Four takeaways from Charlton’s 1-1 draw with Wycombe: Addicks should have killed the game off

Charlton were dealt a late sucker punch as Wycombe fought back for a 1-1 draw. Here’s Louis Mendez’s four takeaways from the clash at The Valley.

SHOULD HAVE KILLED IT OFF

A point was perhaps fair given the chances that either side created but Charlton will be hugely frustrated that they didn’t finish the game off early in the second half.

It took the Addicks 15 minutes to get going but Miles Leaburn edged them ahead moments after Albie Morgan had squandered a decent opening. Morgan made up for it with the assist for Leaburn to break the deadlock.

Wycombe grew into it and missed some good chances before the break – but it was Charlton who came out much stronger after the break. Jes Rak-Sakyi, twice, and Morgan were denied by Max Stryjek within 15 minutes of the restart.

But Charlton didn’t kill it off and were made to pay when Chris Forino headed home late on.

The Addicks are four unbeaten in League One but haven’t registered a win at The Valley since mid-January. Doesn’t massively matter, they’re still going to finish in mid-table.

LEABURN HITS 10 GOALS

That’s double figures now for young Leaburn. It really has been a fantastic debut season for the latest member of this Addicks dynasty. It’s also three in his last three games as well as the forward continues to get better and better.

It’s easy to forget that he wasn’t even the academy’s star striker last season but the way he has taken to senior football and improved as the year as progressed is so encouraging.

Comparisons aren’t always exactly like for like but if you were to look back at last year and Mason Burstow’s struggle to impact games, it makes it all the more impressive how someone of similar age in Leaburn has been able to dominate defences. The Addicks have only lost one league game that he’s started this season and the fact he keeps sides on their toes at one end of the pitch surely plays a part in that return.

That wasn’t the case earlier on in the campaign. But unlike Burstow, Leaburn has matured as a striker with experience. Whoever owns the club in the summer must do all they can to keep him in SE7. The ten-year-old inside of me is still struggling to come to terms with when his father left the club to join Wimbledon.

HEC IS BLOOMING

The nervousness that greeted Michael Hector’s signing has largely gone away. A man that hadn’t crossed the white line all season and only a handful of times over the last two seasons was expected to be well out of shape.

He did have a slow start with a couple of mistakes in his full debut away at Derby but has started to bring a calming presence in the Addicks back line. He made a whopping nine clearances against the Chairboys, almost double that of any other individual on the field.

With Lucas Ness unfortunately ruled out for the rest of the campaign, the 30-year-old should get a long stretch in the shop window to try and secure a deal for next year – whether that will be at The Valley or elsewhere.

WORK TO DO ON DEFENDING CORNERS

Dean Holden admitted that Charlton have conceded too many goals from corners, and he’ll be particularly displeased with the manner of Wycombe’s leveller.

Chris Forino, all 6ft 3 of him, snuck into the penalty area late and seemingly unnoticed. Sean Clare then got caught between ball watching and half-heartedly trying to hold the Chairboys man off, ended up doing neither and allowed Forino a free header.

It was well-placed into the side-netting – but Charlton had a man there. Albie Morgan made a late decision to drop towards the goal line but drifted beyond the post, allowing the ball to nestle in the net.

That’s 12 Charlton have conceded from set-pieces now – the ninth worst record in League One. An area to improve upon.

PHOTOS: PAUL EDWARDS