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Charlton 0-1 Town
Saturday, 30th Nov 2013 17:03

Tommy Smith’s fifth minute header saw Town to their second successive away win as they left Charlton Athletic with a 1-0 victory. The Blues started strongly and once in front defended resolutely to secure the three points.

In front of a large and vociferous Town away following of 2,654, Aaron Cresswell’s return at left-back in place of Tyrone Mings was the only change to the team which lost 2-1 at home to Leicester last week.

Mings dropped to be bench alongside new loan signing Jordan Graham, while Paul Taylor missed out due to the shoulder injury suffered during last week’s 2-1 defeat to Leicester and Luke Hyam was also absent with a stiff back.

Town should have been ahead after a minute when Paul Anderson played David McGoldrick in one-one-one with Addicks keeper Ben Alnwick. The Blues frontman seemed to scuff as he shot and the keeper saved down to his left.

From the resultant corner Tommy Smith saw a goalbound near-post header saved. From the flagkick subsequent to that, Alnwick first saved Daryl Murphy’s header, then superbly stopped Christophe Berra’s follow-up, before Smith sent the loose ball over the bar.

Town continued their strong start and in the fifth minute they went in front. Cresswell whipped over a corner from the left and Smith nodded down and past the Charlton keeper to claim his second goal of the season.

Three minutes later, the home side threatened for the first time, the early stages having been all Town. After the Blues had failed to clear a corner, Yann Kermorgant sent the ball back in from the left and Dale Stephens flicked a header across the face of Dean Gerken’s goal and just past the post.

Jordan Cousins screwed a shot well wide on the quarter hour mark with the Addicks starting to have more of the game after taking an early battering from the Blues, who continued to look dangerous when in the final third.

On 23 Charlton right-back Lawrie Wilson, who had a trial with Town during Joe Royle’s time as boss, sent a dangerous low ball across the Blues area but no one was able to get a touch. For Town, McGoldrick’s 27th minute shot on the turn was blocked.

Cole Skuse prevented the home side from getting back on terms in the 29th minute when he got in ahead of Simon Church at the far post to nod Kermorgant’s cross from the right behind with the Welshman otherwise looking odds-on to head home.


Charlton were starting to look more threatening and on the half hour Rhoys Wiggins found space round the outside of Luke Chambers and hit a left-foot shot which Gerken palmed onto his right post. Berra reacted quickest to head the loose ball behind.

The Addicks dominated possession in the final quarter of an hour of the half, sending in one or two dangerous crosses but Gerken wasn’t seriously tested .

At the other end, the Blues continued to look threatening whenever they were in or around the area with the Charlton backline having had more than the odd moment of hesitation during the half.

Just before the whistle, Murphy cut in from the left and hit a low right-foot shot which Alnwick claimed with ease.

Town had started the half like a house on fire and could have been ahead before Smith’s fifth minute goal.

Having gone in front, the home side came more into it with the Blues largely content to sit back and repel Charlton’s attacks, something they had managed to do successfully at the halfway point.

Charlton skipper Johnnie Jackson hit the second half’s first strike. Berra did well to force the former Colchester midfielder wide and Gerken probably ought to have held on to his low strike from the left, the Blues backline eventually clearing.

The early stages of the second half were much like the end of the first with Town sitting deep and looking to catch the opposition on the break.

There was a scare for the home side on 50 when Dorian Dervite’s mis-hit clearance almost played McGoldrick in on goal but it had just a little bit too much on it. The Addicks’ defence was continuing to have more than its fair share of shaky moments.

Within a minute, Anderson shot into Alnwick’s arms after being teed up by McGoldrick on the edge of the box.

Gerken palmed behind Wilson’s difficult cross as the game reached the hour mark, then saved Bury St Edmunds-born Michael Morrison’s header from the resultant corner.

The ever-threatening McGoldrick saw a 62nd minute shot deflect through to Alnwick from the edge of the box after good work from Anderson. Six minutes later, Stephens shot powerfully but well over for the Addicks.

After Charlton boss Chris Powell had swapped Church and Jackson for Joe Pigott and Danny Green, Cameron Stewart struck a low shot to Gerken’s left from 25 yards which the Town keeper claimed at the second attempt.

On 71 Jay Tabb was booked for a foul on Kermorgant, then Frank Nouble and Carlos Edwards replaced Murphy and Anderson for the final 16 minutes.

Pigott whipped a low ball across the Town box from the right in the 76th minute which reached Stewart wide on the left, the on-loan Hull City man hitting a low strike from a tight angle which Gerken saved with his foot.

As the game moved into its final eight minutes Dervite stuck out a toe to stop Skuse’s pass from playing Nouble through on goal. On 84 Stephen Hunt replaced Tabb.

As the PA announced four minutes of injury time Kermorgant sent the ball in from deep but no one was able to get a touch and it bounced harmlessly past Gerken’s left post.

Referee Scott Duncan angered the home crowd deep into stoppage time when he pulled back play for a foul when Stewart looked to be away on the left and in on goal.

From the contentious freekick, Morrison clashed with Berra after the ball had gone out of play leading to a flashpoint involving most of the players in front of the Town support. Morrison and Nouble had their names taken.

After order had been restored, Charlton failed to threaten again in the remaining moments and the Blues secured their second away win in two games, their only two victories on their travels this season.

Having started the game well on top and after scoring the early goal, it was a determined rearguard action for the most part with the uninspired home side unable to break down the Blues’ backline, who recorded their first away clean sheet of the season.

