bidwell, Dallas, Pritchard (Smith 78), Douglas, Odubajo (Tebar 46), Gray (Proschwitz 67), Judge. Not used: Lee, Dean, Yennaris, Moore. Booked: Douglas.

Charlton: Henderson, Solly, Bikey-Amougou, Ben Haim, Wiggins, Gudmundsson (Fox 90), Buyens, Jackson, Cousins (Moussa 90), Vetokele, Tucudean (Harriott 62). Not used: Pope, Wilson, Morrison, Pigott. Booked: Buyens.

Att: 9,619

Blackpool 0 Charlton 3 (Harriott 61, 82, 90).

Kevin Nolan reports from Bloomfield Road.

Championship salvation, after months of torture, was achieved by Charlton with unexpected elan, not to mention panache. Tuesday’s decisive win over Watford was followed by this second half romp beside a chilly Irish Sea. For the first time in nine sapping months, two victories were put back to back.

When the hour came, so did the man. An enigmatic winger, with only one FA Cup goal to his credit, Callum Harriott suddenly caught fire, possibly surprising nobody more than himself by banging in five superb goals in two games, while at the same time making nonsense of Charlton’s chronic inability to score. In doing so, he carved himself a small slice of club history but we’ll get to his heroics a bit later. The boy did real good.

From a perspective reaching back far too long to mention, this one qualifies as the most aggravating, gruelling season in personal memory, even including those where Charlton were actually relegated. Between their opening day defeat next to one beach (Bournemouth) and this Jolly Boys final day outing to another (Blackpool), the Addicks have resembled barefoot bathers stepping gingerly over sharp rocks and treacherous pebbles on their undignified way to the water. Their frequent howls of agony have been echoed by their long suffering supporters.

It was clear from the outset that the previous owners had no thought other than offloading a club, about which they had no feeling, for whatever price they could squeeze from a limited market before making themselves scarce as soon as bloody possible. They certainly had no intention of offering cherished manager Chris Powell so much as a gesture of assistance. Having consolidated his beloved club in the Championship during 2012-13, Powell was left to cope with a playing staff which, far from being strengthened, was actually weakened by the financially pragmatic departure of several key contributors. With rich irony, Charlton’s goal in the 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth was scored by Yann Kermorgant, a talismanic striker Powell would lose in controversial circumstances several months later. To more ambitious Bournemouth as it turned out.

The arrival of new head honcho Roland Duchatelet in January brought a new kind of revolution in its wake. Powell’s struggling squad was promptly “augmented” by an influx of unknown players from the new owner’s cartel of European clubs, with the reluctant manager apparently under pressure to use them in his first team. The demanded insertion of erratic French goalkeeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien forced the issue and Powell’s days – as if they hadn’t already been – were numbered. With the Addicks bottom of the Championship (we repeat a little wearily in the guvnor’s defence that they had four games in hand at the time), he was ungraciously shown the door of a stadium he had graced as player and manager. Powell had had his well-intentioned critics but there are those -and, hands up, I’m one of them – who will find it difficult to forget, much less forgive, Duchatelet’s casual disrespect.

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None of which detracts from the fine job that Powell’s replacement, Jose Riga, has done in guiding Charlton to Championship safety. Cool, civil and devoid of ego, he has deployed his resources intelligently, showing decisiveness in juggling a hopelessly tangled fixture list and, above all, holding his nerve. It’s with tongue wryly in cheek that it’s pointed out, however, that his starting line-ups for the Watford and Blackpool games included only one (Astrit Ajdarevic) of the “network” additions and that Thuram-Ulien must have missed the bus to Bloomfield Road. Those teams were solidly Charlton in their composition of Academy products and experienced campaigners (with Sordell and Ajdarevic the only loanees) and could have been selected by Powell. To his credit, Riga acknowledged as much with his own choices but even he would probably concede that his predecessor was ultimately vindicated.

So we move on as move on we must. Our great old club’s progress during the summer will be monitored even more carefully than usual because this past campaign has been a horror story which, at least, was qualified by a happy ending. It can’t be repeated. Apart from mentioning that relegated Barnsley might be persuaded to make Chris O’Grady dispensable, this reporter has been rendered speechless. Well, almost speechless.

Riga’s reaction has been admirably free of triumphalism, realising as he surely does, that a virtually last minute reprieve from relegation is nothing to celebrate. But he deserves sincere thanks and unstinting gratitude for his skilful contribution. Shame he probably won’t be around to build on it because he’d be welcomed on board again.

Back briefly to chilly Bloomfield Road and the force of nature that has been Callum Harriott during the past week. His brace of goals on Tuesday were stunning. The three which capsized Blackpool were less jaw-dropping but were tasty enough in their own right.

Just past the hour, Dorian Dervite powered forward to pick out Marvin Sordell, whose cute flick opened a gap into which Harriott darted to find the bottom left corner of Matt Gilks’ net; twenty minutes later, substitute Jonathan Obika left Chris Basham floundering on the left byline before laying on an accurate cutback which Harriott drove first time past Gilks; in added time, with his confidence soaring, the rampant winger combined cleverly with Joe Pigott, then chose his spot for a low, right-footed finish. His uninhibited flourish added a late lustre to the Addicks’ route march of a season. Damned if it didn’t restore faith. Can’t wait to get started again! Any more where they came from, Callum?

