The Charlton Champion

A dire afternoon at The Valley placed the focus on an opposition striker with something to prove. KEVIN NOLAN reports from The Valley.

Morecambe striker Cole Stockton’s 2022-23 season was nothing short of sensational. Scorer of 23 league goals in 44 appearances for a struggling team, he attracted covetous interest in the lower divisions and it was regarded as a coup for the Shrimps when his services were secured for the current campaign.

Last season’s haul included a variety of stunning goals as well as a number of the more mundane finishes on which centre forwards often place more value. He seemed set to take League One by storm this term but he arrived at The Valley with only five goals to his name although, ominously, one of them was the matchwinner in Morecambe’s 1-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers last week.

Built like a pocket battleship, Stockton wears number 9 to the manner born. He can look after himself, as Charlton found out the hard way when he scored both goals in his side’s 2-1 win in SE7 last season and converted a vital penalty to help the Shrimps recover from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 at the Mazuma Stadium.

Out of favour recently, he returned in time to continue his personal vendetta against the Addicks with two more goals, the first of which showcased first his taste for the spectacular, followed later by the kind of finish more reliant on his poacher’s instincts.

Eight desultory minutes had slipped by, during which Stockton had barely featured. when he produced an opener of frightening power. Pouncing on Aaron Henry’s carelessness in possession, he bludgeoned a rising, 35-yard rocket into the right top corner. Goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer was beaten, as they used to say, all ends up.

Early in the second half, the uninhibited Scouser doubled his tally in more mundane style. Reacting to hesitation between Maynard-Brewer and centre back Michael Hector, he had enough speed to reach Jensen Weir’s low, diagonal ball and poke it over the line.

Cole Stockton – might be advisable not to mention the name around these parts for a while – not until a serious effort is made to recruit him anyway.

Stockton’s goals were punctuated by an equaliser in the first of three minutes added to the first period. Battling his way to the leftbyline, Jack Payne justified his retention after claiming the winner at MK Dons in midweek by improvising a hard, low cross into a congested six-yard area. Whether by accident or design, top scorer Jesurun Rak-Sakyi turned his 14th goal of a productive loan spell past Connor Ripley.

Equality at the interval was an undeserved bonus for the Addicks, who were a disorganised rabble during most of the opening 45 minutes. Their chronic inconsistency is, by now, an article of faith and it’s difficult to recall a foot that was put right.

They were victimised, to be fair, by inefficient referee David Rock, who showed little grasp of the admittedly unofficial advantage rule when Henry was clearly fouled by Jacob Bedeau. Whistling instantly, Rock failed to observe that Charlton had sliced through the visitors’ resistance and that Payne had netted from 10 yards. It would be some consolation to hear that the hasty official apologised to Dean Holden for his rookie error – heartening but unlikely.

After restoring the visitors’ lead, Stockton wasn’t quite finished for the afternoon. Just past the hour, he found space to unleash another ferocious drive from distance which, on this occasion, was saved at full length by Maynard-Brewer. Following up alertly, Weir made easy work of tapping home the rebound.

Languishing third from bottom of League One but easily the better of two substandard teams, Morecambe were the most recent recipients of the fabled helping hand which Charlton extend to the lower orders. Port Vale will be along next Saturday, expecting similar largesse.

Weir’s goal provided Derek Adams’ men with an important two-goal cushion which turned out to be vital. There were still eleven regulation minutes remaining when substitute Scott Fraser reduced the arrears by turning sharply on to Sean Clare’s hard cross and drilling a low shot beyond Ripley.

Those minutes – and six more added – applied belated pressure on the Seasiders but they emerged intact from one or two inelegant goalmouth scrambles before heading home with three priceless points.

Apparently unable to motivate his fading squad, meanwhile, Holden has a huge task ahead of him this summer. Drained by their inability to make a meaningful impression on a frankly ordinary division, the season’s end can hardly come soon enough for both players and fans.

Even his normally indefatigable skipper George Dobson is feeling the effects of a nine-month waste of time, youngsters like Miles Leaburn and Tyreece Campbell have wilted under the demands made on them and a crushing sense of anti-climax pervades The Valley.

Bright spark Rak-Sakyi will no doubt lead an exodus from the training ground and it remains to be seen whether the visionary young manager gets the help he needs to prepare a promotion-challenging group.

Without wishing to make it personal, it’s time for our wandering minstrel of an owner to hang up his guitar, put his hand in his pocket and lend an overdue hand. Or, better yet, sell the club and let someone else have a go. Preferably someone who doesn’t think it’s all about him, or her, but has a humbler attitude to a great club in need of loving care.

Charlton: Maynard-Brewer, Clare, Hector, Thomas, Sessegnon (Kanu 69), Dobson, Morgan, Payne (Campbell 61), Henry (Fraser 61), Rak-Sakyi, Leaburn. Not used: Wollacott, Kane, Egbo, Mitchell. Booked: Leaburn

Morecambe: Ripley, Gibson, Rawson, Crowley (Taylor 72), Stockton, Gnahoua (Delaney 86), Weir (Niasse 86), Bedeau, Cooney, Austerfield, Souare (Melbourne 52). Not used: Smith, Hunter, Simeu.

Referee: David Rock. Official attendance: 13,347 (220 visiting).

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No, it’s not a mistake. The Addicks really did dish out a thumping at The Valley on Saturday – and in some style, too. KEVIN NOLAN has recorded this one for the history books.

Released from pressure and almost gambolling in an unfamiliar freedom to express themselves, Charlton crushed Shrewsbury Town during an unforgettable afternoon at The Valley.

