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Charlton Athletic 2-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Tuesday, 7th Dec 2021 21:47

Interim manager John McGreal’s first game in charge of the Blues ended in a dismal 2-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic. The Addicks went in front on 26 via Jayden Stockley before Alex Gilbey sealed the points late on, however, but for goalkeeping heroics from Christian Walton the margin of defeat might have been more comfortable.

George Edmundson, Kane Vincent-Young, Lee Evans, Sone Aluko and Kyle Edwards returned to the Town side.

Edmundson, who missed out at the weekend with an achilles problem, joined Toto Nsiala at centre-half with Vincent-Young at right-back, Janoi Donacien moving to left-back for the first time for the Blues and Walton in goal.

In midfield, Evans rejoined skipper Sam Morsy in the centre of midfield with Aluko on the right and Edwards on the left and Scott Fraser the number 10 behind former Charlton striker Macauley Bonne.

From the side which drew 0-0 with Barrow on Saturday, Conor Chaplin, Idris El Mizouni and Cameron Burgess were on the bench, while Bailey Clements and Kayden Jackson were left out of the 18.

Bersant Celina was again absent having suffered a knock in training at the end of last week, while young midfielder Cameron Humphreys kept his place on the bench having impressed as a sub on Saturday.

For Charlton, skipper Jason Pearce returned to their back three after a knee problem, while keeper Craig MacGillivray also came into the side for former Blues loanee Stephen Henderson, who started Friday’s 2-0 FA Cup victory at Gateshead.

Among those watching from the stands was former Waterford manager and one-time QPR midfielder Marc Bircham, who has been linked with the Blues’ management vacancy having worked as assistant boss at Arizona United five years ago, the club now known as Phoenix Rising, the club in which Town’s Three Lions are co-owners.

It’s believed he was at the game under his own steam rather than having been invited by the Blues.

Town, in their white and black away kit, started strongly with Aluko missing his kick when well placed after a ball from the left came in in the third minute.

The Addicks’ first chance came a minute later when one-time Blues target Conor Washington tried to catch Walton off his line but sent the ball into the 3,000-plus Town fans behind the goal.

On six, applause rippled around the ground in tribute to six-year-old Birmingham supporter Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, who was killed by his father and step-mother, with a number of players joining in ahead of a throw-in.

Keeper Walton confidently caught balls into the box from a corner and a free-kick and looked to throw out as quickly as he could - something he hadn’t done in previous games - but with Aluko and then Bonne unable to profit from it.

After Town’s bright start, Charlton had begun to gain the upper hand and on the quarter hour Ben Purrington’s free-kick from the left flashed across the Blues box but with Gilbey unable to get a touch.

In the 24th minute, Diallang Jaiyesimi headed over the bar at the far post from Purrington’s cross.

And a minute later, the Addicks went in front. Washington burst into the box on the left - with Town arms raised for offside -cut in and hit a shot which Walton did well to save. However, the loose ball fell to Stockley, who slammed home.


Town protests continued and they looked to have a case but neither referee Christopher Sarginson nor his linesman showed any interest.

Donacien was shown the first yellow card of the game in the 29th minute for a foul on Gilbey.

Having gone behind, the Blues found themselves somewhat under the cosh with the home side visibly more confident having gone in front.

On the half hour, Stockley shot across the face of goal, Walton saved and the loose ball ran agonisingly behind Washington before being cleared.

Five minutes later, Elliot Lee sent Washington way but the Northern Ireland international found Nsiala in his way.

Town were showing little threat going forward. Aluko took too heavy a touch when breaking away down the right and the ball was put out for a throw.

On 41 Evans headed over from the Blues’ first corner of the game, taken by Aluko on the right, when he will feel he might have done better.

As the break approached Town began to get on top and in the final scheduled minute Fraser played a superb ball in from the left but which was just too far in front of Bonne for the striker to get in a shot.

Moments later, an Evans shot from the edge of the box was deflected out for a corner from which Nsiala nodded wide at the back post.

Soon after, the whistle confirmed the end of a half in which the Blues had started strongly before Charlton got on top and scored their goal with Town looking to have a strong case that it was offside.

The Addicks might have added to their lead having been well on top following the goal but the Blues came back into it in the minutes before the break.

Charlton were first to go close in the second half, Washington took too long over his cross and Donacien blocked but the ball looped into the area to Purrington at the back post but Walton did superbly to save his header at point-blank.

Town’s start to the second half was summed up when Edwards stopped his 55th-minute ran as Fraser played it into the space he had been breaking towards.

Charlton continued to press at the other end and went close on 58 when Jaiyesimi crossed from the right to the far post from where Purrington nodded back across to Lee, who headed over from close range when he will feel he should have done better.

Town’s first chance of the half came on the hour when a free-kick from deep on the left reached Nsiala at the far post but the centre-half’s header bounced harmlessly wide.

