Wigan Athletic 0 Charlton 1 (Jones 81)
An opening day victory on the road, which was bitterly contested by the losers until the dying seconds of seven added minutes, gave Charlton just cause for celebration. And it was rightly hailed by 862 travelling die-hards and some uncounted gogglebox witnesses, many of us grappling with the teething pains of technology’s newest offer in following the action. The finished article was hardly a treat for neutrals but, for Nathan Jones, represented a triumph of pragmatism over romance.
Put bluntly, this almost brand-new group of Addicks are clearly not about to be anybody’s patsies. Before Lloyd Jones’ sharp volley put them in front, they had already demonstrated that if a goal proved beyond them, a scoreless draw was their second priority. Jones (the manager) is turning them into a hardbitten side which takes care of each other. They weren’t concerned with aesthetics and admittedly didn’t show much creativity but this project was less about entertainment than survival. A solitary goal would clearly settle the issue and it was Charlton who came up with one. And they weren’t remotely flattered by this encouraging result.
Shaun Maloney’s Latics had an edge in possession and made more chances, few though they were. But under Greg Docherty’s captaincy, the Addicks hung in doggedly, soaked up moderate pressure and stayed in a dour game. Their “shall not pass” attitude was best exemplified by two contributions of daredevil defending which were, in their own way, as vital to the outcome as Jones’ 81st minute matchwinner.
Some ten minutes after the break, the visitors were outwitted by the devastating pass Will Aimson produced to send dangerous striker Theo Aasgaard through their defensive ranks and confront an advancing Will Mannion. As Aasgaard set himself to finish past the apparently helpless keeper, the ball was whisked off his toe by a desperately pursuing Kayne Ramsay, whose cleanly executed recovery tackle stopped him in his tracks. It was defending of the highest quality and was enthusiastically saluted by his relieved colleagues.
Less than a quarter hour later, with the home side ominously on top, more expert defending kept the scores level. On this occasion, Jordan Jones crossed accurately from the left to the far post, where Dion Rankine was poised to apply a telling finishing touch. As he prepared to lower the boom, there appeared under his nose a yellow-clad Addick, whose lung bursting intervention smuggled the ball to safety. The second superhero turned out to be Josh Edwards and, like Ramsay, he had earned the heartfelt gratitude of his teammates. It’s sometimes as much about preventing goals as scoring them.
Time will tell whether Charlton’s defensive renaissance is short lived or permanent but Jones has wisely scrapped the clearly daft policy of “playing out from the back” which caused more problems than it solved. There was little sign of it at the DW Stadium, where the visitors were unashamedly direct and uncomplicated. Relieved of the pressure of pointless possession, the defensive corps did what came naturally, cleared their lines cheerfully and turned to the likes of Ramsay and Edwards on the rare occasions when their cover was blown. It’s unscientific but also safe to say they would have lost this game a few months ago.
There is more to come, hopefully, on an attacking front. In the unrelenting Lancashire sun, Tyreece Campbell and Gassane Ahadme toiled thanklessly until relieved at the perfect, psychological point by Daniel Kanu and Chuks Aneke. It was almost possible to sense Maloney’s men wilt as the fresh newcomers set them new problems. Though neither Kanu nor Aneke contributed directly to Charlton’s winning goal, their role in a subtle (well, not exactly subtle) softening up process was invaluable.
The build up to the Addicks’ crucial goal was simple but effective. Wigan’s undoing began with Tennai Watson’s deep cross from the right flank which Callum Hughes inconclusively cleared to Lloyd Jones. The centre back’s reaction was instant and lethal, his crisp volley leaving goalkeeper Sam Tickle beaten on its way into the right corner. His breakthrough featured Charlton’s only shot on target but it proved enough in a game of few chances, the bulk of which fell the way of the frustrated Latics.
An early scramble involving Ahadme and Docherty had, in fact, been resolved by an earth bound Tickle before the home boys took over. They were unlucky to see Matt Smith’s effort ricochet wildly wide off Alex Mitchell and came close again when Aasgaard volleyed Luke Chambers corner narrowly off target before the break. Following resumption, Aasgaard’s free kick ricocheted dangerously over the bar but the visitors coped comfortably with Wigan’s increasingly feeble efforts. It wasn’t the perfect away-day performance but came close and will do until one comes along. Nathan Jones was obviously delighted and celebrated by picking up a booking.
Wigan: Tickle, Sessegnon (Ramsey 61), Aimson (Hughes 73), Kerr, Chambers, Adeeko, M. Smith (S. Smith 80), Sze (Jones 60), Rankine, Aasgaard, Hugill (Stones 73). Not used: Lonergan, Carragher. Booked: Hughes.
Charlton: Mannion, Alex Mitchell, Jones, Gillesphey, Ramsay (Watson 74), Docherty (Berry 90), Coventry, Anderson, Edwards, Ahadme (Aneke 74), Campbell (Kanu74). Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Edmonds-Green, Small. Booked: Anderson, Nathan Jones.
Referee: Adam Herczeg: Att: 9,564 (862 visiting)