EFL League One
The Valley. Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.50
Attendance: 13,816 (385 away)
With Charlton at home on Boxing Day this year, and not fancying the drive up to SE7, I travelled up on the Valley Express for this game, on a gloriously sunny but surprisingly very chilly day, for what would be my third visit to The Valley in nine days - after going the whole of November without any visits at all.
There were mixed emotions in the run up to this game. Charlton's league form has been woeful recently, with plenty of displeasure at how owner Thomas Sandgaard was running the club, and plenty of fears for the future of the club, both on and off the field. However, Charlton's heroic victory against Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup in midweek, followed by a plum draw away at Manchester United in the next round, has surely injected some much needed positivity amongst the beleagured players and fans. It would also be the start of a new era, of sorts, with this being the first game with Dean Holden in charge. The jury is very much out as to whether this will turn out to be a good appointment with Holden's managerial CV not looking that impressive - but in the modern day reality of Charlton as a bottom half League One club, ,with next to no money to spend in Sandgaard's policy of trying to break-even, this was probably the only type of appointment Charlton fans could realistically expect.
Holden certainly has a task on his hands. After the Addicks were looking towards promotion earlier in the season, attention is now far more focussed on survival, with just a four point cushion from the relegation berths, albeit Charlton do have a game in hand. Following last Saturday's disappointing 1-2 home defeat against Bristol Rovers, Charlton have won five and drawn nine of their 21 league games, and were winless in their last five league games, picking up just three points in the process. In theory, the ten point gap to the play-off positions is not insurmountable, with 25 league games left to play, but Holden would need to oversee a stunning run in the coming months to make that a reality. Peterborough came into this game in poor league form themselves, having lost their last four league games, with three of those away from home. They are still in a decent position in the league in eighth place in the table, just three points adrift of the play-off places, having won ten and lost ten of their 21 league games.
A match report can be read by clicking here, and copied and pasted below
Brief video highlights can be viewed by clicking here
Charlton 1 Peterborough United 1
Dean Holden began his reign as Charlton manager with a 1-1 draw at home to Peterborough United at The Valley.
The Addicks took an early second-half lead through Miles Leaburn and had two big chances to win the game either side of Jonson Clarke-Harris’ leveller. Despite a strong second-half showing from the Addicks, the draw was probably a fair result given the visitors themselves hit the crossbar twice and found Ashley Maynard-Brewer in inspired form.
In his first game in charge Holden handed a full league debut to Daniel Kanu, as he made two changes from the side that progressed past Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. The Addicks lined up in a 3-5-2 formation with Sean Clare returning from suspension to operate at right wing-back and Kanu joining Leaburn in a front two.
Charlton’s first look at goal came in the fifth minute when Scott Fraser had a shot from just outside the area which went just wide of the visitors goal.
The sides went in level at 0-0 at the half-time break and Charlton had Maynard-Brewer to thank for that. The Australian stopper pulled off an incredible double save to first block at the feet of Kwame Poku, before getting to his feet quickly to smother Joe Ward’s follow-up effort.
The closest the Addicks came to a first half goal was a wonderfully curled free-kick from Fraser, which went just wide of goal.
Charlton began the second half very well and the Addicks took the lead when Kanu picked up a loose ball on the left wing after good pressing from the home side. The academy graduate's left-footed cross was perfect for Leaburn, who got in front of his man at the front post and guided his header across goal and into the net.
The Addicks pressure continued and Leaburn was denied a wondergoal when he danced through the Peterborough defence but his effort was smothered by goalkeeper Will Blackmore.
Charlton could have gone two up in the 53rd minute in an excellent counter attack from a Peterborough corner. Jack Payne played in Clare who collected the ball just inside the opposition half to break through one-on-one. He managed the keep the chasing defenders at bay as he closed in on goal but his shot struck the post and bounced away to safety.
Posh levelled when Clarke-Harris headed home a deep corner at the back post in the 66th minute.
The Addicks had a big chance to win the game with 12 minutes remaining. Leaburn got on the end of a Jayden Stockley flick-on. The 19-year-old squared to Jes Rak-Sakyi who had time but placed his shot just wide of goal.
At the other end Peterborough were still a threat and hit the crossbar twice but neither side were able to find a winner as the two teams shared the points.
Charlton: Maynard-Brewer; Inniss, Lavelle, Ness; Clare, Dobson (c), Payne (Rak-Sakyi 74), Fraser (Henry 74), Sessegnon; Kanu (Stockley 74), Leaburn (Kirk 82)
Subs (not used): MacGillivray, Mitchell, Blackett-Taylor
Goal: Leaburn 49
Assist: Kanu 49
Booked: Dobson 44 (handball)
Peterborough United: Blackmore, Watts, Edwards, Kent, Fuchs (Kyprianou 71), Taylor, Clarke-Harris (c), Mason-Clark (Jones 71), Poku (Taylor 89), Burrows, Ward
Subs (not used): Bergstrom, Butler, Knight, Thompson
Goal: Clarke-Harris 66
Assist: Ward 66
Referee: Darren Drysdale
Attendance: 13,816 (385 from Peterborough)
No comments:
Post a Comment