Fraser saw a shot blocked on the edge of the box following a rare well-constructed Town move in the 62nd minute.

The former MK Dons man was swapped for ex-Charlton striker Joe Pigott, who joined Bonne up front.

Soon after the change, Walton did well to bat away Lee’s shot from the edge of the area, then on 67 the keeper saved from Sean Clare.

Two minutes later, Aluko reacted angrily to a Pearce challenge on halfway, the Charlton man receiving a yellow card… As the Blues prepared to take the free-kick, the Nigerian international was switched for Chaplin and Charlton replaced Jaiyesimi with Jonathan Leko.

Charlton continued to look the more likely scorers of the second goal and on 71 Gilbey somehow shook off a number of Town defenders before his shot was blocked by Nsiala.

In the 79th minute, after Evans had been dispossessed in a promising area on the edge of the Charlton box, the Addicks broke quickly and Washington took the ball into the area on the left before hitting a shot which Walton, the Blues’ man of the match, saved brilliantly with his left foot.

Walton made another stop, this time diving away to his left to paw Washington’s hook goalwards wide following a free-kick on the left.

Humphreys was handed his league debut on 81, replacing Edwards on the left of midfield. Moments later, Purrington shot over for the Addicks, who really should have had the game well won.

Leko was next to force Walton into a save, cutting in from the right and stabbing a shot which the keeper did well to block.

A second Charlton goal had long been coming and it finally came in two minutes from the end. Gilbey broke into the area on the left before beating Walton.

The referee’s whistle confirmed that the three points would go to the home side, who had been the better team from the early minutes onwards.

A thoroughly poor night from Town who deserved to take nothing from the match and Charlton should have sealed their victory well before the 88th minute, only poor finishing and Walton’s heroics in goal having prevented them from doing so.

The Blues started the game in a positive manner but once the home side, backed by a large and noisy crowd, got on top and had gone in front, Town never looked like taking anything from the match.

The visitors looked a shapless side thoroughly lacking in confidence and direction after recent results - they are now won one in six in all competitions - and former manager Paul Cook’s sacking at the weekend.

At the whistle, the Blues support made their feelings clear with Nsiala similarly making his thoughts known to a fan before being joined by Walton, who then was physically confronted by another supporter, who was dragged away by stewards as the Town defender was ushered away from the area.

Interim manager McGreal has a lot of work on his hands ahead of Saturday’s trip to fourth-placed Wigan Athletic.

Charlton: MacGillivray, Clare, Pearce (c), Famewo, Jaiyesimi, Gilbey, Dobson, Lee, Purrington, Stockley, Washington. Unused: Henderson, Elerewe, Souaré, Watson, Kirk, Leko, Davison.

Town: Walton, Vincent-Young, Nsiala, Edmundson, Donacien, Evans, Morsy (c), Aluko, Fraser (Pigott 64), Edwards, Bonne. Unused: Hladky, Burgess, Penney, El Mizouni, Humphreys, Chaplin. Referee: Christopher Sarginson (Staffordshire). Att: 26,376 (Town: 3,159).


Photo: Steve Waller



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BromleyBloo added 21:48 - Dec 7

Awful! No improvement, in fact worse - shambolic, just nothing. Scrappy start with first 10 mins fairly even, but after that Charlton much the better side. We offered nothing and no one looked like they could create anything - most of them looked as though they'd never been on a football pitch before………….

Donacien bad, Aluko poor, Morsy poor, Bonne poor, Edwards poor, actually everybody poor/pathetic and missing in action……..except for Walton who stopped it being 4 or 5 nil………….

No reaction at all - just lost and disinterested. Christ, can it get any worse……….

COYB!!!
29

Tractorboy58 added 21:48 - Dec 7
A bunch of frauds wearing the shirts !
34

RobsonWark added 21:49 - Dec 7
Charlton's first goal - School boy stuff from JD. ALWAYS play to the whistle! NEVER stop and put your hand up and try and claim offside especially when you don't know if another Town player is playing the Charlton player onside behind you.
13

BobbyPetta11 added 21:49 - Dec 7
Disappointed to see JM stick with Cooks formation from the start? It clearly hasn't worked all season ?

Not 1 shot on target in a league 1 fixture with the transfer kitty we had this summer ?

Luis Suarez sorry I mean Conor Washington was MOM I'm not sure he actually done anything but spin and run in behind our back line is a disgrace.

Bring in John Terry he can sort the back line out and he will have lots of loan options for very good Chelsea youngsters
-4

stocktractor added 21:49 - Dec 7
Neil warnock please.
0

fallguy1234 added 21:49 - Dec 7
Don't deserve to wear the shirt! Disgrace to the club. No effort or desire.
33

multiplescoregasms added 21:50 - Dec 7
What a shower of 5hit. You should be embarrassed. 3000 supporters and you serve up that crap.
39

RobsonWark added 21:50 - Dec 7
Mike Ashton says we have the best squad of players in League 1. Really? How do you back that up Mike? Another clear out needed in January.
18

Tractorboy58 added 21:50 - Dec 7
Time for Warnock to come in and shake this lot up !

