Four takeaways from Charlton’s 2-2 draw with Portsmouth – Blackett-Taylor staking claim for a longer contract

Josh Davison scored his first league goal of the season as Charlton Athletic battled to a 2-2 draw against Portsmouth.

A spectacular finish by Ronan Curtis had put the visitors into a sixth minute lead.

Half-time substitute Sean Clare converted a short free-kick in the 47th minute before the Addicks fell behind again when Marcus Harness finished following a deft flick by Jon Marquis.

Charlton manager Nigel Adkins made a double change with Davison and Corey Blackett-Taylor combining for the leveller. Ben Watson deserved credit for picking out the run of Blackett-Taylor and the winger’s cross was converted at the back post by Davison.

Here are Richard Cawley’s four takeaways from the match.

DON’T GO CHANGING

The best teams tend to have settled sides but Adkins has made 18 changes in his last three matches. There were five more today. The Charlton manager has said on more than one occasion that some of that rotation is due to varying fitness levels in his squad – effectively some are still almost in a pre-season mode in terms of building up their match fitness – worrying when we are nearly at the end of September

DAVISON STAKING A CLAIM
There were a few raised eyebrows when Adkins told our publication in pre-season that the young striker would be sticking around his squad and not heading out for another loan spell.
But so far Davison is fully justifying his inclusion in the senior set-up this season.
He started at Gillingham and was only denied a goal in Kent by an excellent reaction save by Jamie Cumming – again when he got on the end of a Blackett-Taylor cross.
This time he was in the right place to convert his second league goal for the Addicks – and first since the 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion in January.

NO VALLEY DREAM FOR ARTER
Harry Arter made his first home appearance as a Charlton Athletic player, but it didn’t go to plan. He was taken off corner duties after his first two near-post attempts were easily cleared and struggled to make an impression.
When Clare was not warming up with the rest of the substitutes at the interval it was clear he was being readied for action – with Arter lasting just the 45 minutes.
It’s still early days for the experienced midfielder in terms of settling back in at the South London club, who hasn’t been helped be a lengthy spell out of the first-team picture at previous club Nottingham Forest.

BLACKETT-TAYLOR IS THE IN-FORM ATTACKER
Diallang Jaiyesimi was not in the matchday squad for the third fixture in a row and Charlie Kirk, while on the bench, was unused. Neither has played since the 2-1 loss to Cheltenham.
When Adkins was looking for a spark he turned to Blackett-Taylor – not Kirk – in the closing stages.
The former Tranmere and Aston Villa winger is only on a short-term contract but has already shown he can be a real handful. You wonder how long it will be before they give him the security of a longer deal. The danger if he really takes off in terms of displays is that he is available in January.

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD