Charlton Athletic 2-0 Doncaster Rovers: Addicks ease to home win thanks to goals from Joe Aribo and Karlan Grant

Charlton returned to winning ways with a comfortable victory over Doncaster Rovers at The Valley.

First-half goals from Joe Aribo and Karlan Grant gave the Addicks a 2-0 lead that they never looked like squandering in the second-period, as they held on to earn their first win in three league games.

Lee Bowyer had reverted to the same starting line-up that last tasted success for the South Londoners against Barnsley a fortnight ago and he was rewarded with a win by the same score-line.

Grant McCann’s side had nearly raced into a third-minute lead. Matty Blair broke away down the Addicks’ left and home keeper Jed Steer had to be quick off his line to smother Herbie Kane’s effort from six yards out and keep it at 0-0.

The game started at a frenetic pace but whilst Charlton were forcing a couple of early corners, the visitors had the better openings. Chris Solly was on hand to block veteran midfielder James Coppinger’s shot, with Niall Mason soon dragging wide after bursting into the area – he left to rue his miss minutes after.

Lee Bowyer’s side won a corner after a flowing move and it led to the opening goal. The set-piece smacked off the crossbar after hitting a Doncaster head, with Aribo on-hand to poke the rebound home from yards out and claim his third goal of the campaign in the process.

Grant came close to doubling the lead as he touched wide from Aribo’s low-cross moments after but that was soon forgotten as he did get on the scoresheet just after the half-hour mark.

Strike-partner Lyle Taylor measured a glorious deep cross into the area, with Grant able to power a header home at the far-post, via the hand of Donny stopper Marko Marosi.

Nottingham Forest-loanee Jamie Ward was inches away from adding a third just before the interval, but saw his free-kick smack off the post, with Ben Reeves unable to divert the loose ball home from the rebound.

The Addicks began the second-period with the same verve that they ended the first. Aribo collected the ball in the area after some more slick Charlton movement but was denied from a tight angle, with Taylor then fluffing a volley at the far-stick following a deep-cross.

Ben Whiteman had a volley deflected behind as the visitors looked for a way back into the contest, before Aribo came close to putting them out of sight as he side-footed an inch wide from outside the area.

Taylor had been struggling with a stomach muscle injury in the build-up to today’s game and he was rested for the final half-hour, with Igor Vetokele coming on in his place.

The striker nearly made an immediate impact but was just unable to direct a header at goal from Grant’s cross and then later was unlucky as he was just beaten to a floated cross from fellow substitute Mark Marshall.

The Addicks held on to record just their second win in seven league games and will look to build on this when they travel to Walsall on Tuesday evening.