Blackpool: Gilks, McMahon, Cathcart, McGahey, Halliday, Basham (Barkhuizen 72), Osbourne, Perkins, Bishop (Grandin 84), Keogh (Fuller 68), Dobbie. Not used: Haroun, Halstead, Goodwillie, Martinez.

Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Fox, Cousins (Petrucci 64), Poyet, Jackson, Ajdarevic (Obika 78), Harriott, Sordell (Pigott 87). Not used: Phillips, Church, Wood, Lennon. Booked: Petrucci, Harriott.

Referee: Kevin Friend. Att: 15,515 (1,335 visiting).

N.B. That’s another one in the can. Thanks to my sponsor, Grant Saw Wealth Management (Ian Starkey), Rob Powell at the helm of the website, Betty Hutchins who drives our matchday coach, our Hazel for setting the alarm accurately and, of course, to Charlton Athletic who, all seriousness aside, have driven me barmy over the last nine months. I wouldn’t have it any other way. See you at The Valley next season. No sense, no feeling, that’s my motto.

Charlton 3 (Harriott 22, 77, Jackson 69) Watford 1 (Deeney 60).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Chill the criticism. Can the complaints. Continue the celebrations. Well, at least until this tortuous season, which has stretched on seemingly forever, is at long last over. Let’s surf a wave of sheer, blissful relief first before we deal with the harsh realities. Charlton have made it on to “the beach” or what passes for a beach at bracing Blackpool this weekend. That’s enough for the time being.

The unthinkable prospect of returning to the horrors of League One was purged in 90-plus pulsating minutes, in the throes of which of which an endearingly unlikely hero stepped forward. That hero would be Callum Harriott, who again veered wildly between the sublime and the ridiculous while producing two goals of rare quality. Boy, when he’s sublime, he borders on the ridiculous!

Urged on by a crowd which rose fanatically to the occasion, Charlton had been holding their own before Harriott made his first contribution. There had been an early scare when Ben Hamer barely beat Troy Deeney to an awkwardly lofted ball. For the anxious home side, meanwhile, Johnnie Jackson’s free kick stung Jonathan Bond’s hands, before his far post header from Chris Solly’s deep cross forced the young goalkeeper to shovel the skipper’s effort to safety. Shortly afterwards, Harriott set down his first marker with a great goal destined to be discussed and dissected ad infinitum. It was actually a pretty simple affair to which we’ll attempt to do justice.

Picking up possession in an inside left position and running directly at a wavering defence, the sturdy winger’s mind was made up by the absence of overlapping support outside him, where Morgan Fox’s understandable caution falls a little below Rhoys Wiggins’ barnstorming aggression. Short of viable options, Harriott took the initiative, let fly on the run from outside the area and buried a superb low drive precisely inside the right hand post. One of five Academy graduates in a side which included none of Roland Duchatelet’s network signings and only one loanee (Marvin Sordell), the sturdy kid had reinforced the value of organically grown products. Joe Pigott made it six from the bench when Jose Riga allowed Harriott his richly deserved moment in the spotlight two minutes from the end.

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Making a continual nuisance of himself, Deeney wasn’t going quietly. His raking volley was turned around by Hamer for a corner and led subsequently to a save which had us veterans pining for Gordon Banks in Mexico ’70. Meeting Daniel Tozser’s outswinger from eight yards, Essaid Belkalem’s ferocious downward header was virtually netted until a tumbling Hamer’s flailing right arm somehow diverted it up against the underside of his bar. Goals win matches; saves like this one make sure you don’t lose them.

It was Belkalem’s crude foul on Wilson before the break which removed any concern among Charlton’s relegation rivals that the Hornets were already on that mythical beach. The visitors were not above putting it about a bit and have the deplorable disciplinary record to prove it. Impeccably behaved Deeney was an honourable exception and it was his stroke of genius, on the hour, that re-introduced The Valley to its customary state of panic. Anticipating Dorian Dervite’s problems under an awkwardly skied ball, the prolific striker adjusted his feet expertly, then sent an exquisite 20-yard volley dipping neatly under the bar as a flying Hamer grasped thin air.

While the Addicks were still rocking, Deeney blasted Ikechi Anya’s short pass narrowly over the angle, at which critical point, the increasingly tetchy Albert Riera began making a regular cad of himself. His violent foul on Lawrie Wilson earned him the first of two yellow cards and his mood was hardly improved when the Hornets fell behind for the second time.
The latest testimony to Charlton’s youth assembly line, Fox delivered a cleverly curled cross from the left touchline for Jackson to meet with his usual gambling instinct inside the six-yard box. Having made a pig’s ear of his first effort, the captain’s captain found the ball waiting obediently for him to scramble past a startled Bond. Bit scruffy but they all count.

With 20 endless minutes still remaining, a third goal was, of course, imperative, which was where Harriott came in again. The estimable Jordan Cousins fed Wilson, the wide right midfielder crossed accurately, Harriott zipped a vicious low volley into the bottom right corner. And Bob was your uncle, Fanny your aunt, belligerent Riera their very naughty nephew. The recalcitrant midfielder showed his immaturity (he’s 32 and should know better), petulantly kicked the consistently excellent Diego Poyet, sassed the referee and took himself off to tell his side of the story to an empty dressing room. The points were safe by that time anyway so Riera wasn’t missed. And among things which also won’t be missed will be those familiar last-day agonies which turn men and women into fate’s playthings. Don’t need any of that. Best left to some other poor sods.

