EFL League One
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.50
Admission: 12,644 (792 away)
After Tuesday night’s gloriously emphatic victory against Plymouth, it was back to The Valley this afternoon for the second time in four days - the absurdity of the fixture scheduling means that Charlton’s next home game after this will be three weeks away.
A decent start has certainly injected much optimism amongst the Charlton fan base, with Tuesday’s win lifting the Addicks into sixth place in the table, with seven points from their opening four league games. Cambridge have won both of their home games so far, plus achieving a minor giantkilling by knocking Millwall out of the League Cup. but they have lost both away games in the league, including a 4-1 defeat at Portsmouth on Tuesday night.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this match had a little bit of the "after the Lord's mayor show" feel for Charlton, although in the first half, it was the Addicks who were the better side and created some good chances to open the scoring, and they finally did on 41 minutes when Charlie Kirk crossed the ball from the left and, via a deflection off a defender's head, the ball landed at the feet of Jayden Stockley, who hooked the ball high across goal just before the keeper could get there, for Scott Fraser to head into an unguarded net.
The second half saw Charlton lose some intensity in their play, being slower in their passing and gradually allowing Cambridge back into the game. And the visitors duly equalised on 60 minutes, after Charlton keeper Joe Wollacott blocked a Sam Smith header, but the ball bounced out to Shilow Tracey, who drove the ball low back into the danger area and Harvey Knibbs diverted the ball into the net. Although Charlton pushed to get a winner in the last quarter of the game, a point apiece was probably a fair reflection of the game, as Charlton dropped their first points at home this season.
Video highlights of the goals can be viewed by clicking here , extended highlights can be viewed by clicking here
An official match report can be viewed here, or the pasted version below
ADDICKS SHARE POINTS WITH CAMBRIDGE UNITED AT THE VALLEY
Charlton 1 Cambridge United 1
Charlton extended their unbeaten home record by picking up a point against Cambridge United in Sky Bet League One on Saturday afternoon.
Scott Fraser had nodded the Addicks in front shortly before half time but, on the hour mark, the visitors levelled through Harvey Knibbs’ close-range finish.
Charlton pushed for a winner late on but unfortunately it wasn’t forthcoming and they had to settle for a share of the spoils. A point keeps Ben Garner’s side sixth in the league table.
In terms of team news, the boss only made one change to the XI that had thumped Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night, with Ryan Inniss coming in for Sam Lavelle at the back.
Both sides carved out headed opportunities in the opening couple of minutes and the Addicks then went close again when Albie Morgan forced U’s goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to tip his 25-yard free-kick wide.
On 24 minutes, Jayden Stockley could only steer a decent opening wide having been slipped through by the influential Morgan and, at the other end, defender Eoghan O’Connell was well placed to divert a James Brophy cross to safety.
The hosts dominated the first-half possession statistics, boasting over 70 per cent at some stages, and on 41 minutes they got their reward.
Charlie Kirk’s angled cross glanced off the head of a U’s defender and landed at the feet of Stockley. His close-range effort was well saved by Mitov but the loose ball landed perfectly on the head of Fraser, who made no mistake with his finish.
It was a well-deserved goal for the Scottish midfielder, who had shown a flurry of nice touches in the first period and it ensured his side took a one-goal lead into the break.
That lead was wiped out on the hour mark, however. Addicks stopper Joe Wollacott made a fantastic initial save to keep out a Sam Smith header from close range but the ball eventually dropped for Knibbs, who tucked home from a couple of yards out.
The leveller knocked the Addicks out of their stride and, for the next few minutes, the visitors enjoyed the better of the play, without creating any more chances.
Garner introduced Miles Leaburn and Jack Payne on 72 minutes and the double change almost did the trick immediately, though neither of them were involved in the chance that followed.
Fellow substitute Corey Blackett-Taylor got to the byline and hooked a cross into the box that captain Jayden thumped narrowly wide on the volley.
Cambridge, to their credit, had defended valiantly all afternoon and they would eventually head home with a point. They had to see out six minutes of stoppage time and in that time Aaron Henry and Leaburn both aimed efforts at goal but neither were able to find the net.
Charlton Athletic: Wollacott, Clare, Inniss, O’Connell, Clayden, Dobson, Morgan, Fraser (Payne, 71), Rak-Sakyi (Blackett-Taylor, 61, Henry 80), Kirk (Leaburn, 71), Stockley
Subs Not Used: MacGillivray, Lavelle, Chin
Bookings: Clayden, Clare
Cambridge United: Mitov, Williams, Okedina, Jones, Dunk, Digby, May, Tracey (Ironside, 77), Knibbs (Lankster, 90+6), Brophy, Smith
Subs Not Used: Mannion, Haunstrup, O’Neil, Ibsen Rossi, Janneh
Bookings: Okedina, Tracey
Referee: Carl Brook
Attendance: 12,644 (792 from Cambridge)
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