Charlton 0 Birmingham City 1
Brandon Khela’s long-range strike was enough to knock the Addicks out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening, as Birmingham City won 1-0 at The Valley.
Charlton had ended Saturday’s game at Wigan strongly and they picked up where they left off here.
The first opportunity came in the ninth minute when Thierry Small beat Ethan Laird and whipped in a cross. Luke Berry ran onto it 20 yards out but it was a difficult chance, and the midfielder could not keep his shot down.
Three minutes later the Addicks would have the perfect chance to open the scoring. Tyreece Campbell seized on a loose ball from Khela inside the Charlton half and ran 50 yards into the Blues’ box. His initial shot was blocked by Christoph Klarer, but Campbell reacted quickest to the rebound and was felled by Tyler Roberts.
Campbell would step up to the take the resulting penalty, but his spot kick was kept out by Ryan Allsop diving to his right.
Charlton were not deterred, and went close just a minute later when Khela headed Small’s cross back towards Berry, but the midfielder fired just over.
Khela had been guilty of presenting the Addicks with two chances, but made up for it in the 32nd minute when he opened the scoring. Keshi Anderson’s square ball to him 25 yards out did not particularly threatening, but Khela took a touch before sending a curling right-foot shot into Will Mannion’s left corner. The goalkeeper had no chance, and the visitors were ahead.
The Addicks had been the side with the better chances up until the half-hour mark, but the goal brought the Blues to life and they should have doubled their lead before half-time, Klarer twice heading over from Marc Leonard set pieces.
After a lively first period, chances were harder to come by following the break – but Charlton did go close from range in the 48th minute, Conor Coventry seizing on a loose pass from Allsop and laying off Campbell, who fired just wide from 20 yards out.
At the other end in the 64th minute, Anderson played the ball in behind for Paik Seung-Ho, who twisted and turned before seeing his shot from a tight angle palmed away by Mannion at his near post.
In the 78th minute, the Addicks were offered a route back into the game. Having been booked for handball earlier in the half, Dion Sanderson pulled back Daniel Kanu as the striker ran towards goal. Referee Alex Chilowicz had no option but to send the defender off.
Charlton would very nearly make the man advantage count in stoppage time when Kayne Ramsay turned the ball inside for Greg Docherty, but the captain’s shot flashed across the face of the goal and away.
It would prove the last opportunity of the game, the Addicks suffering a narrow defeat in a game that could have gone either way. Next up for Nathan Jones’ side is Saturday’s league game against Leyton Orient at The Valley.
Charlton: Mannion; Edmonds-Green (Z.Mitchell 66), Jones (c), Gillesphey; Watson (Ramsay 76), Coventry, Anderson (Edun 66), Berry (Docherty 66), Small; Campbell (Aneke 66), Kanu
Subs (not used): Maynard-Brewer, A.Mitchell, Ahadme, Edwards
Booked: Gillesphey 6 (foul on Laird), Berry 15 (time-wasting)
Birmingham City: Allsop; Laird (Sampsted 69), Klarer, Sanderson, Khela (Cochrane 58); Roberts (Paik 58), Harris, Leonard; Anderson, Hansson (Bielik 80), Jutkiewicz (c) (May 57)
Subs (not used): Peacock-Farrell, Miyoshi, Dembele, Yokoyama
Goals: Khela 32
Assists: Anderson 32
Booked: Anderson 27 (time-wasting)
Sent off: Sanderson 78 (second bookable offence)
Attendance: 5,899 (1969 away)
Referee: Alex Chilowicz