An exhausting route march of a season through a minefield of setbacks ends on Saturday at Blackpool. We do like to be beside the seaside and, with the pressure off, we’ll be setting off by coach, some of us as early as 3.50a.m. under the redoubtable Betty Hutchins’ expert stewardship (hopefully with the equally unsinkable Jean Tindall also on board). We’re a band of brothers and sisters. On the one road, sharing the one load.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly (Hughes 90), Morrison, Dervite, Fox, Wilson, Poyet, Cousins, Jackson, Harriott (Pigott 88), Sordell (Obika 67). Not used: Thuram-Ulien, Wood, Petrucci, Ajdarevic. Booked: Hughes.

Watford: Bond, Hoban, Belkalem, Doyley (Angella 52), Faraoni (Ranegie 15),  Anya, Battochio, Murray (Diakite 75), Tozser, Riera, Deeney. Not used: Woods, Merkel, Pudil, Jakubiak. Booked: Belkalem, Riera. Sent off: Riera.

Referee: D. Bond. Att: 15,815.

Charlton 1 (Sordell 54) Blackburn Rovers 3 (Gestede 26, Keane 51, Cairney 64).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

A clinical post-mortem on Charlton’s wretched season must obviously be deferred until the patient has actually passed on. At the moment, they are clinging to life and their prognosis actually offers hope. Whatever the outcome, though, the symptoms have been unpleasant.

Saturday’s routine defeat by Blackburn was yet another dismissal by superior opposition. Rovers have fallen short of the play-offs but they were too much for Charlton, whose focus near the end had sensibly shifted to the protection of the slender goal difference which promises to keep them in the Championship. To that end, Marvin Sordell’s clever strike and a stupendous last minute save by Ben Hamer might yet prove significant.

During the tacit search for three teams inferior to his own, Jose Riga has evolved into a cool arch-pragmatist. Without actually saying so, he downplays results considered dispensable, while concentrating on those deemed more likely. These are the manager’s comments, for instance, following the 3-0 licking by Brighton exactly two weeks ago. “We must face reality. We had an opponent on another level and we had to hope that with good organisation collectively we could take points.”

And here’s Riga in similar vein after this loss to Blackburn. “We played a team which hadn’t lost for 10 games and has made big results against big teams. Maybe they didn’t start the season this way but they are in a good mood at the moment.”

You wouldn’t infer from those less than stirring remarks that the Addicks received a clarion call to arms before either match. No doubt a more Churchillian approach will be adopted for Tuesday’s key game in hand against Watford. Beaches, highways, byways, the whites of their eyes… that sort of stuff.

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Strongly suspected of being merely a managerial stopgap, Riga inherited a thankless task from the airily discarded Chris Powell. Neither of them had any say in the strictly-business sale of Yann Kermorgant and Dale Stephens and still less control over their dubious replacements. The impact of six arrivals from Roland Duchatelet’s Continental empire has been, to say the least, less than profound. On second thoughts, let’s not say the least about them. Let’s loudly shout the odds instead.

The best of the new recruits has been “never quite fit” midfield ballplayer Astrit Ajdarevic, who can appear only in carefully prescribed doses: Reza Ghoochannejhad made a contribution with his wonderful winner at Leeds, promised the earth but settled for less: Loic Nego, Piotr Parzyszek have been invisible, Davide Petrucci mercifully used only in meaningless cameos, while the less said about fiery French revolutionary Yohann Thuram-Ulien perhaps the better. It’s reasonable to claim that were Kermorgant still at The Valley, Charlton wouldn’t be in the mess they’re in. Stephens would also walk into the side. And the club’s good name was compromised when Powell was treated with such cavalier disregard.

But, hey, steady the Buffs…stand fast the East Kents! The immediate priority is to stave off relegation and the Addicks are far from done for yet. Handed a huge favour by Reading (well done by the way, Nigel, you’re a true pal) at Doncaster, they could even lose both their outstanding games and still survive, assuming runaway champions Leicester do the decent thing by also knocking off Doncaster. That route to safety is hardly recommended but, c’mon, desperation makes beggars of us all. So we’ll be behind Kermorgant at Millwall next Saturday and, more immediately, Uwe Rosler at Birmingham on Tuesday, though it might be wise not to rely too much on Rosler. He’s in the throes of a choking fit right now.

Defeat by Blackburn, meanwhile, was largely uneventful, with the exception of the massive 39th minute talking point created by the award of a penalty to Charlton -only their second of the season – for Grant Hanley’s clumsy trip on Sordell. His job done, the much improved striker should have stepped aside for skipper Johnnie Jackson who, on the other hand, should have insisted the spotkick was his responsibility. Instead Sordell, despite his conspicuous lack of shooting power, was allowed to make a feeble mess of beating Paul Robinson from 12 yards. His failure gave us another reason to pine for big Yann. He wouldn’t have squandered the chance.

Trailing 1-0 at the time of Sordell’s painfully predictable miss, the Addicks could scarcely afford to kick such a gift horse in the teeth. They had acquitted themselves well until Callum Harriott lost possession, Josh King crossed and Rudy Gestede’s downward header crept inside the left hand post with Hamer slow to react.

Nine minutes after the break, Rovers piled on the agony with a second goal. Another free header, this one Michael Keane’s bullet from Craig Conway’s free kick, left Hamer helpless and the deficit too wide to manage.

