Kevin Nolan’s Match Report: Exeter v Charlton (04/02/23)

Exeter City 1 (Mitchell 31) Charlton 2 (Rak-Sakyi 8, Blackett-Taylor 18).

Kevin Nolan crossed swords with a not-so-magic stick to report Charlton’s eventful victory down in Devon.

They say crime doesn’t pay and they might have a point – up to a point. Saturday’s furtive hi jack of legitimate TV’s coverage of Charlton’s victory in Devon turned out to be fraught with problems but, let’s be dishonest, the handsome end justified the underhand means. If they’d lost, you might be reading a somewhat different story.

Settling down in a warm living room with the game playing out in front of us was clearly a sound idea, though it should be said the family was represented among the 1,057 hardy pilgrims who journeyed way out west. Just not by your reporter who chose the soft option and had no reason to question his judgement for all of five minutes. Then the picture froze and didn’t right itself until the ninth minute. But when it did, our profanity died in our throats because we learned, to our delight, that the Addicks were already in front due to a contender for Goal of the Season.

Replays of Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s wonder strike confirmed that the spadework was provided by Scott Fraser’s check-out pass back to George Dobson, supporting intelligently as usual. The skipper glanced up, computed the speed and direction of Rak Sakyi’s run behind a startled defence and delivered an exquisite ball over the top. Meeting the pass smoothly, the Crystal Palace loanee detonated a toothsome left-footed volley past the helpless Jamal Blackman. Missing the goal live seemed a small price to pay for being in the lead so early on. And, anyway, we consoled ourselves that Rak-Sakyi’s moment of magic was not only indelible but available to watch again and again, despite being shabbily treated by technology in its immediate aftermath.

Shortly after, the gremlins struck again. This time, the action hip-hopped forward, stuttered feebly, then limped on unwatchably before resuming normally some fifteen or so minutes later. Pulling itself together, it informed us that the score was now 2-1 to the Addicks but we had to wait until the interval before discovering that Corey Blackett-Taylor had doubled our lead with another superb goal but that the Grecians had promptly replied through Demetri Mitchell, hurried on as a 26th minute replacement for Jack Sparkes. It was a bit deflating but it was what it was and we were, after all, still in front.

Blackett-Taylor’s strike, while not quite as sumptuous as Rak-Sakyi’s, was still something to write home about. Picked out by Lucas Ness’ devastating through pass, Rak-Sakyi’s alter ego shook off the attentions of Jake Caprice, steadied himself and drilled a low shot
beyond Blackman’s reach. It makes sense to utilise the pace of Charlton’s twin-speedsters with this kind of direct service; hopefully the penny drops and their success spells the decline of all that “playing out from the back” Russian Roulette. It won’t be missed.

Exeter’s riposte, scored just past the half hour and only five minutes after Mitchell appeared, somewhat tarnished the glittering contributions made by Dobson and Rak-Sakyi to the marvellous goal they’d concocted between them. Dobson was initially his tenacious self in containing Caprice near the right corner flag but was fooled by the right wingback’s elusive turn and failed to prevent him crossing powerfully to the far post. Sturdier support from otherwise impressive debutant Gavin Kilkenny might have bailed him out but was not forthcoming.

Brushing in front of an inattentive Rak-Sakyi, meanwhile, Mitchell contrived an excellent finish on the volley and City were back in the hunt. “They scored a really poor goal,” lamented Dean Holden, “we don’t stop the cross and he strolls in at the back post. It’s too easy from us and the crowd got lifted a bit.” His reaction, while understandable, conveniently airbrushes the excellent combination between Caprice and Mitchell. But Holden’s irritation at City’s goal pales into insignificance alongside rival manager Gary Caldwell’s dismissal of Charlton’s brilliant one-two as merely the result of defensive errors. Of course they were, Gazza…

The second half brought improved on-screen coverage of what developed into a scruffy, attritional scrap between disappointing mid-table foes. Chances were rare, the best of Charlton’s created for Blackett-Taylor by Matt Penney and Rak-Sakyi but alertly smothered by Blackman. Holden’s men were almost coasting to the finish line when a late flurry by the Grecians came close to pegging them back. First Jay Stansfield, scorer of a magnificent goal at The Valley in October, blasted wide from 20 yards, before Ashley Maynard-Brewer did his bit in added time by plunging to his left to turn aside a venomous half-volley from substitute Harry Kite. An equaliser then and the air would have turned blue again while our technology’s final prank was to freeze Steve Brown in mid-flow back at The Valley studio. And he was making perfect sense at the time.

Exeter: Blackman, Caprice, Sparkes (Mitchell 26), Hartridge, Harper (McDonald 71), Collins (Kite 71), Stansfield, Nombe, White (Scott 80), Aimson, Sweeney. Not used: Woods, Chauke, Diabate. Booked: Stansfield, Kite.

Referee: D. Bourne. Att: 7,685 (1,057 visiting).