Charlton Athletic 4 v 4 Ipswich Town

Saturday 29th October 2022, Kick-off 15.00
EFL League One
The Valley. Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.50
Attendance: 16,625 (3,139 away)

After Charlton's excellent run of three straight wins, and four games unbeaten, was brought to a shuddering halt by a pretty average display against Milton Keynes Dons, who were certainly helped on their way with a shocking award of a penalty, it was back up to The Valley again today. It would be my first Saturday visit since late August, and the last Charlton home league game until early December.

Following Tuesday night's 0-2 home defeat to MK Dons, Charlton dropped a place to eighth in the table, now four points adrift of the play-off places, having played two games more than sixth placed Portsmouth, following five wins and seven draws from their opening 16 league games. No doubt that today would be a really tough test though, with Ipswich flying high in second place in the table, five points clear of third place and the play-off places, and they came into this game in great form, winning their last two league games, and winning five of their last six.

A match report can be read by clicking here, and copied and pasted below 

Video highlights can be viewed by clicking here 

Kevin Nolan’s Valley View: Charlton Athletic 4-4 Ipswich Town

Nobody who was there will forget the crazy conclusion to the Addicks’ hard-fought draw with the Tractor Boys. KEVIN NOLAN stayed until the end to bring you this report.

The announcement of six added minutes at the end of an entertaining but hardly barnstorming game gave little warning of the Keystone Kops conclusion that lay in store for all concerned.

Having surrendered a two-goal lead, Ipswich were understandably disappointed with the 2-2 scoreline; Charlton on the other hand, had salvaged a valuable point and could be satisfied with their afternoon’s work. First half injuries had robbed them of key defenders Mandela Egbo and Eoghan O’Connell but they had battled back gamely through adversity to achieve an uphill result. Or so it seemed.

What played out during those barmy six minutes (which actually stretched to almost ten) defied description. But since it’s my duty to have a go, I’ll make a game effort to find sense in the chaos which briefly descended on The Valley. So buckle up and make the necessary allowances for a less than objective version of events.

Reasserting the overall superiority they had enjoyed throughout normal time, the Tractor Boys appeared to have restored order when substitute Feddie Ladapo turned sharply to beat Joe Wollacott with a shot whiplashed inside the keeper’s right hand post.

A minute later, a more speculative drive from skipper Sam Morsy caught a faint deflection before settling decisively in the bottom right corner. As the jubilant visitors celebrated wildly in front of their fans, an unseemly exodus of home fans began to pour through the various exits. You couldn’t blame them but they should have known better.

More in hope than expectation, the stricken Addicks fought back. A free kick conceded by an oddly panicky Luke Wolfenden was flighted to the far post by Scott Fraser, returned along the ground by Corey Blackett-Taylor and stabbed past Christian Walton by full league debutant Terell Thomas.

The statutory six added minutes soon expired but the cocky East Anglians were made to pay for their self-indulgent goal celebrations. Referee Josh Smith didn’t get much right but deserves credit for knowing how to tell the time.

An early replacement for the wretchedly unlucky Mandela Egbo, Albie Morgan had provided sketchy support for beleaguered Sean Clare but going forward proved a force to be reckoned with. In almost the last act of this wacky race, the Marmite midfielder flighted a delicious cross from the left flanks, which was clearly intended for a flash of red lurking behind left back Leif Davis at the far post.

With caution thrown to the wind, the red shirt spotted by Morgan was worn by none other than George Dobson, widely admired for the yeoman shifts he puts in for the cause but, frankly, not the Addick many fans would choose to represent them in a death-or-glory situation such as this one. In 58 previous starts, George’s solitary goal was admittedly a superb matchwinner at Rotherham last season.

But as it turned out, Charlton’s fate was safe in his hands. Or head, to be more precise.

Rising majestically over Davis, Dobson had the presence of mind to assess Walton’s rash advance off his line and looped a deliberate header over the desperately scrambling keeper, which took its time before dropping neatly into his vacated net. Town’s hysterical celebrations were seen and raised by the human pyramid which took shape in front of the Covered End.

“Table’s turned and now it’s your turn to cry,” fitted the musical bill. My favourite Rolling Stones song, as it happens.

The added-time explosion had been preceded by a relatively normal but eventful encounter, dominated for most of its duration by Ipswich.

As Charlton struggled to cope without O’Connell and Egbo, it became vital that they survive an embattled first half without conceding. That ambition was thwarted in the last minute when George Edmundson bulleted Davis’ inswinging corner off Woollacott’s hand and under the bar.