Eager to redeem himself and showing a promising return to scoring form, Sordell had other ideas and promptly reduced Charlton’s arrears with a skilfully curled drive from the 18-yard line. Before the Addicks could press home their brief advantage, unfortunately, Blackburn just as ruthlessly quelled the rally. Sent away by Tom Cairney, King cut in from the left to find Jordan Rhodes, whose close range effort was heroically cleared off the line by Dorian Dervite with the rebound neatly sidefooted into an empty net by Cairney.

Before the relegation mathematics were adjusted, Hamer prevented the deduction of a possibly important goal by saving marvellously and instinctively from Gestede’s point blank header.

So the fight goes on. It’s no longer a marathon now, more of an excruciatingly laboured “sprint” being disputed by a painwracked group of four limping survivors, who hit personal walls miles ago. But it’s still advantage Charlton. Because it’s goals that count. Or more accurately those conceded by their rivals.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Dervite. Fox, Cousins, Poyet, Jackson (Petrucci 82), Harriott (Ghoochannejhad 57), Adjarevic (Church 70), Sordell. Not used: Thuram-Ulien, Obika, Wood, Wilson. Booked: Fox.

Blackburn: Robinson, Keane, Hanley, Kilgallon, Olsson, King (Feeney 74), Cairney, Evans, Conway (Taylor 90), Gestede, Rhodes (Williamson 85). Not used: Rittenberg, Kane, Easton, Varney.

Referee: Michael Naylor. Att: 15,718.

Sheffield Wednesday 2 (Nuhiu 3, Maguire 8) Charlton 3 (Sordell 10, 43, 63). 

Kevin Nolan reports from Hillsborough.

It ain’t over yet but a marvellously opportunistic hat-trick from the smoking gun of Marvin Sordell put significant daylight between Charlton and the six poor beggars struggling below them to escape the Championship’s relegation morass.

Sordell’s scoring burst, which makes him top league marksman with six goals, could hardly have been better timed. It not only made mincemeat of laidback Sheffield Wednesday but put paid to the lurking suspicion that the shot shy Addicks would be hard pressed to score again this season.

At 3.08 Hillsborough time, the odds against shellshocked Charlton getting anything from this apparently ill-starred game had slipped off the odds chalkboards.  They had sleepwalked to a 2-0 deficit, were being picked apart with contemptuous ease and seemed in danger of complete meltdown. The unthinkable spectre of League One loomed large but, inspired by left winger Callum Harriott’s lively example, the visitors miraculously pulled themselves back from the brink of collapse.

Busy and committed, Harriott launched the revival by flighting a peach of a pass which neatly bisected ponderous Owls defenders Miguel Llera and Jeremy Helan. Outpacing Llera, then brushing aside Helan, Sordell  broke clear to finish coolly into the bottom left corner. Though Charlton were still staring down the barrel of likely defeat, the immediate crisis had been averted. Atdhe Nuhiu helped their cause by tamely poking wide a clearcut chance to restore Wednesday’s two-goal lead but the early storm had abated without irretrievable damage.

The defending which helped Wednesday to start strong was lamentable. Let’s deal with it honestly. For the first setback, normally reliable Michael Morrison might have been blinded by a strong South Yorkshire sun in coping with Llera’s hopefully lobbed ball over the top. As the ball cleared the centre back’s straining head, Nuhiu allowed it to bounce before blasting an unstoppable volley across Ben Hamer and in off the far post. Though beaten from a narrow angle, Hamer was given no chance by the sheer velocity and placement of the shot.

Five minutes later, Wednesday doubled their advantage.  Picking up possession just inside Charlton’s half, Nihiu ran strongly before passing square to Chris Maguire near the penalty spot; though the winger momentarily slipped, he was allowed time to recover his balance, sidestep Chris Solly, then curl a deliberate drive into the same corner favoured by Nihiu.

As nightmare starts go, this one belonged in a class of its own.

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Lifted by Sordell’s prompt reply, the Londoners settled down. Nuhiu did his bit by missing another acceptable opportunity when well placed, then substitute Jermaine Johnson’s determined run into the penalty area was halted by Dorian Dervite’s shuddering tackle. It was no longer one-way traffic, though, and Sordell should have made more of the opening he made for himself by allowing a throw-in from Morgan Fox (one of five outstanding ex-Academy starters) to run across him but shot feebly at Chris Kirkland. Charlton’s encouraging rally was beginning to stall when, three minutes from the break, they produced another surprise for the flagging Owls.

With the bit between his teeth, Harriott again provided the creative spark behind his resurgent side’s equaliser. Intercepting Michail Antonio’s lazy pass, his carefully judged through pass sent Sordell through to beat Kirkland with a carbon-copy of his first goal. Having settled back to enjoy a pressure-free, end-of-season romp, the home fans were speechless. They had no way of knowing they were in for more of the same in the second period, bless ’em.

Midway through an understandably quieter half, Nuhiu lost his bearings while facing his own goal and passed vaguely back in the direction of his startled centre backs. Seizing alertly on the gift, in-the-groove Sordell left Llera in his slipstream, made ground and chose his time to slot calmly past the advancing Kirkland. His exemplary  finishing made all the more inexplicable a chronic inability to find the net with any regularity prior to these overdue Easter Monday heroics.

