Charlton Athletic’s small solace of cup success ended as Orient dominate in EFL Trophy win at Valley
The cup competitions have provided some light relief from a league campaign that has shifted to the totally mundane for Charlton Athletic – but their EFL Trophy progression came to a shuddering halt against Leyton Orient on Tuesday night.
The Addicks were knocked out by two second-half stoppage-time goals but manager Nathan Jones admitted his side were not at the races with their opponents having 26 shots – 10 of them on target.
Charlie Kelman was credited with Orient’s first goal even though it took a heavy deflection off Thierry Small to cross the line.
And the O’s still had time to add further gloss to the scoreline when Dan Agyei twice went past Macauley Gillesphey with absolutely minimal resistance to plant a fine finish past Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
“I thought we were really poor, I really do,” said Jones. “We were nowhere near good enough in any area of the pitch.
“Thierry was good first half, Josh Laqeretabua, for his full debut, was excellent and Matty Godden showed glimpses. But apart from that we were poor all over.
“Thierry was a threat going down the left-hand side in the first half but every time we turned the ball over they looked like they could score – whether that was desire, athleticism or whatever. We were so far off tonight, we really were.
“We are statistically the best side in the league defensively but you’d have never have thought that.
“We took a gamble making nine changes and it backfired. Even when you think we are going to take it to penalties and had rode our luck then we showed naivety from a throw-in and then a free-kick – we conceded two goals on the counter.”
Jones opted to hand winger Kaheim Dixon a first start. The 20-year-old Jamaican international, signed from Arnett Gardens in the summer, had only had two very late cameos before.
“He showed glimpses but it is very difficult when so many people are off it, it is your debut and you haven’t been used to English football” said the Welshman. “He was part and parcel of a poor performance, that’s all.”
While Dixon was a signing made by the club’s hierarchy, six of the other Jones had six of his own signings, 10 of the others who featured against the O’s were either academy products like Miles Leaburn and Dan Kanu who have come through the ranks or had been added before his arrival in February.
“This is a squad I inherited – players I inherited,” said Jones. “I can’t change everything overnight. I’ve learned a lot tonight.”
Two senior professionals that were very much driven by Jones in terms of recruitment were club captain Greg Docherty and Luke Berry.
Both were replaced on 73 minutes and asked if they shown enough, the Charlton chief said: “I wouldn’t say you have to expect those two to drag the team performance – no man is a miracle worker.”
Now the Addicks’ campaign shifts back into League One mode until the January 11 trip to Preston North End in the FA Cup third round.
Three of their next four matches are at The Valley, starting with Mansfield Town on Saturday.
The 2-1 defeat to Crawley Town in SE7 is still fresh in the memory and, coupled with the Orient reverse, that is two poor performances on the bounce on home turf.
Jones talked after the reverse to the West Sussex side about the stadium feeling ‘edgy’ – a better description would probably be ‘seriously cheesed off’ – and Charlton need a fresh injection of momentum to lift morale, both in the stands and on the pitch.
That only comes from winning football matches, something the Addicks have done just the once in the league since they did such a professional number on Birmingham.
Seven points from their last eight games is unacceptable. Bottom of the form guide for that period? Mansfield, with four points and on a run of five straight losses.
Charlton’s prospects of a trip to Wembley in the league for the play-offs looks hugely, hugely unlikely. A chastening loss to Orient ended their best hope of a decent day out in north London.
PICTURES: KYLE ANDREWS