Battling on gamely but apparently hopelessly, the Addicks looked down and out when, on 52 minutes, Tyreece John-Jules doubled their deficit by heading Wes Burns’ cross forcefully past Wollacott. But that was to reckon without the impact provided by perennial substitute Chuks Aneke and speed merchant Blackett-Taylor. Ben Garner’s objections earned him expulsion; he missed a treat.

Aneke was his usual irrepressible self, all but impossible to subdue and too strong for a tiring defence. Just past the hour mark, his powerful run down the right flank was capped by an enterprising cross, which Blackett-Taylor hammered against Walton’s hands.

Closing in alertly, Jesurun Rak- Sakyi forced in the rebound and, abruptly, Town’s comfortable afternoon was fraught with concern.

Blackett-Taylor had the bit between his teeth now and his crisp daisycutter was kept out with difficulty by the suddenly overworked Walton, whose luck ran out as Morgan hurriedly jabbed the loose ball past him. As rare a scorer as Dobson, Albie managed a decent celebration.

As did an ecstatic Valley, which was briefly able to forget that this brave result would have meant more if Charlton had done the business against Milton Keynes in midweek.

But that’s the way it is – there’s always a dark cloud inside every silver lining.

Charlton: Wollacott, Clare, Thomas, O’Connell (Lavelle 43), Egbo (Morgan 14), Rak-Sakyi, Fraser, Kirk (Blackett-Taylor 63), Dobson, Sessegnon, Stockley (Aneke 62). Not used: McGillivray, McGrandles, Payne. Booked: Dobson, Clare, O’Connell, Stockley, Garner-sent off.

Ipswich: Walton, Davis, Edmundson, Morsy, Wolfenden, Burns (Keogh 90), Chaplin (Harness 71), Ball, John-Jules (Ladapo 71), Jackson (Edwards 71), Donacien. Not used: Hladky, Vincent-Young, Humphreys. Booked: Ball, Burns, Morsy, Walton.

Charlton Athletic 0 v 2 Milton Keynes Dons

Tuesday 25th October, Kick-off 19.45
EFL League One
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.50
Attendance: 12,328 (400 away)

For the third midweek in a row, I would have to head up to The Valley after work. But the previous two journeys up to SE7 have been surprisingly enjoyable, to the extent I was looking forward to this game, despite the prospect of again not getting home until after midnight, "on a school night".

After a dismal run of form for the Addicks, which saw no win in eight games resulting in a tumble towards the relegation places, the last fortnight has seen quite a remarkable turnaround. Three wins in a row, a 4-2 win at home to Exeter City, followed by an even more remarkable 3-0 win against Portsmouth at The Valley, and then on Saturday picking up an excellent an 0-1 victory away at Shrewsbury, lifting the Addicks up to seventh place in the table, just one place or two points off the play-off positions. And hopes were certainly high that that run could be extended this evening.

Milton Keynes Dons have been one of the surprise packages of this season, although not in the way they would like, as they came into this game bottom of the table, after only narrowly missing out on automatic promotion last season by just a point, and then bowing out in the semi-finals of the play-offs. But they came into this game in poor form, losing all five of their league games so far in October. Their overall record has seen them won just three and draw one of their 14 league games.

An official match report of this game can be read by clicking here, or copied and pasted below :-

Video highlights can be viewed by clicking here

Kevin Nolan’s Valley View: Charlton Athletic 0-2 Milton Keynes

The wheels fell off Charlton’s mini-revival last night with defeat at The Valley. KEVIN NOLAN was there to see it.

Charlton’s three-game winning streak, which had featured two buccaneering victories at The Valley, came to a shuddering halt on Tuesday evening, destroyed by a savvy Milton Keynes side which included in their ranks a contingent of Dad’s Army recruits.

Each of the old ‘uns made a significant contribution to a result that lifted MK off the foot of the League One table.

The seemingly endless one-club career of Dean Lewington, 38, has seen this estimable old pro add a few pounds here and there as he approaches 900 appearances.

He marshalled the visiting defence as they easily mopped up Charlton’s lumbering forays, hardly breaking sweat while calming nerves and smoothing one or two rough spots. Never ruffled, rarely in a hurry, he’s a chip off the still-functioning block which is his dad, the former Fulham midfielder Ray.

Ahead of Lewington in the heart of midfield, much-travelled Bradley Johnson, 35, put himself about, kept the ball moving – something Charlton miserably failed to do – and stepped up, with 12 minutes remaining, to put the seal on MK’s perfect evening by curling a magnificent free kick into the top right corner from fully 25 yards.

That Scott Fraser’s tackle on Dawson Devoy seemed eminently fair was clearly of no concern to the grizzled veteran.