Sordell’s clinical sniping apart, there were other heroes of Hillsborough. Shaking off his usual diffidence, Harriott made a nervy start but proved to be Wednesday’s nemesis with two fine assists and a performance of verve and imagination. Fox the rookie was cool and resourceful, Dervite an indomitable defensive rock, Jordan Cousins provided his customary energy. But it was the remarkable Diego Poyet who held it all together with yet another of his dynamic midfield contributions. Snapping into tackles, spraying passes short and long, generally calling the tune, his influence throughout the team has become profound. Last into action but far from least in impact, Astrit Ajdarevic arrived ten minutes after the interval to lend style, poise and indispensable quality. No speed merchant but a confident foot-on-the-ball operator, he stamps his class on earnest games like this. And you can’t really legislate for class. More must be demanded of the big, strolling stylist – hopefully in next season’s Championship. ‘Cos it looks as if that’s where Charlton are staying.

Wednesday: Kirkland, Lee, Llera, Coke, Palmer (Mattock 46), Antonio (Johnson 46), Maguire, Onyewu, Nuhiu, Helan, Best (Lavery 67). Not used: Martinez, Taylor, Corry, Afobe. Booked: Helan, Maguire, Lee.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Dervite, Fox, Cousins, Poyet, Jackson, Harriott (Wilson 81), Church (Ajdarevic 54), Sordell (Obika 90). Not used: Thuram-Ulien, Ghoochannejhad, Wood, Petrucci. Booked: Morrison.

Referee: Tony Harrington. Att: 20,557.

Charlton 0 Bolton Wanderers 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

Bone weariness is their implacable enemy, injuries have sapped them, but Charlton battle on. Their admirable spirit keeps them in with a good chance of avoiding relegation and this bitterly earned point turned out to be a step in the right direction. Home defeats for nosediving Blackpool and faltering Doncaster boosted them to fifth from bottom in a desperately cut throat melee. That game in hand (at home to Watford) might yet prove to be a handy ace in the hole.

The usual problems in juggling his resources faced Jose Riga yesterday. With left back Rhoys Wiggins out for the season and right back Chris Solly in need of nursing through his comeback, the full back positions again caused concern. Lawrie Wilson, himself a recent absentee, duly moved back from midfield to cover Solly, with 20 year-old Academy graduate Morgan Fox stepping in for Wiggins to make his full league debut.

Both deputies distinguished themselves but it was the cool, determined Fox who deserves special mention. Rising to the occasion as one of three youth products (Diego Poyet and Jordan Cousins being the others) facing Bolton, he didn’t put a foot wrong. With Solly expected to resume in Sheffield on Easter Monday, the total of organically grown first-teamers will rise to four. That’s impressive going. And there’s more in the pipeline.

The down side for Riga and Charlton’s equally exhausted fans is that the Addicks failed to score for the 20th time this season. Their microscopic total of 31 goals should, by any normal standards, have cast them hopelessly adrift on their way to League One but is more than balanced by the surprising statistic that, despite 23 defeats, only 55 goals have been conceded. It’s been far from pretty but stubborn defending can be an art form in itself, something that even the likes of mighty Barcelona are beginning to appreciate.

On two particularly hair-raising occasions, a 12th clean sheet of this troubled campaign looked unlikely. Just five minutes after the interval, Matthew Mills’ brutal near post header from Neil Dann’s right wing corner had Ben Hamer completely beaten, until Poyet  acrobatically cleared off the line. The wisdom of placing a player on each post to defend corners was, hardly for the first time, vindicated. Seems commonsense to some of us.

A quarter hour from the end, Danns missed an easy opportunity to pinch the points. Set up by Jermaine Beckford’s marathon solo run, the Leicester City loanee checked inside Dorian Dervite but lifted a tame shot well over the bar.

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Charlton’s chances were fewer but, in one case at least, more contentious. Mere minutes after Poyet’s heroics, Simon Church hunted down a dawdling Adam Bogdan, nicked the ball off his toe and was caught momentarily by the complacent goalkeeper’s instinctively intrusive foot. Slipping as he sought to exploit his advantage, Church’s plaintive appeals for a penalty fell on referee Malone’s deaf ear. Recipients of only one spotkick this term, Charlton were scarcely surprised to be turned down this time. Bogdan was lucky but far from bang-to-rights anyway.

Faulty firepower aside, Riga will be pleased with his side’s resilience in standing up to the in-form Trotters. They gave as good as they got in an even first half, occasionally promising to open the scoring. Clever combination between Fox and his inspirational captain Johnnie Jackson helped Cousins set up Astrit Ajdarevic for a delicately curled drive narrowly wide of the right post. Shortly afterwards, Ajdarevic’s superlative delivery sent Reza Ghoochannejhad through the inside right channel but Bogdan alertly left his line to make a key block.

At the other end, the visitors were mainly under control but briefly dangerous. Danns made space to rifle a 25-yarder over Hamer’s bar, then picked out Lukas Jutkiewicz, who scored the winner for Middlesbrough at The Valley in August, with a soaring free kick to the far post. The big striker headed goalward but dangerously off the outstanding Michael Morrison for a fruitless corner. In the second period, an alarmingly unmarked Jutkiewicz  forced an awkwardly shovelled save from Hamer at his near post.

A word, in passing, about Cousins by the way; the gangling kid wasn’t quite at his best against Bolton, which by no means implies he was at all poor. Incredibly, given his heartwarming improvement and selfless contribution to Charlton’s survival struggle, there were sporadic (and, to be fair, they WERE only sporadic) catcalls for his withdrawal, all of which were sensibly ignored by Riga. The manager is far too courteous to respond so allow me to do it for him. There must be a Belgian version of “Put a sock in it!”

