Charlton 3 Wycombe Wanderers 1
The Addicks claimed two more late goals to give Michael Appleton his first Charlton victory, as they ran out 3-1 winners over Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.
Having asked his players to assert themselves early after last week’s draw with Stevenage, Appleton will have been delighted with the side’s first-half performance.
Charlton could have gone ahead in the tenth minute when Tyreece Campbell laid off Alfie May, who was back in the side having recovered from concussion. May took the shot early from the right corner of the box but Max Stryjek got down well at his near post to palm it behind.
In the 24th minute, it was Miles Leaburn’s turn to go close. Receiving the ball from James Abankwah, the striker turned and hit a scorching shot which went just over Stryjek’s bar. Three minutes later the goalkeeper would not be so fortunate.
Great work from Campbell on the right left Harry Boyes beaten at the byline, and when the number 20 played the ball inside to Leaburn, the striker twisted inside then out, before striking a daisy cutter across goal and in at the far post. It was nothing more than the Addicks deserved.
Despite Charlton’s dominance, the Chairboys were very nearly level in first half stoppage time. When Luke Leahy’s free kick from the right found Sam Vokes, the Welshman sent a looping header up and over Harry Isted, who would have been relieved to see it come back off his crossbar.
Wycombe came back from the break with more of an attacking threat, and levelled the scoring ten minutes into the half. Garath McCleary’s corner was cleared to the edge of the box, but Freddie Potts was waiting, and the midfielder hit a brilliant first time volley past Isted. It was some strike, and the away side were level.
It was a much more even half, and Matt Bloomfield’s side were nearly in front with 15 minutes to go. A good run from McCleary took him past Michael Hector and George Dobson, and he laid it on a plate for former Addick Brandon Hanlan. With the goal seemingly at his mercy, Hanlan cut back on his left foot but was denied by a wonderful sliding block from Terell Thomas.
The defensive intervention would prove even more valuable when, in the 82nd minute, Charlton retook the lead. May received the ball on the right of the area and waited for the overlapping run of debutant Tennai Watson.
When it came, the number nine released the right back, who played a perfect cut back to fellow substitute Bodan Tedić. The Serbian took it first time and appeared to scuff his shot, but it nonetheless found its way past a helpless Leahy on the line and Tedić raced off towards the dugout to celebrate his first Addicks goal in front of his head coach.
With the Covered End in full voice, it was somewhat fitting that birthday boy Corey Blackett-Taylor would add the icing on the cake. Standing up Chris Forino on the left of the area, Blackett-Taylor beat him for pure pace and lashed a right-foot shot past a motionless Stryjek. It was a goal that the winger had been threatening all afternoon, which made it all the more sweet when it finally came.
The Addicks will now look to make it three games unbeaten under Appleton when they travel to Shrewsbury next Saturday.
Charlton: Isted; Abankwah (T Watson 79), Jones, Hector (Ness 79), Thomas; T Campbell (Tedić 79), Dobson, L Watson (Anderson 62), Blackett-Taylor; May, Leaburn (Aneke 69)
Sub (not used): Maynard-Brewer, C Campbell
Goals: Leaburn 27, Tedić 82, Blackett-Taylor 90+4
Assists: T Campbell 27, T Watson 82, Anderson 90+4
Booked: Dobson 56 (foul on Hanlan), Thomas 64 (foul on Scowen), Anderson 78 (foul on Hanlan)
Wycombe Wanderers: Stryjek; Wheeler, Forino-Joseph, Low, Boyes (Taylor 89); Scowen, Leahy, Potts; McCleary, Vokes (Phillips 79), Hanlan (Sadlier 89)
Subs (not used): Ravizzoli, Keogh, De Barr, Pattenden
Goal: Potts 54
Booked: Leahy 3 (foul on Leaburn), Phillips 90+9 (dissent)
Attendance: 12,856 (909 away)
Referee: Ben Toner