Charlton Athletic 1 AFC Wimbledon 0 – Ricky Holmes produces quality free-kick to settle South London derby

Ricky Holmes scored a second-half free-kick as Charlton Athletic earned a first victory over AFC Wimbledon and extended their unbeaten run to seven matches.

It was a game which lacked quality attacking moments, apart from the decisive goal.

Charlton’s management team and players were unhappy that Barry Fuller’s foul on Holmes was given just outside the box by referee Ben Toner.

But it did not matter in the end. Anyone who thought Holmes would not chance his arm from a tight angle simply doesn’t know Holmes. He stepped up to curl into the roof of the net and beyond the despairing arm of Dons goalkeeper George Long.

Deji Oshilaja – promoted into the team in the absence of hamstring injury victim Will Nightingale – blazed a good chance over in the final quarter-hour mark just before the deadlock was broken.

George Francomb’s cross was headed onto his own crossbar by Chris Solly with six minutes remaining.

Wimbledon had defended valiantly, summed up by Darius Charles’ vital block when Tariqe Fosu met Jay Dasilva’s cross with a first-time volley around the hour mark.

Jake Forster-Caskey made a couple of vital challenges of his own, not least when he managed to snuff out the threat of Liam Trotter. earlier in the second-half.

Forster-Caskey sent a free-kick over the bar in the fifth minute from a dangerous position while down the other end Lyle Taylor crept in behind Ezri Konsa from Andy Barcham’s pass but thumped his strike first time past the near upright.

Charlton struggled to break down an organised Dons, Fosu produced an inviting cross late in the first-half which none of his team-mates were able to get the finishing touch to.