So on to Hillsborough on Easter Monday, where Sheffield Wednesday will be re-invigorated by their splendid win at Bournemouth. You’ve noticed, of course, that all of Charlton’s upcoming opponents seem to be in inconveniently good shape. These viciously contested relegation dogfights induce paranoia in the best of us. But that could just be because everyone seems out to get us.

Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Fox, Ghoochannejhad (Obika 65), Poyet, Cousins, Ajdarevic (Green 74), Jackson, Church (Hughes 84). Not used: Thuram-Ulien, Wood, Petrucci, Nego.

Bolton: Bogdan, Hutton, Wheater, Mills (Baptiste 65), Ream, Danns, Chung-Yong Lee (Hall 88), Spearing, Trotter, Jutkiewicz, Beckford. Not used: Lonergan, Knight, Robinson, Kellett, Iliev. Booked: Wheater.

Referee: B. Malone. Att: 15, 773 (924 visiting).

Charlton 1 (Adjarevic 90) Barnsley 2 (M’Voto 32, Kennedy 63).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

This result, sickening though it was for Charlton, settles nothing. Its immediate effect can’t be accurately gauged until they square off with Bolton on Friday. It makes the unseemly scramble at the bottom of the Championship table even more messy but when the music stops on May 3rd, it still remains to be seen whether the Addicks are one of the three miserable victims left groping for a chair. As the plot unfolds, they must hold their nerve.

Grappling with the conumdrum of picking the right team for the right occasion, manager Jose Riga continues to shuffle his pack from game to game as the punishing schedule bites into his squad. On Tuesday, he paired Marvin Sordell and Jonathan Obika up front, rather more mysteriously named Callum Harriott as a right winger, then trusted to luck. But his luck was stone out.

Neither of them blessed with an adhesive touch, Sordell and Obika were handed a masterclass in centre forward play by streetwise Chris O’Grady. Asked to occupy Charlton’s defence on his own, the combative striker used all the nous accumulated during a peripatetic career. Expertly shielding the ball, intelligently  bringing teammates into play and, most importantly, fighting tenaciously for his rights, O’Grady stood up to the usual borderline buffeting while giving as good as he got. Without mustering a single effort on target, he did his bit and then some. And, with 12 goals this season ( a total which matches Charlton’s entire strike force), he has already made a significant contribution in the scoring column. In this game, his unselfish work won’t have gone unnoticed by his grateful manager Danny Wilson.

Showing little mutual understanding, meanwhile, neither Sordell nor Obika made much impression. Not for the want of trying, it needs to be said, because they beavered away fruitlessly, as did every member of a team which hasn’t given up but suffers from a glaring lack of inspiration.

Trying as hard as any of them was Harriott, who endured a personal Gethsemane. Everything went wrong for the poor kid; passes were almost wilfully misplaced, possession was regularly conceded, decisions were invariably misjudged. Just shy of the half hour mark and shortly before Barnsley scored their first goal, Charlton’s best chance was put on the proverbial plate for him by Sordell’s delicately flighted cross from the left. Unmarked at the far post, Harriott sent his header not just wide but horribly, inexplicably wide.

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What remained of his confidence promptly disappeared but his torture wasn’t over. With no reason to humiliate him, Riga was unquestionably right in resisting insensitive calls to replace Harriott before the interval but just as wrong, it seemed, in unnecessarily exposing him to ten more minutes of agony after the break. At which point, by the way, the long suffering home crowd distinguished itself by sending him on his way with admirable restraint rather than the dog’s abuse he would have faced at certain venues. Fair play to them.
Before Harriott’s miss, Charlton had looked more likely to score. In the early going, Jordan Cousins, again an example of heart and energy, shot narrowly wide before Johnnie Jackson’s expertly curled effort brought the crowd temporarily to its feet. Then the wind was taken out of The Valley’s sails by Barnsley’s shock opener against the run of play.

The Tykes’ first corner, forced by Tomasz Cwyka off Chris Solly, was swung in from the left by Dale Jennings and emphatically buried into the roof of the net by Jean-Yves M’Voto’s powerful header. It was a body blow from which the Addicks never fully recovered.

There was still hope, of course, and Diego Poyet opened the second period by shooting inches wide. Gifted a chance by Jack Hunt’s errant pass, Sordell chipped tamely off target but exactly as they had done in the first half, the visitors turned the tide by scoring again at the right time

Only Tom Kennedy will know whether the ball he drifted in from the left flank was intended as a shot or a cross; the critical certainty was that it beat Ben Hamer in flight on its way into the opposite corner. Charlton’s uphill fight was now a mountain they were unlikely to climb.

Down but not quite out, Riga played his last card ten minutes from the end, with Astrit Adjarevic replacing a weary Poyet. The big midfielder’s influence was immediate, not least because his feather touch gives him time to sort out his options. There’s almost mantra-like acceptance that he isn’t fully fit, which invites obvious questions which are a) why the hell ISN’T he fully fit? and b) how bloody long does it take a professional footballer to GET fully fit? Both queries might be answered in the close season after Ajdarevic has departed and Charlton are in League One. In the shorter and more urgent term, they need sorting out! Especially now that desperately unlucky Rhoys Wiggins is clearly through for the season.

The overdue substitute duly reduced the arrears in added time, too late in this game to make a difference but surely sufficient to secure him a start on Friday at Harriott’s expense. If there’s a plate, Ajdarevic (and, to be fair, one or two others) needs to step up to it and do his share after being reminded that football games last 90 minutes. Delightful little cameos are not enough. This is a relegation dog-fight, not a lunchtime five-a-side kickaround. So get out the way if you can’t lend a hand ‘cos the times they are a’changin And unless everyone gets stuck in, so is Charlton’s future in the Championship.