Two home games in the next week against Blackburn and Huddersfield now give Town a good chance to build on today’s win and push on up the table towards the play-off places.

Town: Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Anderson (Edwards 74), Skuse, Tunnicliffe, Tabb (Hunt 84), McGoldrick, Murphy (Nouble 74). Unused: Loach, Wordsworth, Mings, Graham.

Charlton: Alnwick, Wilson (Sordell 86), Wiggins, Morrison, Dervite, Stewart, Cousins, Stephens, Jackson (Green 68), Kermorgant, Church (Pigott 69). Unused: Pope, Wood, Evina, Hughes. Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland). Att: 16,645 (Town: 2,654).


Photo: Action Images



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blueboy1981 added 17:06 - Nov 30
....... well done everyone - good result - important 3 points.
Maybe one day we will push on when we take the lead !! - we're not good at sitting back / backing off.
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HALLSJ added 17:11 - Nov 30
Excellent following, good 3 pts need min of 4 pts from the two homes
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Langdon_Blue added 17:17 - Nov 30
Surprised to hear our current away form is the best it's been for 9 years! Great result and clean sheet. Could climb the table just as Mick requested, in our next two matches..COYB!!
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parhamblue added 17:18 - Nov 30
A McCarthy win if ever there was. Narrow away win. Echoes of last season?
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bluehaze added 17:19 - Nov 30
Win sets us up for2 winnable home games well done lads wasn't a convincing win against a poor side and still leaves many questions about our paceless and uncreative midfield but we are hard to beat and with a bit of tinkering in January who knows
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JWM added 17:22 - Nov 30
A successive Away win and a welcome clean sheet. Keep grinding the results out Mick! Only 4 points off the play offs now!

And there are some on here who reckon we are doing worse than last year!

Well pick the bones out of that!
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warksonwater added 17:24 - Nov 30
While home form has dipped badly (one point from last nine) away form has taken off! Get the home form back and we'll be all right.
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tractorfact added 17:25 - Nov 30
great win lads
Charlton is a derby game for me as its local
cant be more happy than beat these *****
great following
lets hope we can push on
Beer tonight me thinks
2 away wins on the spin, its like buses now
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Wickets added 17:26 - Nov 30
Great result great support from our brilliant traveling fans but why oh why did we sit so deep second half.
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jas0999 added 17:28 - Nov 30
Good result. Was hoping for a win today and the team have delivered. Interesting that our next two opponents currently have the same points as us. If we can win both we'll certainly be in business! However, four points would still be a good return.
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StochesStotasBlewe added 17:30 - Nov 30
Good 3 points. Hopefully can push on in the next 2 home games. Expect to see Titus back in a Town shirt soon people.
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SheffieldBlue1 added 17:33 - Nov 30
Holding onto a lead for 85+ minutes is the main thing to take away from todays game. That hasn't happened in a very, very long time!
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irishtim added 17:33 - Nov 30
Let's build on this now. Playoffs may be a possibility. Promotion however would be a season too soon. Would take it though. Steady progress i think.
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milliem added 17:36 - Nov 30
It's quite ironic that Scott Duncan was the referee.
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TimmyH added 17:44 - Nov 30
Yep nice to see back to back away wins, I didn't fancy Charlton to win today as it's not often you see a bottom half team pick up 6 points within a week. Sounded like we played quite well first half but Charlton as mentioned in a previous thread not up to it attacking wise.
Great to see Tommy with another goal from one of our more consistent performers, just got to get our home form back now. Well done boys.
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Chicago_Blue added 18:05 - Nov 30
Shades of Birmingham away last season, when we went 1-0 up after 5 minutes and defended resolutely in the the 2nd half. We sat a bit deep for my liking, and defended what we had. I thought Charlton were quite easily there for the taking. Still, I'll take that.
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Michael11 added 18:06 - Nov 30
Superb result. Think anyone who says they were 100% confident we'd successfully hold on to a 1-0 lead for 85 minutes would be telling a bit of porkies! Hopefully this can kick start a busy christmas period and go on a bit of a run.
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bluemikey100 added 18:12 - Nov 30
love it back to the easy 1 -0 wins of last season lol cmon ref hurry n blow the final whistle
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oscarwhiting added 18:13 - Nov 30
Was at the game, was suprised( in a pleasant way) on how we started the game. Was very trusting and nervy to sit back for the rest of the game. I have no finger nails left after that. However, fantastic win against a side I expected us to beat. COYB!!!!
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oldegold added 18:14 - Nov 30
Good result - let's build on this with 2 home wins. Anything less wil not do.COYB !
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TractorBoy666 added 19:08 - Nov 30
Still on my home from the match! What a good result, I thought the game was going to turn out like the leicester game when we sat back at 1-0. It seems as though our away form is starting to become better than our home form. Great atmosphere as well today, Charlton were very quiet!
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KiwiTractor added 19:16 - Nov 30
Well done lads, great to see a clean sheet. Now lets turn our home form around too.
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Turkishblue added 19:35 - Nov 30
Great early present, two more this week would do nicely! Only 3rd clean sheet of season, maybe a few of the 1 - 0 grinders from last season could set us on our way to some consistency this year?
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WeirdFishes added 19:35 - Nov 30
IPSWICH ARE BETTER THAN EVERYBODY.
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runaround added 21:09 - Nov 30
Second away win on the trot! Now to get the home form sorted & we have a great chance to do this over the next week. I'm still not sure if this try to get an early goal & hold on is the best way to go about things but if we can keep winning then I will happily be proved wrong
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