The lowdown on Stockport County 0 Charlton Athletic 0 – Addicks battle their way to useful point as they round off an important week
Charlton battled their way to a goalless draw with fellow promotion hopefuls Stockport County.
Here is the lowdown on the match.
THE LINE-UPS
Stockport County: Addai, Pye, Rydel, Hills, Southam-Hales (Knoyle 58), Bate, Camps, Olaofe, Collar (Cosgrove 89), Norwood (Moxon 76), Wootton (Andresson 76). Subs not used: Metcalfe, Connolly, Touray.
Charlton Athletic: Mannion, Ramsay, Gillesphey, Jones, Edwards, Coventry, Campbell, Berry (Anderson 57), Docherty, Small (Aneke 57), Leaburn. Subs not used: Reid, McIntyre, Watson, Gilbert.
SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME
The prospect of 4th v 5th in League One was enough to lure the Sky TV cameras but the game didn’t live up to its big billing. Both sides only forced one effort on target each. Each had spells, Charlton’s in the first half and Stockport early in the second, but there was no real flow to the contest over the 90 minutes.
A battling point for the Addicks and a good one – they remain just two points behind their hosts but with a game in hand at Crawley Town on Tuesday.
TACTICAL APPROACH
Nathan Jones brought Miles Leaburn into the starting line-up at the expense of Matty Godden in the only change from Tuesday’s win over Barnsley. Not a great deal clicked for either side in the first half. Charlton had a 10-minute spell where they put County under a bit of pressure. Miles Leaburn fired wide when through and Luke Berry saw a chance drift over the bar at the far-post from Josh Edwards’ cross.
But the home started came flying out of the traps after the interval with Kyle Wootton forcing Will Mannion into a close-range stop and hitting the bar soon after. This forced Jones to shuffle the pack. Chuks Aneke and Karoy Anderson replacing Thierry Small and Luke Berry. This move saw Tyreece Campbell shift out wide as Aneke partnered Leaburn up top.
Those were the only changes the Addicks boss made and whilst Stockport’s chances dried up, Charlton only created one more clearcut opportunity as Macaulay Gillesphey headed wide late on. A scrappy affair.
STAR MAN
Lloyd Jones. The whole backline was in with a shout for this but Jones was imperial – particularly in the air where he won a 10 aerial battles. Also made 14 clearances throughout the 90 minutes.
BEST MOMENT
Will Mannion’s flying save from Kyle Wootton at the start of the second half. Had a lot of ground to make up as he dived across the goal.
MOAN OF THE MATCH
The game didn’t live up to its billing. Unlike last weekend’s thrilling victory at Leyton Orient, this battle of the play-off hopefuls never really got going.
A TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB
A flat game but don’t let that take away from a really impressive points haul this week. The Addicks have claimed seven of the nine available and all in games against sides who have been part of the play-off conversation.
The momentum that Charlton Athletic have been riding high on since December faced its sternest test with the trips to Leyton Orient and Edgeley Park sandwiching a trick home clash with Barnsley.
But the two maximums in the last two games, along with a useful draw today, suggested that there’s the staying power in this Charlton side to remain part of the conversation until the end of the year.
You only have to look at Orient’s five defeats on the spin to see how quickly things can disintegrate.
Charlton have only lost twice in their last 18. And they bounced back immediately after both. That run started after the loss at home to Tuesday’s opponents Crawley Town in December. That feels a long time ago now.
It’s a good point, today. And it will look even better if the Addicks can beat the relegation-threatened Red Devils in their game in hand on Tuesday evening.
WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY
“It was two sides that really wanted to achieve something, going at it, and it was a full-blooded affair. A League One game, lacked a bit of quality, but had bags of endeavour.
“We were decent in the first half. We dealt with so much, and then we had the best opportunities in the first half. In the second half, they probably edged, so it’s a fair point.
“We’re the away team, so the onus is on them to win that game. But it was important that we didn’t get beat too, that we stood up to that. We showed different elements of our qualities. We’ve been very fluent in recent weeks, we’ve been electric, we’ve been aggressive in terms of how we play.
“Today, we had to show a real battling quality, and we did that against a very tough side.”
PHOTOS: KYLE ANDREWS