Charlton 4 (Leaburn 20, Hartridge o.g 25, Aneke 84, Payne 90+1) Exeter City 2 (Stansfield 37, Nombe pen 90+4).
To a side as jaded recently as Charlton, the 82nd minute return of Chuks Aneke to their ranks was nothing short of galvanic. The big man brings charisma and quality with him; he’s the nightmare a tiring defence sees bearing down on them. Most of his 22 goals have been scored from the substitutes’ bench with, to date, only 19 starts for the Addicks.
By the time Aneke arrived on the scene, a late equaliser for Exeter was beginning to seem, if not inevitable, then at least likely. Until that is, two minutes after he relieved willing workhorse Jayden Stockley, his streaky goal turned that scenario on its head. It was hardly an object of beauty but it knocked the stuffing out of the visitors and confirmed Charlton’s first league victory since they crushed Plymouth Argyle on August 16th. Last summer, in other words, if your mind goes back that far.
Not that Charlton’s super hero was finished for the evening. In added time, he contributed to fellow substitute Jack Payne’s superbly headed goal before conceding a hotly disputed penalty at the other end. A brief, busy stint was rounded off by his participation in the traditional tunnel jump (alongside the excellent Mandela Egbo) which salutes home victories – richly deserved, of course, but possibly the cause of some medical wincing behind the scenes. No sense looking for injury, something that happens organically to Chuks.
Aneke’s eagerly awaited return promises to be perfectly timed because, on 66 minutes, The Valley groaned at the sight of Miles Leaburn limping painfully to the sidelines, to be replaced by Albie Morgan. A potent mixture of skill and power, the teenager had already made his mark with a terrific first half opener and had, at times, proved almost unplayable. His improvement has been dramatic and he seems on his way to emulating, if not overshadowing, his dad’s cult status hereabouts. And that’s saying something. In Leaburn Jr’s possible absence, Aneke will be expected to plug a heavyweight hole, not necessarily from the bench.
With more than one point to prove, the Addicks started brightly with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi curling narrowly wide, Steven Sessegnon shooting straight at Jamal Blackman and Egbo’s enterprising run being blocked by skipper Pierce Sweeney. At which point, two of Charlton’s outstanding performers during Black September combined to fire them in front. The early work was provided by George Dobson, selfless cleaner-up of messes made by other people, whose chipped pass over the top was expertly controlled by Leaburn in the inside left channel. Stepping inside on to his right foot, the 18-year-old hot prospect’s fierce drive beat Blackman, with slightly deflected assistance off Alex Hartridge.
The second blow in Charlton’s one-two combination followed promptly, with a slice of luck again playing its part. Scott Fraser, looking more the business with each game, crossed from the left, Stockley managed a plunging header and the wretchedly unlucky Hartridge turned the ball beyond Blackman. Luck was certainly favouring Ben Garner’s men but luck in football is something you learn to live with. Boom or bust, you could say it’s cyclical. Your turn comes round eventually.
Two down and ready to be polished off, the Grecians instead found their feet, fought back and reduced their arrears in fine style before the break. Scorer of City’s goals in their impressive 2-0 win at Barnsley on Saturday, 19 year-old Jay Stansfield is a chip off an old Exeter block and plays without inhibition as his father did before him. There was nothing on as Charlie Kirk’s clearance from Charlton’s penalty area was instantly returned and bounced inconclusively between players before Stansfield took the initiative. Turning sharply outside the penalty area, he computed distance and target precisely before unleashing a sumptuous volley, which gave Joe Wollacott no chance on its way inside the keeper’s right-hand-post. Some goal, kid!
The second half of this entertaining scrap largely belong to the Devonians until, that is, Aneke entered the action. Sessegnon’s fine recovery tackle foiled Stansfield as he prepared to finish Rakeem Harper’s raking pass, then Jack Sparkes’ long range rocket crashed against the underside of Wollacott’s bar, with the bounce favouring Charlton’s suddenly overworked keeper. Aneke duly appeared and the momentum changed abruptly.
Given a gladiator’s welcome, the Addicks’ prodigal son rose immediately to the occasion. Predatory as always, he was on hand to convert the rebound as Dobson’s tame shot was blocked in his direction. His flick then sent substitute Corey Blackett-Taylor clear to deliver a tailor-made cross which Payne bulleted home in the first of six added minutes. His influence at both ends of Charlton’s heavily watered pitch also included a hefty challenge on Sam Nombe, which was deemed illegal by referee Craig Hicks. Nombe picked himself up to convert a spotkick which changed nothing but the scoreline.
Time – and next Monday’s televised encounter with Portsmouth – will tell whether Charlton are on the way to turning this miserable season around. A single swallow might not make a summer but one win over a decent side like Exeter already warms the cockles with winter on its way. Maybe this season has a more pleasant twist in its tail. Or maybe not…
Charlton: Wollacott, Sessegnon (Clare 66), O’Connell, Inniss, Egbo, Dobson, Rak-Sakyi (Payne 76), Fraser, Kirk (Blackett-Taylor 76), Leaburn (Morgan 66), Stockley (Aneke 82). Not used: McGillivray, McGrandles.
Exeter : Blackman, Caprice, Sparkes (Chauke 88), Hartridge, Harper (Kite 66), Collins, Stansfield, Nombe, Key, Brown, Sweeney. Not used: Brown, Smith, Cox, King, James.
Referee Craig Hicks. Att: 11,411 (833 visiting).