Saturday 9th August 2025, Kick-off 12.30
EFL Championship
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £6.00 (incorporating club handbook)
Attendance: 21,778 (3,138 away)
A match report can be read by clicking here, also copied and pasted below
Brief match highlights can be viewed by clicking here
Late Knibbs winner as Addicks beat Watford
Charlton 1 Watford 0
Debutant Harvey Knibbs scored the winning goal in the fourth-minute of stoppage time in front of the Covered End as the Addicks marked their return to the Championship with a 1-0 win over Watford at The Valley.
It was no less than Nathan Jones’ side deserved in an exciting game in front of the highest attendance for a home opener at The Valley in 17 years.
Before kick-off both sets of fans joined with a minute’s applause in memory of Pierre Bolangi, Ethan Ade-Oduwale and Jorge Costa.
Nathan Jones handed debuts to five summer signings, as the Addicks began in a 3-5-2 formation, the same shape the Charlton Manager used last season.
As the teams kicked-off The Valley was full of excitement and a positive energy and the home side took that energy onto the pitch. Lloyd Jones, who scored the Addicks' first goal of last season, nearly did the same again within the first three minutes of the game. The centre-half beat his opponent to win the ball and released Rob Apter who got to the byline. The former Blackpool man dug out a right-footed cross but Lloyd Jones’ half-volley was saved well by Watford’s Egil Selvik.
The dangerous Apter then curled a shot just wide after some nice interplay with fellow debutant Sonny Carey.
Lloyd Jones forced another very good save from Selvik five minutes before half time when he leapt highest to get on the end of a whipped Apter free kick. The Watford stopper was at full stretch to his right to keep the scores level.
Kwadwo Baah had the visitors’ best chance of the half dragging wide from a tight angle just before the break.
After the Addicks had had the better for the first half, Watford nearly scored an opener two minutes into the second. Mamadou Doumbia had time on the left and fizzed a ball across goal which evaded the touch it needed from one of his teammates.
Charlton had a big appeal for a penalty when Josh Edwards beat Jeremy Ngakia to the ball and appeared to go down under the challenge of the Watford defender. Despite the home crowd’s loud appeal, referee Stephen Martin remained unmoved.
The Addicks came close just before the hour mark, Tyreece Campbell cut inside and drove at goal, Charlie Kelman’s clever flick at close-range was again well saved by Selvik.
With two minutes remaining, again cutting in from the right Apter unleashed a shot just wide of the Watford goal.
Both sides had late pleas for a penalty but again Stephen Martin waved away appeals.
Charlton got their winner four minutes into stoppage time. Conor Coventry’s deep corner from the right was headed back across goal by Lloyd Jones and Knibbs was perfectly placed to finish on the volley from close range.
The Addicks are back at The Valley on Tuesday for the visit of Stevenage in the Carabao Cup.
Charlton: Kaminski; Ramsay, Jones, Bell; Apter, Carey (Olaofe 86), Coventry, Docherty (c), Edwards (Gillesphey 80); Kelman (Leaburn 71), Campbell (Knibbs 80)
Subs: Mannion, A.Mitchell, Rankin-Costello, Anderson, Berry
Goal: Knibbs 90+4
Assist: Jones 90+4
Booked: Docherty 48 (foul on Sissoko)
Watford: Selvik, Ngakia, Keben, Kyprianou, Kjerrumgaard, Louza (Kayembe 72), Bola, Sissoko (c) (Grieves 72), Doumbia (Ince 72), Abankwah (Alleyne 87), Baah (Irankunda 63)
Subs (not used): Baxter, Semedo, Dele-Bashiru, Andrews
Booked: Kyprianou 25 (foul on Campbell), Baah 52 (foul on Edwards
Referee: Stephen Martin
Attendance: 21,778 (3,138 from Watford)
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