0

OliveR16 added 21:50 - Dec 7
An omnishambles. Never in the game. Lucky it stayed under 5-0. If the owners thought they'd pulled of a great trick with a sacking they'd better think again. And we'll be in League 1 - or lower - next season for sure, so they may as well have given Cook a chance.
0

RobsonWark added 21:51 - Dec 7
The worse game of the season. No fight. No guts. Men v Boys tonight.
27

RobITFC added 21:51 - Dec 7
Pathetic!
19

TimmyH added 21:51 - Dec 7
Well that performance will concern our US owners - completely outplayed, out passed, out fought with us offering nothing not even a shot on target!! Defensively poor across the entire backline but that lets Morsy and Evans off the hook who contributed very little.

With each game that passes of recent times our stock of 'superstar' league one players lose less and less credibility...a change of formation is a must for me and certainly a few players who have consistently been played and add nothing i.e. Evans, Edwards, Fraser etc.

Feel most sorry for the fantastic away support...should be given their money back!
25

RobsonWark added 21:51 - Dec 7
Seriously - what is the point of Fraser? Can't tackle, can't shoot, can't complete a pass, can't dribble and take on players with the ball, can't header, can't do fluck all.
20

Saxonblue74 added 21:52 - Dec 7
Utter dross. Worse than anything we've seen under PC. Not one shot on goal and Walton our MOM which is always a sign of a team in trouble. Appalling timing to sack a manager just 3 weeks before a new window. There isn't a manager on the planet who can identify our issues in that time and make signings accordingly. #packoutpr? It's going to be #p**soffpr by the looks of that!
13

Chris_Knights added 21:52 - Dec 7
The 15 years of steady decline continues …
21

DaGremloid added 21:52 - Dec 7
Tonight was no surprise to me. Cook may have gone but his average team are still there. It seems that not only was Cook inept as a coach but his signings (bar 1 or 2) were suspect as well and not as good as we'd been led to believe. I hope things will pick up, especially when a new manager arrives, but I think we'll be haunted by the ghost of Paul Cook for a while longer yet.
16

RobsonWark added 21:52 - Dec 7
Walton easily Town's MOM. If it wasn't for him the score line would have been really embarrassing!
17

Help added 21:53 - Dec 7
With the players prior to cook we as fans said we had the quality to get back out of Div 1 back into the Championship. That did not happen, we changed the manager and Cook could not get the same players to work for whatever reason. Cook got his own players and on paper we all thought we should do well in this league and we are not. McG some strange decisions with Donacien at left back, but the players once again for another game do not look capable. Same players , same problems. Not getting to the second ball. Overrun and I do not think the players have the mental ability to perform. Morsey said they did not perform for the old manager and they did not tonight, so for me it is down to the players inability.
15

martin587 added 21:53 - Dec 7
Not one shot on target just about sums us up.Not good enough.
17

BcarefulwhatUWish4 added 21:53 - Dec 7
Worst performance of the season I'd say and that includes the Bolton game. Walton made sure it wasn't a 5 or 6 goal margin so great performance from him. Rest of team....dearie me...
25

runaround added 21:54 - Dec 7
So the senior players told Ashton yesterday that the season is not dead yet. Looks like they're trying to kill it off as soon as possible! Massively underperforming squad who have cost their manager his job and almost appears to be sulking. They need to up their game immediately
26

Cookycrew added 21:54 - Dec 7
COOK Out????? .... Yeah that was such a great decision wasn't it....
0

Mariner1974 added 21:54 - Dec 7
Ok I was wrong. It was square pegs...Donacien looked terrible at left back. We should have been playing Penney there. Morsy and Evans were terrible. Completely over run by their midfield and looked like they were sulking and wanted to lose the game for Cook. Especially Morsy (who I've liked since he's been at the club). Charlton outplayed us, and good on them. They should have been out of sight well before the end, if it wasn't for some great keeping from Walton. Bonne was starved of the ball. Fraser was a major let down again, and looked completely off the pace yet again. Painful to watch, but then it goes one way or another that first game after a sacking. The players either show fight and spirit and put on a performance, or they play like headless chickens and young boys. Wish McGreal and co could get a full week with them to drill them, but we only have 3 days til Wigan. Hopefully Evans and Morsy will want to prove a point against there old club or I'm in for a tedious weekend having to listen to my smug Wigan mate who's only supported them since he was in his 20's.
12

londontractorboy57 added 21:55 - Dec 7
Mickma is available our most successful manager in the past 10 years
-18


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