Friday 18th April 2025. EFL League 1. Charlton Athletic (1 ) 2 ( Luke Berry 9, Matty Godden 71) v. Northampton Town (1) 1 ( Dara Costelloe 15 pen). Attendance: 20,198 inc.1,238 away fans
Charlton Athletic: Mannion; Ramsay, Jones, McIntyre (Aneke 54); Small, Berry (Anderson 88), Coventry, Docherty (c) (Gilbert 69), Edwards; Godden (Mbick 88), Campbell (Watson 88). Unused subs - Maynard-Brewer, Ahadme.
Northampton Town: Burge, McGowan (c), Perry, Pinnock, Costelloe, McGeehan, Roberts (Wilson 82), Mbete (Dyche 46), Odimayo (Magloire 69), Fosu (Hondermarck 70), Eyoma. Unused Subs - Tzanev, Dadge, Baldwin.
Charlton’s highest home crowd of 2025 (that’s the year, not the actual attendance figure) headed to the Valley this afternoon en masse, to see if Nathan Jones side could maintain their upward momentum, by claiming the three points that would confirm that the Addicks had definitely (at the very least), qualified for the end of season play-offs.
Meanwhile, in the Jimmy Seed Stand, a load of Cobblers (the ‘Shoe Army’, I kid you not) had travelled south to see if the visitors could keep a third clean sheet in a row, to claw themselves a little bit further away from the threat of being relegated to the Football League’s basement division.
The Easter bank-holiday weekend is traditionally a pivotal time of the season when a multitude of issues come to the boil across all four divisions. A case in point, to that end, was that there was a quite intriguing scenario attached to the latest round of fixtures in the Championship this weekend; whereby, (including play-off possibilities and permatations), at the start of play today, every single team in that division could still either be promoted, or relegated, at the end of the current campaign. Bizarrely, three teams: Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City, could mathematically still go up, or down. Isn't football a wondrous thing!?
Charlton had to dig deep to find a way to win ugly again, just like they had done at Cambridge last week. Consequently today's triumph was a scrappy, lacklustre and possibly even slightly nervy victory. But, regardless of any other consideration, once again, three points is three points. The Addicks needed to slow the frantic tempo of the game down and get the ball on the floor more often. But Northampton were more than happy to chase the airborne sphere about to their hearts content, like a Sunshine Bus full of kids amusing themselves with a balloon on a windy day at the beach.
That isn't actually a criticism of the visitors approach to the game (nor a slight on youngsters having a day out at the seaside) by the way. In all likelihood, Kevin Nolan’s Cobblers would have been overrun if they had allowed the Addicks to utilise their strengths and play their preferred game. So they implemented an unsettling game plan and made things very uncomfortable for the hosts instead.Despite their lowly position in League 1, neither Nolan or his side are anyone's mugs. Last weekend they held play-off chasing Reading to a goalless draw and the outcome of their previous away game caused a few eyebrows to be raised, when they beat Peterborough United 0-4 at London Road
The game was just nine minutes old when Matty Godden's cross into the Cobblers area was played into the path of Luke Berry by TJ Eyoma, as he attempted to clear the ball… and the Addicks number eight gratefully accepted the invitation to crash the ball into the back of the net with a sweetly struck right footed volley.
Shortly afterwards Tom McIntyre had a brain-fart. Flicking the ball away with his hand while challenging to head the ball away from Tariqe Fosu’s back post delivery from out on the left flank. Ollie Yates, the match referee, made a lot of strange calls this afternoon, but awarding a penalty for McIntyre’s transgression, was a decision that Blind Pew himself could have made with consummate ease. Just what was the Addicks number 15 thinking of when he did such a mind-bogglingly stupid thing?
Dara Costelloe stepped up and drilled the resulting spot-kick one way, while Will Mannion dived the other. But there's no blame attached to the Charlton keeper…. and when all is said and done, he's actually allowed to use his hands, none of the outfield players are. During the absence of Lloyd Jones because of injury, McIntyre has been playing well, very well in fact, as his deputy. But this afternoon, the two of them seemed to be replicating each others positioning and perhaps even getting in one another's way from time to time. It will be a shame if a way can't be found to accommodate both of them in the team, because the two of them have been instrumental in the Addicks charge up the table.
Stray passes, a lack of cohesion and what also seemed to be an occasional breakdown in communication among the home side, amounted to a whole lot of not very much happening until after the half-time interval. Which seemed to suit the Cobblers just fine as they displayed the body language and demeanor of a team who would be more than happy to take the draw and bugger off home with a point now.
I phoned the club shop at half-time to pre-order a recording of the game, to help me to get through those mind numbingly dreary nights when insomnia takes hold of me and grips on tightly for hours on end. I didn't really, ‘twas merely me resorting to sarcasm to get my point across. Inside the opening ten minutes of the second Fosu missed an absolute sitter from close range after Tyler Roberts had delivered a defence splitting ball through the Addicks rearguard. Cue Nathan Jones hooked McIntyre, re-organised his defence and added Chuks Aneke's imposing presence, to beef up his sides attacking options. In the final analysis it proved to be an inspired substitution and regrouping of his charges.
Thierry Small's cross picked out Godden, who rose and planted a text-book header against the crossbar. If only he’d glanced the ball instead it would have gone in. But Godden was soon back in the thick of things. Aneke delivered an inch perfect ball into his path, through two chasing Cobblers defenders, who were beaten for pace as the prolific striker slotted the ball under Lee Burge who was advancing from his line, in a vainglorious attempt to narrow the angle.
Northampton tried their damndest to force a late equaliser, but having upped the ante, Charlton had also rediscovered their mojo again. And weren’t in any mood to relinquish the initiative with the finishing line now in sight. It hadn't been pretty, but resilience, patience and sheer bloody-mindedness had won the day for the Addicks. A couple of results elsewhere this afternoon also went their way too. This League 1 season could still have a sting in it’s tale yet. FT: Addicks 2 v. Cobblers 1
Charlton now face Wycombe Wanderers and Wrexham away from home, in back to back games, before playing their final scheduled game of the 2024-25 season at the Valley, against Burton Albion on May 3rd (3pm). As well as taking on the Addicks on Monday, Wycombe’s final two games are against Leyton Orient and Stockport County. Wrexham’s home game against Charlton next weekend is sandwiched between trips to Blackpool and Lincoln City. You’ve got to be in it, to win it🤞.
