The lowdown on Reading 2 Charlton Athletic 0 – Nathan Jones fumes after perfect start comes to an end
Charlton Athletic’s perfect start to the season came to a halt following defeat at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Here is the lowdown on the match.
THE LINE-UPS
Charlton Athletic: Mannion, Ramsay, Gillesphey, Mitchell, Jones, Small (Kanu 78), Coventry, Berry (Anderson 45), Docherty, T Campbell (Aneke 68), Ahadme (Godden 68). Subs not used: Maynard-Brewer, Edmonds-Green, A Campbell.
Reading: Pereira, Dorsett (Abrefa 63), Bindon (Dean 73), Elliott, Craig, Savage, Mbengue, Wing, Ehibhatiomhan, Smith, Akande (Tuma 87). Subs not used: Boyce-Clarke, Rushesha, Garcia, Wareham.
SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME
Charlton were left to rue the waste of a pair of decent first-half openings by Tyreece Campbell and Luke Berry as they were downed by goals from Charlie Savage and Sam Smith after the interval.
TACTICAL APPROACH
Reading dominated possession and territory throughout the first-half but it was looking like the defensive display we’ve come to expect from the Addicks as they reduced their hosts to long-range efforts. They even carried a bit of a threat on the counter – Tyreece Campbell slashing wide and Luke Berry being denied by Joel Pereira on the stroke of half-time.
Jones had his side on the front-foot after the restart. But they couldn’t find that breakthrough and were pegged back by Charlie Savage’s long-range strike on 66 minutes. The Addicks boss will certainly have questions about Reading’s second 1o minutes later. Charlton thought they should have had a throw-in after their own corner went out on the far-side. But Reading got the decision and countered, with the visitors not reacting at all and Smith unmarked to turn home.
STAR MAN
Conor Coventry. Goes about his role as the disrupter in Charlton’s midfield quietly but made a number of tackles and interceptions in the middle of the park.
BEST MOMENT
Tyreece Campbell used his trickery to dart beyond a defender and into the area and delivered a devilish low cross that Gassan Ahadme was unable to attack at the far-stick.
MOAN OF THE MATCH
Attacking set-pieces. It’s an area the side and Coventry in particular will want to improve upon still. The Addicks had the second-lowest xG from them in the division before kick-off and it is still a problem to be addressed from last year.
A TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB
How will the Addicks react to this first setback? Their perfect start came to an end. They conceded goals for the first time. It felt a different performance to the one at Reading in early February when Jones suffered a similar 2-0 reverse in his maiden game as Charlton boss. But he was clearly fuming with elements of the display during a tense post-match interview. Jones sets the standards higher than what he saw today. But it comes on the back of a good start and a clear improvement from last term. So it’s not time to write this side off just yet. A response against Rotherham at The Valley next week is what is important now.
WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY
“Really disappointed. We lacked energy first-half. I think I know why. We were poor first-half in terms of the energy getting to them. We couldn’t affect the game. We couldn’t step onto them. We had chances on the counter.
“Second-half we were much better. We were on top. Then they got a goal from 30 yards where we could have done better. And then the second goal is not us. The second goal is a disgrace in terms of our defending.”
PHOTOS: Paul Edwards