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).