Preston North End 2 Charlton 1
The Addicks restricted Championship side, Preston North End, to just two shots but despite creating plenty of chances were knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup in the Third Round at Deepdale.
Nathan Jones’ side were dominant in the opening 45 minutes and got a deserved equaliser through Luke Berry, following Milutin Osmajic’s sloppy opener. The Montenegro international netted again two minutes after half-time and despite controlling the game the Addicks couldn’t find a deserved equaliser.
Charlton came out with an intensity and showed early threat with Tyreece Campbell and Thierry Small giving their opponents real headaches.
From Conor Coventry’s well-weighted pass in the 10th minute, Tyreece Campbell ran at his defender but his shot was too close to Preston stopper Freddie Woodman.
Small was next to force a save from Woodman, cutting inside from the right and unleashing a low shot at goal from the edge of the area but again the former Newcastle United goalkeeper was down well to keep the Addicks out.
After Charlton’s dominance, the home side’s opener was very much against the run of play. Osmajic capitalised on a short backpass from Alex Mitchell, won a strong challenge with goalkeeper Will Mannion and finished into an open net from close range.
Nathan Jones’ side weren’t to be disheartened though and equalised eight minutes later. Small beat Duane Holmes in a one-v-one battle, and crossed with quality and composure on his right foot for Berry, who held his run perfectly and finished, equally cooly, from eight yards out.
Charlton could have had a second before the half-time break, with Woodman denying Josh Edwards his first goal for the club and Gassan Ahadme seeing his goalbound header well blocked.
Preston re-took the lead two minutes into the second half, Osmajic connecting well on the volley with Ben Whiteman’s pin-point corner.
Charlton nearly levelled immediately, Edwards heading over from close range from Tyreece Campbell’s chipped cross from the right.
With time running out Thierry Small’s wonderful cross from left, was met by the head of substitute Chuks Aneke who forced another excellent save from Woodman, fellow subsitute Miles Leaburn was denied on the follow-up by brave defending from Lewis Gibson.
The Addicks couldn't find an equaliser and are back in league action on Saturday for the trip to Rotherham United.
Preston North End: Woodman; Storey, Gibson, Hughes; Whiteman; Bowler (Kesler-Hayden 61), Thordarsson (Greenwood 61), Frokjaer-Jensen (McCann 61), Holmes (Lindsay 81); Osmajic, Keane (Riis 77)
Subs (not used): Cornell, Whatmough, Evans, Ledson
Goals: Osmajic 32, 47
Assist: Whiteman 47
Booked: Gibson 65 (timewasting)
Charlton: Mannion; A.Mitchell (Z.Mitchell 74), Jones, Gillesphey; Small, Berry (Anderson 74), Coventry, Docherty (c) (Godden 81), Edwards (Aneke 81); Ahadme (Leaburn 56), T.Campbell
Subs (not used): Maynard-Brewer, Edmonds-Green, A.Campbell, Kanu
Goal: Berry 40
Assist: Small 40
Booked: Jones 17 (foul on Osmajic)
Referee: Reubyn Ricardo
Attendance: 7,734 (716 from Charlton)