A comparative fledgling at 31, Will Grigg struck the bar in the first half but was largely anonymous until midway through the second session.

Under Eoghan O’Connell’s thumb, he was freed from the Irishman’s grip when referee Neil Hair ruled that Ryan Inniss’ clumsy challenge on Louie Barry occurred inside, rather than quite obviously, outside Charlton’s penalty area.

From 12 yards, he made no mistake and celebrated with all the pent-up frustration he has no doubt nursed since being part of the Sunderland team which had their hearts broken by the Addicks three years ago. Revenge was long delayed but tasted no less sweet for that.

It came as a surprise to realise that Josh McEachran is still nine months short of his 30th birthday. He’s been around forever and has seen a fair bit. Probably in the early twilight of an up-and-down career, he can still produce an occasional killer pass, as he demonstrated with the glorious through ball which sent Barry goalside of Inniss to earn the contentious spot kick.

Insult was added to injury when a second yellow card brought dismissal for Charlton’s mammoth defender. For their part, Charlton were dreadful. Their manager Ben Garner’s puzzling decision to replace left back Steven Sessegnon with Sean Clare was hardly responsible for their turgid, laboured performance but it scarcely helped.

The uncomplaining Clare soldiered on but was clearly uncomfortable in his unfamiliar position. In front of him, young Tyreece Campbell did his best but was clearly out of his depth. He was replaced at half-time by Jack Payne with, it should be said, no marked improvement in quality.

On the opposite flank, meanwhile, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi was his, by now customary, mixture of mercurial ability and self-indulgent flashiness.

Wedded to the notion that playing from the back is the key to success, the Addicks struggled instead to cross the halfway line. The ball made its meandering way via Joe Wollacott to Inniss, square to O’Connell, back to Inniss, then for variety out to Clare or Mandela Egbo. Back again to Wollacott and repeat the process.

A total absence of momentum or pace made it easy for MK – even allowing for the old bones in their line-up – to insert spanners into their creaking works.

In an atmosphere more suited to a funeral parlour than the home ground of promotion aspirants, the first half petered out in subdued silence. Only when Nathan Holland outwitted Clare on the right byline before setting up Grigg to hit the woodwork was there even a hint of excitement.

It was quickly followed by the excellent, full-length save Wollacott made to deny Johnson’s well-struck effort to convert the rebound. The interval came as welcome relief to all but 400 of a disbelieving crowd.

🗣 'The game changed on the decisions but we needed to have more cutting edge'

Ben Garner on tonight's defeat to MK Dons.

🔴⚪️ #cafc pic.twitter.com/pQtRzNSzzA

— Charlton Athletic FC (@CAFCofficial) October 25, 2022

The opening stages of the second session offered false hope of improvement. During an all too brief flurry, Charlie Kirk’s low cross critically eluded both Payne and Jayden Stockley before Rak-Sakyi’s fierce drive was beaten clear by Jamie Cumming.

But the burst of aggression fizzled out and Wollacott was again called into action to keep out Holland’s accurate shot. Back went the Addicks into their cramped, crabbed shell, in thrall to a style which clearly doesn’t suit them but is all the rage these days.

The visitors found them easy to handle and fed on their errors. The penalty and the free kick which decided the issue were both harsh but were also the direct consequences of Charlton’s hubris. These were not the up-and-at ’em tactics that routed Exeter and Portsmouth, nor were they the pragmatic methods which registered their first away win of the season at Shrewsbury.

This was recourse to the unimaginative drawing board on which Charlton constructed a string of seven league games without a win.

Bang-in-form Ipswich are next up at The Valley on Saturday. If the Addicks get it right, they might have a surprise waiting for them because Garner’s men are just daft enough to see them off.

Might be an idea to stop horsing around in their own penalty area, though. Just saying…

Charlton: Wollacott, Egbo, Inniss, O’Connell, Clare, Rak-Sakyi , Dobson (McGrandles 82), Fraser (Morgan 80), Campbell (Payne 46), Kirk (Sessegnon 72), Stockley (Aneke 72). Not used: McGillivray, Thomas.

Booked: Inniss (2)-sent off.

Milton Keynes: Cumming, Lewington, O’Hora, McEachran (Burns 86), Grigg (Eisa 79), Holland, Johnson, Barry (Devoy 75), Harvie, Lawrence (Smith 85), Jules. Not used: Ravizzoli, Tucker, Dennis.

Referee: Neil Hair. Official attendance: 12,328 (400 visiting).

