Bolton Wanderers 3 Charlton 3
The Addicks claimed an impressive point on the road on Saturday afternoon, drawing 3-3 with Bolton Wanderers in a topsy-turvy affair.
Charlton would have been going into this one expecting a tough game at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. The Trotters started the match in third place, have the best home record in the league, and had only lost once in their last ten.
But for 19 minutes, the most Bolton had to show for their efforts was a looping shot over the bar by Aaron Collins from 20 yards.
Nathan Jones’ side, on the other hand, had looked dangerous, nearly getting in twice through two dangerous crosses. The first came within 60 seconds of kick-off, Tennai Watson sending a dangerous ball from the byline just over the head of the arriving Daniel Kanu.
The second was a lovely move involving Thierry Small and Conor Coventry, culminating in Karoy Anderson’s teasing ball having to be cleared rather desperately by Eoin Toal.
However, just before the 20-minute mark, a momentary lapse in concentration handed the hosts the lead. A series of throw-ins for Zac Ashworth on the left ended with the West Brom loanee getting it back off Collins and sending in a cross.
In the middle Victor Adeboyejo to got in front of his defender at the near post to touch home, and out of nothing the Trotters were ahead.
It would have been easy for Charlton heads to drop, but just three minutes later they fought back to draw level. After Freddie Ladapo’s knock down, Anderson played a ball out to Small on the left touchline, who beat Josh Dacres-Cogley and sent in a wonderful curling cross with his right foot.
Ladapo was free in the box but did not get a touch. Instead, the ball curled all the way in at the far post, Small had a debut goal, and the Addicks were level.
But the away side were not content with 1-1, instead pushing for another goal. With five minutes remaining in the half, they got one.
After good work from Kanu saw his shot deflected behind off Jack Iredale, Small took the corner short to George Dobson. The captain’s pass into the box was behind Kanu but Lloyd Jones was alive to it, racing back to the edge of the box to strike an excellent first-time effort past Joel Coleman on his right.
The Addicks were decent value for their half-time lead, but Bolton came out for the second period with renewed purpose, and it would take just five minutes for them to level the scoring.
It was some goal from the hosts. Paris Maghoma received the ball 25 yards out from Josh Sheehan, looked up, and saw Dobson between him and the goal. The Brentford loanee chopped back, back again, then back a third time, before curling an excellent ball into Isted’s top left corner.
The hosts had their tails up but, for all their dominance, failed to create another chance for some time. Ten minutes after Bolton had got themselves back on level terms, they found themselves behind again.
A deep cross from Coventry from the right found Small just inside the box, and the wing-back knocked the ball down for Ladapo. The striker returned the favour, and while Small’s shot was blocked by Gethin Jones, it fell the way of Kanu, who hit a shot on the turn from 10 yards. It appeared to take an age, but Kanu’s shot eventually found its way into the net via Coleman’s right post, and Charlton were ahead again.
But this time it was the hosts’ turn to show their resilience. Ian Evatt’s side responded well to Kanu’s strike, re-establishing the dominance they had shown earlier in the half. When another equaliser arrived in the 71st minute, it felt like it had been coming.
Sheehan picked up the ball on the edge of the Charlton box on the right, and played a clever pass in between Coventry and Small. Racing onto it was Dacres-Cogley, who fired in a first time cross for Jón Dadi Bödvarsson. The Icelandic striker’s flick wasn’t quite as accomplished as his backheel finish against Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night, but it was enough to take it past Isted.
Five minutes later, Bolton should have gone ahead for the first time in almost an hour of play-time. Iredale’s long ball was brought down brilliantly by Maghoma in the box, and the midfielder took it inside Jones and Macaulay Gillesphey but shanked his shot well wide.
Just as it did in midweek, the introduction of Chuks Aneke gave the Addicks and additional threat, and the big striker very nearly found the winner in the second minute of stoppage time when he was fed by Panutche Camará inside the box on the left, but his shot was tipped wide by Coleman.
With 12 minutes of added time to be played, there was still time for one last chance, but Gethin Jones’ 100th minute header from an Aaron Morley corner went just wide of Isted’s left post.
The travelling Addicks could breathe a big sigh of relief. Portsmouth are the next opponents for Nathan Jones’ side, as they visit the Valley next Saturday.
Charlton: Isted; Edmonds-Green, Jones, Thomas; T Watson, Dobson (c) (Camará 73), Coventry (Gillesphey 73), Anderson, Small; Ladapo (Aneke 73), Kanu (May 86)
Subs (not used): Maynard-Brewer, Edun, Campbell
Goals: Small 22, Jones 40, Kanu 61
Assists: Anderson 22, Dobson 40
Booked: Jones 27 (time-wasting), Coventry 37 (foul on Sheehan), Anderson 48 (time-wasting), Dobson 49 (foul on Jones), Kanu 54 (foul on Iredale), May 90+3 (time-wasting)
Bolton Wanderers: Coleman; Jones, Toal, Iredale; Dacres-Cogley, Ashworth (Ramsay 90+1), Sheehan (Morley 77), Maghoma (Mendes Gomes 83), Dempsey; Adeboyejo (Bödvarsson 46), Collins (Jerome 78)
Subs (not used): Forrester, Taylor
Goals: Adeboyejo 19, Maghoma 51, Bödvarsson 71
Assists: Ashworth 19, Sheehan 51, Dacres-Cogley 71
Booked: Maghoma 65 (foul on Coventry), Sheehan 77 (foul on Camará)
Referee: Ross Joyce