Charlton: Hamer, Solly (Wilson 71), Dervite, Wood, Wiggins, Harriott (Ghoochannejhad 55), Cousins, Poyet ( Adjarevic 80), Jackson, Sordell, Obika. Not used: Thuram-Ulien, Hughes, Morrison, Fox. Booked: Cousins, Adjarevic.

Barnsley, Steele, Etuhu (Hunt 46, Mellis 63), M’Voto, McLaughlin, Cranie, Jennings, Cwyka, Lawrence, Kennedy, Dawson, O’Grady. Not used: Turner, Hassell, Proschwitz, Woods, McCourt. Booked: Cranie, Dawson.

Referee: Iain Williamson Att: 16,230 (965 visiting).

Brighton 3 (Lingard 11, Ulloa 43, Forster-Caskey 90) Charlton 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from the Amex Stadium.

Comfortably beaten at Brighton by the now routine 3-0 margin, Charlton were spared lasting damage to their survival hopes by generally favourable results elsewhere. This fixture had probably inspired hope among the other relegation-haunted wretches that progress could be made at the Addicks’ expense but, by and large, they blew their opportunity. There is a limit, of course, to such co-operation and Charlton must stand on their own feet when fellow sufferers Barnsley visit The Valley on Tuesday evening.

Charlton, as expected, stepped out of their class on the South Coast and it was hard to escape the impression that Jose Riga accepted as much. There was never any prospect of even a point as the visitors went through the motions, with damage limitation their sole motivation. As far as Brighton were concerned, this was a “gimme”; they might even have gone easy on their victims, such was their effortless superiority.

Once slick Albion took an 11th minute lead, any interest in this humdrum game as a serious contest disappeared. The goal itself opened a can of coaching worms.

Sensibly or perhaps otherwise, the new regime has encouraged their defence to pass their way from back to front. Less of the hoofball, more tika-taka is apparently the new mantra. Obedient to the doctrine, Ben Hamer duly played the ball along the ground to Michael Morrison, a reluctant recipient who wasted little time in returning it to him. Undeterred, Hamer next tried Diego Poyet, ominously shadowed by Kazenga Lua Lua in a central position outside the penalty area. Normally tenacious in possession, Poyet was pickpocketed by Lua Lua, stumbled as he sought to recover and was left helpless as Jesse Lingard picked up the pieces before depositing them efficiently inside the right post. A lusty boot upfield at some point might have been a better idea but that could just be the philistine in this correspondent.

Secure in their superiority, the Seagulls showed little desire to crush their victims. Lua Lua broke clear but was smothered by Hamer’s brave save at his feet but, as their early grip relaxed, so the Addicks improved. Three minutes before the break, their solitary moment of menace went unrewarded and was promptly punished.

Overshadowed recently by his Academy honcho Poyet, Jordan Cousins has done more than his bit during the unremitting schedule of relegation battles. At the attractive Amex Stadium, he fought bravely while, it hurts to say, certain teammates bottled tackles, skirted the issue and otherwise dodged the column. It wouldn’t do to mention names but 1,869 witnesses might suggest you look for the offenders up front.

They didn’t include Cousins, needless to say, because what you see is what you get from this kid and you’d have to be blind not to notice his commitment and courage. His brilliantly sinuous solo run left a train of breathless pursuers in its wake before being capped by an accurate short pass to Reza Ghoochannejhad. Potshooting instinctively, the slim Iranian’s effort looped off Bruno Saltor, beat Casper Ankengren in flight but rebounded off the crossbar. It was an unlucky break which brought prompt retribution at the other end.
Leading an immediate riposte, Lua Lua again did the damage, his crisp pass allowing Leonardo Ulloa to turn, in a debatably offside position, then dispatch a rising drive into the top right corner. The flag stayed down, the goal stood, the Football League Show couldn’t comment because its head was deeply buried in sand at the time.

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With goal difference still an important priority for the outplayed Londoners, a long second half stretched out before them. Their resistance was boosted by the surprise 65th minute return of talismanic right back Chris Solly in place of the ineffectual Reza.
Solly was his usual immaculate self and surely nailed down a starting place against Barnsley. Tackling, covering, passing with his customary verve, he’s the exception to the rule that match fitness takes an age to acquire. He simply took up where he’d left off on New Years Day, which makes it an unpleasant duty to report that his error contributed to Brighton’s irritating added time goal, which meant nothing to the result but could be important later on. His defensive header was powerful enough but landed at the feet of subsitute Jake Forster-Caskey, whose firm drive deflected off – who else but the snakebit Solly – to leave a wrongfooted Hamer helpless. Error, schmerror, it’s great to have him back. It’s a timely tonic which could have a profound impact on Charlton’s chances. I feel better already!

Brighton: Ankergren, Saltor, Greer, Upson, Ward, Lingard (Rodriguez 90), Andrews, Stephens, March (Calderon 89), Lua Lua (Forster-Caskey 64), Ulloa. Not used: Brezovan, Dunk, Mackail-Smith, Lopez. Booked: Lua Lua, March.

Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Dervite, Wiggins, Ghoochannejhad (Solly 65), Cousins, Poyet, Ajdarevic (Harriott 46), Jackson (Church 81), Sordell. Not used: Thuram-Ulien, Wood, Pigott, Fox.

