EFL League One
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.50
Attendance: 11,411 (833 away)
In what has been a very stop start season in terms of home games at The Valley, this would be my first visit in four weeks, and only my second visit since August. I had only missed one league game in that time, mostly thanks to the rail strike making it too difficult. And it is fair to say that this was a game that I, and plenty of other Charlton fans, went to with not much expectation of a positive result, with the team putting in some familiarly disappointing performances leaving the club much closer to the relegation zone than the play-off berths, and a worryingly toxic atmosphere was threatening to come to the surface - again, sadly all too familiar as a Charlton fan.
Charlton came into this game down in 18th place in the table, following just two wins but seven draws from their opening 12 league games. Since the last home game I attended, a thoroughly disappointing 1-1 draw against Forest Green Rovers, Charlton drew 1-1 at Fleetwood, lost 3-1 at Barnsley, drew 1-1 at home to Oxford United, and 0-0 at Lincoln City, with a 1-2 defeat to Colchester United in the Papa Johns Trophy between the Oxford and Lincoln games. And tonight's fixture threatened to be a difficult one indeed for the Addicks, against an Exeter City side who have made a great start to life in League One, promoted as runners up from League Two in the summer.They were in eighth place in the table, following five wins and three draws from their 12 league games, and had won their last two away games, with a home draw sandwiched between them.
A match report on the Charlton Athletic website can be read by clicking here, and copied and pasted below :-
Charlton 4 Exeter City 2
A returning Chuks Aneke sealed victory for Charlton, as the Addicks extended their unbeaten start to the season at The Valley with a 4-2 win against Exeter City.
Miles Leaburn netted his fourth league goal of the season and an Alex Hartridge own goal put Charlton 2-0 up in an impressive opening 25 minutes but Jay Stansfield's wondergoal meant it was a tense second half for the Charlton faithful until Aneke's strike six minutes from time.
Jack Payne gave the Addicks a fourth in stoppage time before a late, late consolation goal for Exeter.
It was Aneke's first football of the season, after picking up a calf injury in pre-season, and the striker made an immediate impact with his goal coming two minutes after coming onto the pitch.
Ben Garner opted for the same starting XI that began Saturday’s away draw at Lincoln City with Charlton once again lining up in a 4-4-2 formation.
Charlton started on the front foot, with the lively Jes Rak-Sakyi curling a shot wide in the third minute and Steven Sessegnon hitting straight at Jamal Blackman from outside the box.
When the Addicks took the lead in the 20th minute it was very much deserved. George Dobson chipped a pass in behind the Exeter defence and Leaburn beat the offside trap to get to the ball in the inside, left channel. The 18-year-old controlled beautifully, cut inside onto his stronger right foot and powered a shot at goal. The ball look destined for goal and took a small deflection giving Blackman no chance.
It was 2-0 five minutes later, when Scott Fraser did excellently to win a 50/50 ball just outside the Exeter area. His cross from the left was curled devilishly into a dangerous area. Jayden Stockley appeared to get a head to it and the ball the bounced in off Exeter defender Hartridge.
The Addicks continued to pass with pace and precision and when Stansfield pulled a goal back in the 37th minute, it was against the run of play. The goal itself though was a fantastic finish on the turn from 25 yards out.
In an end-to-end start to the second half, Stockley came closest early on, flicking a header at goal but Blackman was able to gather comfortably.
At the other end, the Addicks had to defend well with Sessegnon making a crucial late tackle to deny Stansfield a second and Mandela Egbo with a vital header at the back post.
The Addicks were given a scare when Jack Sparkes saw a shot cannon back off the crossbar 17 minutes from time.
Aneke sealed the win when a Dobson shot fell into the path of the striker, who calmly passed into the net to guarantee three points.
Charlton added a fourth in stoppage time, Payne powering a header home at the back post from an excellent Corey Blackett-Taylor cross.
Sam Nombe got a goal back for Exeter in the fourth minute of stoppage time when he converted a controversial penalty but it wasn't enough to prevent Garner's side securing an important three points.
Charlton: Wollacott; Egbo, Inniss, O’Connell, Sessegnon (Clare 66); Rak-Sakyi (Payne 76), Dobson, Fraser, Kirk (Blackett-Taylor 76); Stockley (c) (Aneke 82), Leaburn (Morgan 66)
Subs (not used): MacGillivray, McGrandles
Goals: Leaburn 20, Hartridge own goal 25, Aneke 84, Payne 90+1
Exeter City: Blackman, Caprice, Sparkes (Chauke 89), Hartridge, Harper (Kite 60), Collins, Stansfield, Nombe, Key, Brown (Cox 90+2), Sweeney (c)
Subs (not used): Brown, Smith, King, James
Goal: Stansfield 37, Nombe 90+4
Referee: Craig Hicks
Attendance: 11,411 (833 from Exeter)
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