Charlton 1 Cray Valley PM 1
The Addicks were held to a 1-1 draw by a valiant Cray Valley PM side in the FA Cup first round on Sunday evening.
The result means Charlton will travel to the Artic Stadium for a replay for the right to travel to Gillingham in round two.
The Addicks opened the scoring in SE7 after nine minutes through skipper Scott Fraser. Karoy Anderson played a lovely one-two with Chem Campbell and then a perfect ball in behind centre-back Ali Cem Tumkaya. Fraser showed great composure to round the keeper and coolly slotted into the empty net.
The hosts were occasionally troubled by counter-attacks from the Millers, with Kyrell Lisbie and Sonny Black both having shots blocked just inside the area.
The best chance of the half fell the way of Campbell six minutes before the break. Fraser swung in a corner and the Wolves loanee found himself unmarked, but he couldn’t direct his header on target.
Either side of that opportunity came two chances for Slobodan Tedić, first when he forced a near-post save out of Sam Freeman from the edge of the box and then when Charlie Kirk cut back from the byline and the Serbian volleyed over.
But it was a different story in the second period. Just three minutes into the half, Lisbie provided the moment that he would have been dreaming about last night, even if it wasn’t quite how he would’ve imagined it.
Hassan Ibrahiym won possession and played an excellent ball in behind James Abankwah. Lisbie raced onto it and delivered across goal, where Lucas Ness inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net to level the scores.
Five minutes later, the Addicks had two chances in 60 seconds to regain their lead, but could not convert either. The first came when Fraser played an inch-perfect through ball for Kirk, who fired at the keeper’s legs, and the second was a speculative header from Tedić from an Abankwah cross, which looped up and over Freeman before clipping the top of his crossbar.
Chances from that point onwards were mostly limited to shots from distance. The introduction of Miles Leaburn added some impetus and the academy graduate went close on 88 minutes.
Moments later, Adam Coombes' free-kick had to be turned away smartly by Sam Walker, making his first Charlton appearance.
Despite 10 minutes of added time, neither team could find a winner and the contest will have to be settled with a replay.
Charlton: Walker; Abankwah (Asiimwe 61), Ness, Thomas, Edun (T.Watson 61); McGrandles (L Watson 74), Anderson, Fraser (c); C.Campbell (Leaburn 74), Tedić, Kirk (May 61)
Subs (not used): Maynard-Brewer, Hector, Dobson, Blackett-Taylor
Goal: Fraser 9
Assist: Anderson 9
Cray Valley PM: Freeman; Williams, Lee (c), Tumkaya, Asiedu; Ibrahiym, Black, Vigor (Anau 71), Ademiluyi; Parker (Coombes 71), Lisbie (Gayle 62)
Subs (not used): Ovenden, Wicks, Chambers, Ekpiteta, Gilchrist, Turner
Goals: Ness (og) 48
Attendance: 6,721 (1,998 away)
Referee: Benjamin Speedie
