Cambridge United 1 (Lloyd Jones 71) Charlton 2 (Leaburn 14, Rak-Sakyi 28).
Kevin Nolan hits the road again and sees Charlton exhibit symptoms of schizophrenia in Cambridge.
Beating both Morecambe and Cambridge United back-to-back within four days is nothing to brag about but it’s been Charlton’s failure to dismiss precisely this kind of opposition that has sentenced them to another season in the doldrums of League One.
The midweek demolition of Morecambe provided evidence that the Addicks, when in the mood, are streets ahead of most teams in the division and the same outcome can be expected when the Shrimpers visit The Valley in late April. Cambridge United, on the other hand, were good value for their 1-1 away draw, which they achieved in the same August week that Charlton destroyed automatic promotion candidates Plymouth Argyle 5-1. That pair of wacky results explains, in a nutshell, why this season is one which supporters will remember, if at all, with a mixture of irritation and frustration.
Saturday’s narrow victory over relegation haunted Cambridge displayed, within just one game, why Charlton are where they are. During the first half, they were quite brilliant and swept their hosts aside with confident, one-touch football. Passes were crisp and accurate, their movement suitably fluid and twice their finishing matched the silky build-up. Basking in such rare superiority, almost 1,500 camp followers applauded them off at half-time and looked forward to more of the same upon resumption.
They were in for disappointment because Dean Holden’s men were as bad during most of the second half as they had been good in the first stanza. United’s three interval substitutions had their effect but nothing explains why the cockahoop Londoners almost literally fell apart. Dithering between old-fashioned clearing of lines and the modern practice of “building from the back”, they seemed incapable for long periods of getting out of their own half. Where smooth contact from back to front had been maintained by the likes of Scott Fraser and George Dobson, with the accurate passing of Michael Hector and an impressively calm Ryan Inniss launching the process behind them, Charlton were panicked into mistakes and started to ride their luck. Cambridge began to smell blood. And when Lloyd Jones reduced their arrears with twenty minutes remaining, Charlton’s first half sashay on Easy Street turned abruptly into an undignified stumble down Skid Row.
Nothing in the first half prepared us for the Addicks’ baffling fall from grace. They were relaxed, graceful and more than worth the two-goal lead they took into the dressing room with them. It took them under a quarter hour to break through and it was no surprise that their scorer was the force of nature that is currently Miles Leaburn. Easing away from his marker as Jesurun Rak-Sakyi took Sean Clare’s raking pass in his stride and headed for the right byline, Leaburn was perfectly placed to sweep the winger’s cut back past ex-Addick Dimitar Mitov.
When Rak-Sakyi added a goal to his assist before the half hour, the Us were apparently heading for a hiding. Fraser and Albie Morgan stood over the free kick awarded for a foul on Leaburn near the right touchline. Fraser dummied a left-footed delivery but it was Morgan who sent a dipping ball to the near post where Rak-Sakyi nonchalantly flicked home his tenth goal of an uneven loan spell. He inspires frustration and admiration in equal measure but there’s no doubting Rak-Sakyi’s huge talent. The trick is to put it to practical use for the team’s benefit.
The untimely interval withdrawal of Leaburn with “minor ham string damage” robbed the visitors of their main attacking outlet. Fellow academy graduate Daniel Kanu stepped up to replace him but struggled to make an impact. A little easy to shunt off the ball, young Daniel is still a live prospect who needs patience and tolerance. And certainly not the abuse he receives from a few know-alls. He’s just a kid, for crying out loud!
As Charlton came under steady pressure, meanwhile, their rookie keeper, Ashley Maynard-Brewer, came into his own. His clean handling and calm demeanour were reassuring but it’s his ability to produce key saves that marks him as special. The youthful Aussie sprawled to his left to keep out Bennett’s corner-bound header but merely delayed the 71st minute goal, which turned an uncomfortable screw on his beleaguered team. Maynard-Brewer could do nothing to stop Jones’ acute-angled effort, which the defender improvised after Bennett helped on Jack Lankester’s left wing corner. Charlton’s first half stroll was no longer a pleasant memory but the home side, if truth be told, actually caused Maynard-Brewer only minor inconvenience as the half wore on.
Gradually but inexorably, order was restored and Charlton were unlucky not to increase their lead in the late stages. The industrious Morgan had been replaced by Gavin Kilkenny, who seized the opportunity to demonstrate his ability and stung Mitov’s hands with a venomous drive. Kanu had also not stopped battling and referee Edwards was the only witness not willing to testify that Seddon had applied an illegal choke-hold to subdue the youngster. Charlton and penalty – words you seldom see used in the same sentence.
So Charlton’s day-late, dollar-short season limps to its sorry conclusion in an atmosphere of depressing anti-climax. Too good to go down – not remotely good enough to go up, they’re in danger of becoming institutionalised in League one, a Jekyll and Hyde side with more of the latter than the former about it. It could be worse but it’s hard to to think how right now…
Cambridge: Mitov, Lloyd Jones, Brophy (Williams 89), Ironside, Mannion, Smith (Tracey 46), Lankester, Ryan Bennett, Morrison (Seddon 46), Knibbs (Worman 46), Liam Bennett. Not used: George Williams, Dunk, Yearn.
Charlton: Maynard-Brewer, Clare, Inniss, Hector, Thomas (Sessegnon 72), Morgan (Kilkenny 72), Dobson, Fraser, Rak-Sakyi (Bonne 90+1), Leaburn (Kanu 46), Campbell (Payne 79). Not used: Wollacott, Henry.
Referee: Marc Edwards. Att: 7,068 (1469 visiting).