The Addicks’ season finally cranked into life yesterday with a home win over Crewe. KEVIN NOLAN enjoyed a novel emotion at The Valley.

An unfamiliar sensation united players and crowd at a buoyant Valley on Saturday. It’s called the feel-good factor and it’s been a stranger during Charlton’s fumbling start to the season. But it was all the more keenly appreciated when it showed up.

It felt good that each member of Nigel Adkins’ 14-man squad contributed to this workmanlike victory over spirited Crewe; it felt good too that the Addicks scored for the first time at home; and it felt better than good to celebrate a win at last. It remains to be seen whether a corner has been turned, but as Adkins reminded us: “We’ve got good players and we’ve got a good team.”

And that, in itself, is something to feel good about.

This was a comfortable, but never easy, victory. As always, Crewe were well-schooled, bright on the ball and dangerous from time to time. In preserving his second clean sheet, Craig McGillivray was called upon to make a handful of saves, the pick of them his stunning reaction to prevent substitute Chris Porter’s point-blank certainty from crossing the goalline. McGillivray did his bit and had a case to be considered Charlton’s unofficial man-of-the match. That would, however, overlook the credentials of Diallang Jaiyesimi, who added an excellent goal to his best game in a Charlton shirt.

Making an aggressive, positive start, Adkins’ Addicks were quick out of the blocks. As early as the third minute, Jayden Stockley crossed from the left for Ryan Inniss to beat Luke Offord in the air and test Will Jaaskelainen at his near post. The homeboys’ intentions were already clear, with fullbacks Adam Matthews and Chris Gunter regularly crossing the halfway line to join up with their forwards, while Albie Morgan called the shots in central midfield.

The visitors buckled under the pressure but a goal eluded their tormentors; as the opening salvo abated, they emerged from their defensive ramparts and hit back; Callum McFadzean should, in fact, have done better than turn Callum Ainley’s cutely dinked cross tamely into McGillivray’s hands. Their chances were improving when they fell behind shortly after the half hour mark.

Picking up possession from Stockley on the left flank, Gunter’s centre seemed certain to be met by McFadzean until Jaiyesimi stole an important step on his marker and headed emphatically into the roof of Jasskalainen’s net. The winger’s repertoire of tricks and flicks provide his bread and butter; his newly-discovered aerial power adds jam to his tasty menu.

Shaken by their concession, the Railwaymen were hit by a second blow just five minutes later. Again Jaiyesimi was involved, his awareness of Connor Washington’s run into space matched by the swooping crossfield pass which arrived slightly behind its intended target. Superb control with the outside of his foot provided Washington with the time he needed to find Stockley in space inside him. Forced wide as he rounded Jasskalainen, the big striker finished into the bottom left corner from a dwindling angle.

Sandwiched between the goals, academy graduate Ainley had stung McGillivray’s palms with a fiercely-struck drive. But the second setback placed the outcome beyond them. The industry of Morgan was backed up by Ben Watson’s cool commonsense.

And when Inniss departed just past the hour, 17-year old Deji Elewere stepped up to prove again that if you’re good enough, you’re also old enough. This kid is, impressively, the business, but will be brought along cautiously and responsibly. We can only hope he doesn’t have an agent yet but that horse might already have bolted. Best enjoy him while we can.

Though conclusively two down, David Artell’s side refused to surrender. Kayne Ramsay’s blistering drive brought the best out of McGillivray, as did McFadzean’s effort from the edge of the penalty area. Charlton’s capable keeper was almost beaten by Akin Famewo’s panicky slice but survived at the expense of a corner. At the other end, Jaaskalainen foiled Washington in one-on-one confrontation, then saved magnificently from Stockley.

An entertaining encounter careered along until Adkins no doubt prescribed a course of game management. Gunter and Matthews duly curbed their attacking enthusiasm; Elewere and Famewo clamped down on excessive frills; Watson’s experience blended nicely with Morgan’s youthful flair and Washington and Stockley, as usual, chased everything.

The manager might also have noticed Charlie Kirk’s growing confidence – more will be expected from Charlie as the season develops. It didn’t harm the feelgood factor, meanwhile, to introduce Elliott Lee to an appreciative crowd.

The last word belongs, as it should, with Adkins. “All in all, we’ve got to be pleased with a 2-0 victory and a great atmosphere at The Valley”, he declared. Amen to that, Nigel, a heartfelt amen to that. Feels good, don’t it?

Charlton: McGillivray, Matthews, Famewo, Inniss (Lee 76), Gunter, Watson, Morgan, Jaiyesimi (Clare 80), Kirk (Lee 76), Stockley, Washington. Not used: Harness, Pearce, Blackett-Taylor, Davison. Booked: Gunter.