Referee: Roger East. Att: 28,770 (1,869 visiting).

Charlton 3 (Ajdarevic 9, Dervite 48, Sordell 51)Yeovil Town 2 (Grant 11, Moore 74).

Kevin Nolan reports from The Valley.

This riproaring game, riddled with errors but packed with incident, ended well for Charlton, not so well for Yeovil, whose narrow defeat damaged their chances of Championship survival.

In a reversal of current form, the Addicks clicked up front but, for once, sagged at the back. Scoring more than once for the first time since Boxing Day was hugely encouraging; on the other hand, the concession of two chaotic goals by a normally reliable defence caused palpitations throughout an edgy Valley. The twenty-odd minutes following Town’s second goal were a sadistic form of torture, though the visitors never came close to equalising.

The loss of Lawrie Wilson, victim of a cheekbone fracture on Saturday, provided Jose Riga with a selection dilemma. His use of Michael Morrison as an emergency right back looked fine in theory but sent a ripple of doubt through a revamped back four. Morrison is a redoubtable centre back, a more reluctant right back. Neither he nor Riga will be sorry that Wilson is expected to return at Brighton, sporting one of those Phantom of the Opera masks so very au fait these days.

Reservations about Morrison’s vulnerability were temporarily shelved when Astrit Ajdarevic shot Charlton into an early lead. His first goal for the club was all his own doing as he picked up a loose ball inside the vistors’ half, made space for his favoured left foot with an artfully dropped shoulder, then cracked a low, true drive inside the left post. The big bloke has skill to burn, as demonstrated by an arrogant second half trick on the left touchline, which was indulged by management because Charlton were two up at the time. It wouldn’t have been encouraged a bit later.

Less than two minutes after Adjarevic’s opener, the visitors drew level in scruffy circumstances. They attacked down the left through Liam Davis and as the ball broke luckily to Joel Grant, the wide man beat a wrongfooted Ben Hamer with a wickedly deflected shot. Shortly afterwards, an unmarked James Hayter should have put them ahead but drove lamely at Hamer from 10 yards.

Most of a busy first half belonged to the Glovers but it was Charlton who matched Hayter’s profligacy before the break. A marvellous run and byline cross by Rhoys Wiggins picked out Ajdarevic near the penalty spot. His clever dummy made room for Reza Ghoochannejhad to emulate Hayter by scuffing tamely at Chris Dunn from close range.

The end-to-end exchanges careered along with Hamer saving at full length from Joe Rolls and Tom Lawrence scaping the bar from the resultant corner. Back bounced the Addicks with Diego Poyet’s superb pass sending Marvin Sordell clear to bring Dunn plunging to his left to save. A rock-‘n-roll first half ended with Richard Wood heading Johnnie Jackson’s cross off Dunn’s right hand and Shane Duffy completing the clearance from under the bar.

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Within six minutes of resumption, Charlton surprised nobody more than themselves by scoring twice to seize the initiative. Ever ready to attack, Wiggins forced a left wing corner off Luke Ayling, Jackson swung the flagkick outwards and Dorian Dervite’s bullet header finished the job. Riding the momentum, the Addicks struck again almost immediately; Poyet’s fine overhead pass freed Reza near the right byline, the Iranian’s low cross was pushed out by Dunn and Sordell couldn’t – and didn’t – miss from the six-yard line.

This kid Poyet. What remains to be said about him? Celebrating his 19th birthday in style, the boy-man was some kind of midfield hybrid, a mixture of snarling mongrel and polished pedigree without an apparent weakness in his repertoire (well, maybe a useful goal from time to time). His influence during this desperate relegation has been profound while, at his elbow, Jordan Cousins has been equally impressive. In the hands of such babes rests Charlton’s Championship future.

Charlton being unreliably Charlton, of course, there was to be no comfortable cruise to the line. With a quarter hour remaining, a Keystone Kops mix-up involving Wood and Hamer left substitute Kieffer Moore the formality of reducing the deficit in front of a gaping net. An incorrectly awarded throw-in had started the move but Riga made no big deal about it.

Nor did affable Town boss Gary Johnson make anything of a storm-in-a-teacup incident involving a hygiene-conscious ball boy (you just can’t help some people) and a steward who “confused” a throw-in with a goalkick but was clearly dedicated to getting it right. Both managers were grilled tenaciously about the “turning point” by a reporter, possibly from the Yeovil Bugle. Blimey, the bloke birddogged it. Mind you, I knew how he felt.

The last word belongs to a third manager who took large liberties last night in the far north. Actually I think I’ll have the last word on his behalf instead Cheers for that, Uwe Rosler. But even more sincere cheers for Arsenal in your semi-final on Saturday. C’mon you Gooners!
Knock ’em for six!

Charlton: Hamer, Morrison, Dervite, Wood, Wiggins, Ghoochannejhad (Harriott 79),  Cousins, Poyet, Jackson, Adjarevic (Obika 75), Sordell (Cort 89). Not used: Thuram-Ulien, Hughes, Pigott, Fox.

Yeovil: Dunn, Ayling, McAllister, Edwards, Duffy, Webster, Lawrence, Hayter, Davis, Ralls (Palazuelos 80), Grant (Moore 62). Not used: Stech, Dawson, Hoskins, Lanzoni, Nana Twumasi. Booked: Webster, Ralls, Palazuelos.

Referee: G. Scott. Att: 15,430 (657 visiting).