Four of their six goals qualified as goal of the season candidates, the pick of them arguably that of Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who skipped the light fandango through a devastated Shrews defence before nonchalantly flicking the Addicks’ third goal inside the left post with almost casual disdain.

Rak-Sakyi’s terpsichorean contribution, scored in first-half added time, added gloss to a team performance which combined corporate hard graft with breathtaking individual skill in removing Steve Cotterill’s over-achievers from the equation as serious contenders well before the break.

They had actually stayed in contention for almost a half hour before the first of Charlton’s three outstanding first half strikes began their destruction. The fleet-footed Crystal Palace loanee was directly involved in his side’s opener after being crudely brought down by Tom Flanagan slightly to the right of goal. With the 20-yard free kick clearly favouring a left-footed taker, Scott Fraser stepped up to pinpoint a superb delivery into the top right corner.

Flanagan was booked for his transgression, a caution which took on additional significance much later in a dramatic afternoon. In Sunderland’s colours, he deflected Patrick Bauer’s last-gasp play-off decider into his own net four years ago, so it’s safe to assume that Charlton rarely feature in his anthology of golden career moments. And it was to get worse when the defender usurped first use of the visitors’ showers.

While Dean Holden’s carefree chaps tore into the bewildered Salopians, their attacking verve was underpinned by outstanding defensive organisation and nous, at the heart of which were rock-hard centre backs Michael Hector and Ryan Inniss.

Even the early loss of Sean Clare was minimised by Steven Sessegnon’s understated contribution, while Terell Thomas was similarly sound at left back. In front of a pragmatic defence, skipper George Dobson was an indefatigable force of nature, his nuts-and-bolts endeavour indispensable if sometimes taken for granted.

This was a fully functional Charlton side which might have found its feet too late this season but offers hope for the future. Shame Rak-Sakyi won’t be around to lend a hand – or, to be more accurate – two magical feet.

Sandwiched between Fraser’s deadeye set-piece and Rak-Sakyi’s shimmering footwork, meanwhile, was the second of Charlton’s three-goal salvo. It was claimed by Albie Morgan, currently in the process of proving that his promising career, which seemed to have hit the buffers, is up and running again.

An assist must be credited to referee Bobby Madley, whose super-alert use of the unwritten “advantage” rule allowed play to continue when Fraser was brought down by Christian Saydee in the centre circle. Poised to blow for the foul, Madley instead spotted that Rak-Sakyi had picked up possession and fed Morgan inside him. Albie’s first touch wrongfooted Matthew Pennington and set up the fierce right-footed finish which scorched past a helpless Marko Marosi. The accurate shooting he shows during pre-kickoff drills has made his paltry goal tally hard to understand. Nothing ventured, etc… he should chance his arm more often.

Too often this season, Charlton have bossed games before the interval but failed to press home their advantage. Not this time, though. The visitors were swept aside by Holden’s insatiable terriers, among whom Miles Leaburn had yet to make an impression. It’s hard to keep a good man down, of course, and Leaburn duly joined the party with a quickfire double.

A minute past the hour minute, the young hotshot was found by Thomas’ raking pass through the middle, after Morgan’s foraging had won possession. Flanked by two attentive markers, he briefly considered taking them on before unleashing an unstoppable low drive from all of 25 yards, which left Marosi standing as it zipped inside the keeper’s left hand post. His fine strike put him into double figures for the season and was quickly followed by an 11th in more controversial circumstances.

Another of Charlton’s young guns, Tyreece Campbell, broke through Shrews’ tiring rearguard and cut back a precise pass for Sessegnon to shoot first time from inside the penalty area. One of a defensive phalanx seeking to charge down Sessegnon’s effort, Flanagan succeeded in blocking successfully – but with a hand, according to Madley.

The award of a penalty appeared, to be honest, harsh, but Flanagan might have known his luck would be out against Charlton. A second yellow card meant dismissal for the unlucky defender, which left the small matter of the spotkick to be resolved. After some unseemly gamesmanship from Marosi and his colleagues, not to mention apparent competition from Morgan, Leaburn showed admirable technique in dispassionately converting from 12 yards.

With Ashley Maynard underworked but anxious, no doubt, to preserve a clean sheet, the Aussie youngster was endangered only once when a scruffy goalmouth scramble ended with the ball ricocheting to safety off his crossbar. Shrewsbury’s impertinence was punished almost instantly by a sixth goal from an Addick most in need of a goal.

It was substitute Macauley Bonne who was ideally placed to finish clinically after Campbell’s blocked shot fell fortuitously at his feet. The ecstatic response of his colleagues was heartwarming evidence that team spirit remains high on Holden’s requirements.

The manager was no doubt pleased that this cakewalked victory gave him the opportunity to introduce Aaron Henry and Zach Mitchell for the last half hour. Both academy graduates were hugely impressive and, along with the uninhibited Campbell, provided more evidence that Charlton’s supply line of young talent is unrivalled. Maybe next year then… there’s always next year.

Charlton: Maynard-Brewer, Clare (Sessegnon 19), Hector (Mitchell 62), Inniss, Thomas (Bonne 72), Dobson (Henry 60), Morgan, Fraser (Payne 72), Rak-Sakyi, Leaburn, Campbell. Not used: Wollacott, Kanu. Booked: Dobson, Sessegnon.

Shrewsbury: Marosi, Leahy, Pennington (Bennett 76), Moore, Winchester, Phillips, Street (Bloxham 66), Dunkley, Saydee (Bowman 66), Shipley, Flanagan. Not used: Burgoyne, Craig, Barlow. Booked: Winchester, Saydee, Shipley, Flanagan (2 – sent off).

Referee: Robert Madley. Attendance: 13,241 (646 visiting).

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