Charlton 3 Wycombe 2 – Addicks make it a good week for Lee Bowyer as permanent contract is followed by a win

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Charlton Athletic made it back-to-back League One wins to move up to eighth in the table – the perfect finish to a week that saw Lee Bowyer handed the manager’s job on a permanent basis.

The Addicks fell behind early on as they paid the price for not switching on defensively – Randell Williams curling sweetly home.

But Sido Jombati’s own goal just past the half-hour mark – slicing Lewis Page’s cross – levelled matters.

Lyle Taylor had his fourth goal of the campaign in the 71st minute and the result looked secure when Naby Sarr took advantage of Wycombe indecision as they poorly defended a free-kick.

But former Millwall winger Paris Cowan-Hall headed in a corner on 90 minutes to ensure a nervy additional five minutes that were added on by referee Graham Salisbury.

Bowyer was forced into a change as Krystian Bielik missed out with a calf strain.

That saw Sarr, who featured in EFL Trophy action in midweek, keep his place in a three-man defence.

There was also a start for Aston Villa loanee Jed Steer. Nicky Ajose 

started up top alongside Taylor with Karlan Grant in a slightly withdrawn role behind the front pairing.

Steer could do nothing about Wycombe’s seventh-minute opener. The hosts failed to switch on to the danger as the former Crystal Palace man cut onto his left foot inside the penalty area and he curled a fine finish into the bottom left corner.

Charlton’s lack of quality on the ball quickly induced frustration from the home support as they struggled to get their passing game going.

The equaliser was fortunate. Page whipped in a cross from the left and it was sliced into his own net by Jombati.

The Addicks had a big chance to make it 2-1 on 36 minutes. Ajose’s throughball was perfectly weighted for Grant but his shot was blocked by Ryan Allsop, who was quickly back on his feet to bundle away the resulting loose ball.

Taylor was unlucky not to score a sensational goal on 40 minutes. Grant stormed forward and his cross was met by a textbook overhead kick by the ex-AFC Wimbledon man – only narrowly failing to find the target.

Charlton were just as sluggish with their start to the second half with Ajose and Darren Pratley both early changes – the former not coming out after the break and the hosts actually started with 10 men.

George Lapslie, on for Pratley, cleared off his own line. 

Joe Jacobson had to concede a corner as Taylor homed in on Grant’s low ball across the face of goal.

Bryn Morris completely fluffed a good shooting chance after being nicely teed up by Williams.

Charlton were struggling to work Allsop and Lapslie’s 64th minute cross was headed over by Patrick Bauer.

But Charlton did find the combination play in the 70th minute. Page and Aribo linked up to play Grant in down the left of the box, his testing low ball across the face of goal was steered back into the dangerzone by Bauer for Taylor to force home from close range.

Lapslie perhaps should have shot as he broke into the box soon after but instead unselfishly passed to substitute Ben Reeves, who produced a poor attempt.

Sarr got himself on the scoresheet for the second game in a row. Reeves’ free-kick was not dealt with by two Wycombe defenders and Sarr converted from close range.

It looked as if Charlton were home and hosed but Cowan-Hall reduced the deficit just before the end of normal time, heading in at the near post from Jason McCarthy’s corner.

IMAGES BY PAUL EDWARDS