Cadbury Athletic 3 v 0 Coventry Alvis

Saturday 22nd October 2022, Kick-off 15.00
Les James Challenge Cup Round One
Cadbury Recreation Ground, Birmingham

Admission: £5.00

Programme: £1.50

Attendance: 78

It has long been on my "bucket list" to pay a visit to the rather unique venue that is the Cadbury Recreation Ground, but it has not been easy in recent years. With the ground not satisfying ground grading to host football within the National League System, the first team were compelled to groundshare at alternative venues in order to play at that level, and Birmingham would have been a long way indeed for me to travel to watch reserve team football. Prior to last season, the club requested voluntary demotion for their first team to Step 7, thereby enabling their first team to play again at the Cadbury Recreation Ground, only for lingering COVID restrictions meaning that it was soon deemed unsuitable to host games even at Step 7 and once again had to play at an alternative venue again after all last season. But with those issues satisfactorily resolved for this season, the Cadbury Recreation Ground is now able to host first team games once more, and I was delighted to book my ticket to Birmingham to finally pay a visit today.

After arriving at Birmingham Coach Station, I then walked to Birmingham New Street station, for a 15 minute train ride south to Bournville, from which the Cadbury Recreation Ground is about a ten minute walk. Entrance to the ground is immediately beyond an expanse of Cadbury factory and office buildings, down a short path from the passing road, shared with the route to the Cadbury World visitor attraction, until football spectators stop off at a wooden hut to pay for admission to the Recreation Ground and optionally for a programme. The setting of the Recreation Ground is serene and beautiful, particularly now in the autumn with the perimeter lined by colourful trees, but there is no doubt what the stand-out feature is - the imposing, immaculate and picturesque half timbered pavilion. Located behind one end, it dates way back to 1902, as part of the extensive facilities within the model village provided by Cadbury for their workers, with the pavilion constructed to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII. A tea bar operates from a ground floor window, next to the main doors leading to the changing rooms. An excellent elevated view of the action can be enjoyed up a flight of steps on a covered balcony, with several wooden benches available. Immediately next to the pavilion is a large uncovered terrace, to the same height as the first floor of the pavilion. Further, but much shallower, uncovered terracing stretches along most of one length, set some way back from the pitchside railing, and smart Cadbury buildings line this length. There is just hard standing, closely lined by trees, behind the end opposite the pavilion, while the remaining length is just grass, as the ground is shared with cricket. With no floodlights nor sufficient covered seating, there remains very little prospect of these grounds ever being in a position to host National League System football, and the first team would have to lead a nomadic existence once more should they decide to move back up to Step 6. But in many ways, the basic, traditional nature of the ground untainted by modern additions to tick ground grading boxes is exactly what makes the ground so appealing. 

Cadbury Athletic had a very impressive season indeed in 2021-22, going unbeaten throughout their campaign in the Midland League Division Two, winning 19 of their 28 league games, and won the Birmingham Saturday Vase. Despite remaining in the same division, this season hasn't been quite such plain sailing for them though, coming into this game in sixth place, having won five, drawn three and lost two of their ten games played so far, and have not win in the league since early September, drawing three and losing the other of their last four league games. Coventry Alvis also play in the Midland League Division Two but were down in 13th place in the 16 club division, following two wins and two draws from their opening nine league games, and their last league win stretches back even further, to late August. In a quirk of fate, today's two clubs met in another cup competition just last Saturday, in the Birmingham Saturday Vase, with Coventry Alvis winning at home on penalties after a 3-3 draw, thereby dumping the holders Cadbury Athletic out of this year's competition.

On a mostly cloudy day, but with bright sunshine breaking through regularly, this was a game which the home side mostly dominated, with it always looking likely that Cadbury would gain some revenge for last week's reverse. And on 31 minutes, they took the lead when a Coventry defender slipped and allowed a Cadbury player to gain possession, before a lovely low shot from the edge of the area went beyond the keepers dive and inside the far post. The visitors did come close to equalising within a minute, when a gentle cross came in from the left, the keeper seemed to have trouble judging the flight of the ball, and was relieved to see it hit the crossbar. But on 41 minutes, Cadbury doubled their lead when the ball was passed forward into the box to an unmarked team mate eight yards out, and he had the simple of task of slotting the ball past the keeper.

Last Saturday, Coventry Alvis came back from two goals down to eventually win the tie on penalties, but that never looked likely to happen again today. Cadbury looked comfortable in their lead, a saw a curling shot from the edge of the area come back off the bar on 63 minutes, but after a couple of other near misses, the home side put the outcome beyond all realistic doubt in the 77th minute when, following a jinking run into the box, a shot was parried by the keeper, only to bounce to the feet of another Cadbury player, who steered the ball home, to seal Cadbury’s progress to the next round.