The lowdown on Charlton Athletic 2 Stevenage 0 – Matty Godden proving there is life after Alfie May

Charlton Athletic moved into the League One play-off zone – sixth to be exact – after a 2-0 win over Stevenage at The Valley this afternoon.

Here is the lowdown on the match.

THE LINE-UPS

Charlton Athletic: Maynard-Brewer, Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey, Edwards, Small, Docherty, Coventry, Berry (Gilbert 88), Campbell (Kanu 88), Godden (Leaburn 88). Subs not used: Mannion, Mitchell, McIntyre, Aneke.
Stevenage: Cooper, Freeman, Piergianni, Goode, Freestone, Phillips (Thompson 56), King (White 57), Roberts (List 56), Reid, Kemp (Edwards 74), Appere (Hanlan 56).  Subs not used: Ashby-Hammond, Sweeney.

SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME

Charlton’s control of this match came just after the half-hour mark once Ashley Maynard-Brewer went down with an ‘injury’. It presented the chance – how convenient – for manager Nathan Jones to bring all of his players over beside his technical area. The Welshman revealed afterwards that the message was to be calmer with their approach and they followed those orders to run out comfortable victors in the end. Matty Godden’s close-range finish – his 12th goal of the season – was probably only their second attempt on target up until that stage. The timings of the goal were brutal for Stevenage – a matter of minutes before the interval and then the same after the restart as Luke Berry finished coolly after Tyreece Campbell’s shot cannoned back off the woodwork.

TACTICAL APPROACH
If it isn’t broke then don’t fix it. One of the factors in Charlton’s excellent run of form is that Jones has kept alterations to a real minimum and they were unchanged from the 2-2 draw at Blackpool last time out. New loan signings Alex Gilbert and Tom McIntyre were on the bench but it was a measure of the control that the Addicks enjoyed which did not see Jones bring on any subs until the 88th minute. Once again the way the side pressed and swarmed out of possession meant Stevenage had no foothold for about the last hour of this fixture – they finished with an xG (expected goals) of 0.08.

STAR MAN
Matty Godden. His goal was absolutely huge in shifting the contest into the South London club’s favour. Played his part too in the second of the afternoon. The former Coventry man had a tough gig competing for aerial balls with Stevenage centre-backs Carl Piergianni and Charlie Goode but flicked on Thierry Small’s pass for Tyreece Campbell to shoot.

BEST MOMENT
Berry’s goal. Gave Charlton a two-goal cushion and Jones described the finish – first-time and on his weaker left foot – as “world class”.

MOAN OF THE MATCH
I’m just so fed up with referees stopping a corner kick being taken so they can call over players who are overstepping the mark when it comes to physical contact. I’ve seen it countless times this season, both at matches on TV, and it is entirely pointless as there never seems to be punishment that leads to penalties – just free-kicks the other way. All the time that is the case it is going to carry on.

A TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB
You can only have one – Matty Godden or Alfie May. Who do you choose?
I know when you put out a question like that it is all about timing and the current Charlton number 24 has netted in his last three appearances.
But Godden is showing that there is life – and right now a stronger promotion challenge – without last season’s League One Golden Boot winner.
Jones recently said that Charlton’s striking department was stronger as a collective than it was at the end of the previous campaign. Godden has been the summer frontline addition that has delivered with Gassan Ahadme’s settling-in period badly disrupted by injuries.

WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY
“The second-half is the best performance under myself. It is the most complete performance and against a side that is really dangerous, has been in good form and is well-coached. We were really good today.”

MAIN PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD