Kevin Nolan’s Match Report: Oldham Athletic v Charlton Athletic (7/04/2012)

Oldham Athletic 0 Charlton 1 (Kermorgant 49).

Kevin Nolan reports from Boundary Park.

The first of three gruelling cross-Pennines treks which complete Charlton’s peregrinations up and down the green sward that is England, brought them to unlovely but loveable Oldham on Easter Saturday. The old town looked the same as they stepped down from the train, a battered relic of the palmy days when cotton was king, the mills were satanic and the exploited natives occasionally mutinous. They fought for their rights around these parts – Luddites, suffragettes and trade unionists among other turbulent protesters. Their legacy is everywhere.

On the face of it, Charlton’s assignment at dogeared Boundary Park didn’t seem too daunting. Out of touch with the play-offs but safe from relegation, the Latics suggested precisely the kind of obliging mid-table opposition promotion candidates dream about. The Addicks simply needed to slip into town, pick up the points and prepare for a much tougher Easter Monday task at home to relegation-haunted Walsall.

So much for expectations. The reality pitched Charlton into a riotous, titanic battle which featured three red cards and eleven yellow cards, besides raging fiercely until the last seconds of five added minutes ran out. And when this exercise in suffocating intensity finally ended, the nine-man visitors had clung to an uphill victory of inestimable value. Midway through a deceptively routine first half, to understate the case, that seemed unlikely.

The opening exchanges had been innocuous enough, with only an early chance missed by Scott Wagstaff and a caution issued to Jean Yves M’Voto for hacking down Yann Kermorgant, worthy of mention. Both Wagstaff and M’Voto were to feature heavily in later events.

A spirited but far from vicious encounter was beginning to settle down when deputy skipper Danny Hollands needlessly piled into Kieran Lee on the left touchline. Intent was irrelevant and a red card possibly justified. Deserved or not, the loss of their dynamic midfielder took the wind out of Charlton’s gathering sails in a game they simply had to win, with the hot breath of their relentless Sheffield pursuers singeing their neck. As they briefly wilted, M’Voto made it his business to generously even the odds no more than ten minutes later.

Apparently oblivious to his earlier yellow card, M’Voto again clattered into Kermorgant’s back, for the second time in the no-man’s land of the centre circle. His exagerrated disbelief when given his marching orders was comical – but hollow. The pendulum duly shifted in the league leaders’ favour.

Four minutes into the second half, M’Voto’s self-imposed absence in central defence returned to haunt the Lancastrians as Charlton grabbed the game’s only goal – and what a goal it was. Never reluctant to steam down the touchline, freewheeling left back Rhoys Wiggins was sent on his way by Dany N’Guessan’s astute pass and before running out of space at the corner flag, whipped over a juicy cross to the far post. Free from M’Voto’s attentions, Kermorgant stooped to guide a precise header beyond Dean Bouzanis’ left hand and give Oldham a lesson in devastating counter attacking.

Stung into reprisal, the Latics almost equalised immediately. A sweet exchange of passes between Robbie Simpson and Tom Adeyemi created room for the latter to shoot from 15 yards before the outstanding Leon Cort hurled himself into a key block. The big, commanding centre back repeated the feat in the closing stages to foil Adeyemi again.

A rousing game was rocketing along at breakneck speed when Wagstaff, already booked for tripping Harry Bunn, received a draconian yellow card from disciplinarian Trevor Kettle for a patently accidental foul on Dean Furman. Charlton’s hardworking wide man clearly slipped in challenging Furman, with a free kick no more than the Latics had coming. Once again, the pressure was on the visitors.

With the protection of Kermorgant’s priceless goal now the pressing priority, Matt Taylor was rushed in to complete a defiant back five as blocks, tackles and interceptions defied the desperate Latics. The thin red line wavered but held. They were magnificent.

Suspensions for Hollands (three games) and Wagstaff (one game) will hopefully be offset by the timely recovery from injury of captain Johnnie Jackson and the welcome return to fine form of Dale Stephens. Jackson’s leadership has been missed, while Stephens added genuine non-stop effort to his subtle skills. Chris Solly and Wiggins were again impeccable full backs, Cort overshadowed even the formidable Michael Morrison, whose last minute booking for a foul on substitute Oumare Tounkara was the act of a bone-weary player. Behind the best defence in League One, Ben Hamer put neither foot nor hand wrong. And no doubt, Bradley Wright-Phillips, an unused substitute at Boundary Park, will return refreshed to torment Walsall at The Valley on Monday. A little sleight-of-hand might be required but the gaps will be shored up by a squad whose watchword is never-say-die resilience. Depleted as they were, they had no right to win at Oldham. But win they did for a record-setting 14th time away from home. They’re quite a side.

Oldham: Bouzanis, Lee, Brown, M’Voto, Diallo (Tounkara 78), Morais (Hughes 84), Adeyemi, Furman, Simpson, Bunn (Tarkowski 42), Kuqi. Not used: Gerrard, M’Changama.

Referee: Trevor Kettle.
Attendance: 3,641 (601 Charlton fans).