Charlton 3 (Inniss 17, Blackett-Taylor 31, O’Connell 67) Portsmouth 0.
A temporarily indisposed Kevin Nolan watched the rout of Portsmouth on the telly at home. Here’s his version of events.
An evening that began unpromisingly as Portsmouth bossed the initial quarter hour turned unexpectedly into an explosion of joy, both at The Valley and in a living room in Grove Park. Clinical and ruthless, Charlton subdued a sizeable away support with two first half goals at the Jimmy Seed end, applied the coup-de-grace midway through the second period, then cruised to victory with something to spare. In doing so, they left the impression that they have more about them than their frequently witless performances have implied so far this season.
On Monday evening before the Sky cameras, manager Ben Garner absorbed the wretchedly ill-timed loss of teenage sensation Miles Leaburn who, after opening the scoring in the 4-2 thrashing of Exeter City, sustained ligament damage which will sideline him for several weeks, and made intelligent use of his resources. Corey Blackett-Taylor came in for Leaburn and rose superbly to the occasion while a rejuvenated Charlie Kirk pushed up in support of Jayden Stockley and, in addition to supplying a sublime pass for Blackett-Taylor’s goal, reminded us why Charlton were so keen to recruit him. There is, hopefully, much more to come from the elegant wide man.
While acknowledging the excellence of Blackett-Taylor and Kirk, this game was decided in central midfield where the formidable duo of George Dobson and Scott Fraser were in commanding form. It almost goes without saying that Dobson did more than his fair share of the nuts-and-bolts toil in Charlton’s engine room. He was overshadowed, however, by the supremely talented Fraser, who added bite to the repertoire of passes, both short and long, which stretched the visitors often to breaking point. Two setpiece assists crowned the matchwinning contribution of the Scottish midfield general.
Portsmouth were businesslike but punchless during their brief period of domination. Colby Bishop’s routine effort had hardly troubled Joe Wollacott before they were put in their place just past the quarter hour. Kirk’s short corner on the right set up an improved angle for Fraser to cross into the penalty area congestion, where towering Ryan Inniss overpowered ex-Addick Michael Morrison and headed down past Josh Griffiths. It was, as pointed out by our TV commentator, Charlton’s first goal of the season from a corner. With Inniss and Eoghan O’Connell joining Stockley to add muscle and aggression to the penalty area maelstrom, it shouldn’t be the last.
Pressing energetically and enthusiastically when out of possession, the Addicks snapped into tackles, hounded the South Coasters into errors and , frankly, drove them to distraction. Wingbacks Steven Sessegnon and Mandela Egbo were unrelenting in turning defence into attack, Blackett-Taylor’s pace was all but unplayable, but Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on the opposite flank too often spoiled promising solo runs by taking on one too many defenders and disappearing into cul-de-sacs of his own making. The kid’s a luminous talent and he’ll learn. Facing a tide of red, Pompey buckled under the pressure for a second time.
It was a sign of the visitors’ growing agitation that Josh Koroma’s careless ball in midfield bounced off Fraser and was pounced on by Kirk. Without hesitation, Kirk measured a raking pass inside an outwitted Connor Ogilvie for Blackett-Taylor to bear down on goal. With Ogilvie a rank outsider in the foot race, Blackett-Taylor’s marginally heavy touch offered Griffiths a fleeting invitation to leave his line, which the keeper declined, before the speedster slipped the ball through his legs to double a lead Charlton never looked likely to relinquish.
Comfortably in control, the Addicks game-managed the second half without feeling it necessary to resort to irritating time-wasting. They were clearly enjoying when the visitors imploded and gifted their tormentors a third goal which finished them off.
Combative and influential in Danny Cowley’s midfield, Marlon Pack represented his side’s best chance of an unlikely recovery. Already booked, however, the 31-year old academy graduate’s pointlessly violent challenge on Fraser left referee Dean Whitestone no alternative but to issue a second yellow card and send him off. Pack was no longer around to watch his victim flight the resultant free kick precisely on O’Connell’s head, leaving the big Irishman to finish in text-book style back across Griffiths into the opposite corner. There was clearly to be none of the customary anxiety associated with a Charlton victory, which didn’t stop your reporter from worrying anyway. It goes with the territory.
With two emphatic home wins sending them on their way, Garner’s rejuvenated men must now address their discouraging form on the road, starting with next Saturday’s tricky trip to Shrewsbury. Four points from seven away games is a miserable return and needs immediate redress. But the seeds of improvement have been planted at the Valley. It’s time they were sown elsewhere.
Charlton: Wollacott, Egbo, Inniss, O’Connell, Sessegnon (Clare 77), Blackett-Taylor (Morgan 70), Rak-Sakyi (Payne 70), Fraser (McGrandles 79), Dobson, Kirk, Stockley (Aneke 77). Not used: McGillivray, Campbell. Booked: Sessegnon, Dobson, Morgan.
Portsmouth: Griffiths, Ogilvie, Morrison (Swanson 46), Raggett, Robertson, Dale (Mingi 68), Pack, Morell, Koroma (Jacobs 46, Curtis 63), Bishop, Scarlett (Hackett 68). Not used: Oluwayemi, Pigott. Booked: Pack(2) sent off: Morell.
Referee: Dean Whitestone. Att: 13,456 (2,374 visiting).