Crewe: Jaaskalainen, Adebisi, Thomas, Offord, Knight (Ramsay 66), Ainley, Mandron, Finney (Porter 66), McFadzean (Griffiths 83), Murphy, Lundstram. Booked: Adebisi, McFadzean.

Referee: James Bell. Attendance: 13,167 (498 visiting).

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Another season got under way at The Valley yesterday – and fans were back too. The match didn’t live up to the hype, but KEVIN NOLAN didn’t mind.

There was plenty going on during a busy opening day at The Valley; before the awkward encounter with newly-relegated Sheffield Wednesday kicked off, that is. That’s when the real business began and things became serious.

A hectic schedule included the restoration of Floyd and Harvey as club mascots(?), farewells to a couple of long-serving women players and the introduction of the 2021-22 distaff squad.

There were lengthy interviews, expertly conducted by Scott Minto, with Thomas Sandgaard and the man of the hour, Alan Curbishley on the occasion of the woodenly named East Stand being re-dedicated in his honour. The Great Man wears well, spoke well and struck the perfect balance between pride and humility. The mutual respect he shared with a corps of his ex-players was obvious. Those were great years.

Curbishley’s anecdote about seeing The Valley for the first time at the famous Who concert in 1974 stirred a musical response from Thomas Sandgaard. He picked up his guitar and toured the stadium accompanying “Valley Floyd Road”, while proving effortlessly he’s no Pete Townshend.

Metallica’s Master of Puppets rounded off the proceedings (“I will help you die!”) before silence proved yet again that it’s golden. It was certainly a far cry from good old Billy Cotton’s boys bouncing through Red Red Robin. But different, there’s no getting away from that.

During the noisy, chaotic doings, almost 3,000 bemused Owls fans bided their time in the Jimmy Seed Stand. It’s hard to say whether they felt entertained or not. Probably not.

The natives, meanwhile, were restless. They’ve seen it all before. Make a fuss of the Addicks and you’re inviting trouble. Bitter experience has taught these fans that their heroes do not respond favourably to the spotlight. It was bad enough being on Sky TV without all the hoop-la. Low key is in their great old club’s DNA, as is their chronic inability to beat Millwall. Some things are best accepted with resignation.

The game itself hardly lived up to its prolonged build-up. That was too much to ask. What we got was an earnest but unimaginative clash of few clear-cut chances which was always destined to end scoreless.

Most of those chances were created by Charlton while the best of them was missed by spiky veteran Barry Bannan in the game’s dying throes. Both sides are expected to feature in this season’s promotion race and will no doubt settle for the point which sent them on their way. It was easy, however, to imagine the sound of TV channels being changed across the country as the tedium repeated itself.

With three newcomers making their debuts, Charlton took time to settle down but coped easily enough with their visitors, who were unfortunate to lose Callum Paterson to a nasty head injury after just 10 minutes.

Wednesday were still a distracted mess when Liam Palmer’s foul on Diallang Jaiyesimi gave Albie Morgan the opportunity to showcase his setpiece skills. From the right flank, Morgan’s free kick picked out Jayden Stockley, unmarked 10 yards from goal. The striker’s header was almost deliberately aimed wide of the right post.

Morgan was less accurate with the free kick he sent tamely over the bar, following Sam Hutchinson’s crude challenge on Sean Clare. Before the break, Conor Washington came within inches of converting Akin Famewo’s inviting pass. Darren Moore’s Wednesday had made little impression, not that the Addicks were especially dominant in a forgettable first half.

The second period changed little. Again the Addicks held the edge, with Morgan blazing Clare’s cute cutback wildly into the North Stand and Jaiyesimi driving a self-created chance wide of Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s left hand post.

Again, the Owls had been toothless until Bannan, whose sole contribution had been in picking up a booking for a spiteful off-the-ball foul on Clare, turned his attentions to more legal matters. After latching on to Craig McGillivray’s wayward clearance, he kidded his way through Charlton’s floundering defence, picked a spot to the right of the keeper but dragged his shot risibly wide. The chance, luckily for the Addicks, had fallen on his right foot, the one Bannan uses only to balance the “wand” which all left-footed playmakers possess, at least according to timeworn cliche.

So a predictable draw it was, a result which pleased Nigel Adkins, who felt “we looked fit, we looked strong, we had a big variety in our play. The players were great…young Charles Clayden makes his debut” (a pointless three-minute stint but it counts), Jayden Stockley was outstanding…and we talk about DJ, wow! he was unplayable today, wasn’t he!”

The manager’s positivity is infectious. A bit hard to justify at times when some slight criticism seems in order, but easier to take than negative nitpicking.

Charlton: McGillivray, Matthews Famewo, Inniss, Gunter, Dobson, Jaiyesimi, Morgan, Clare, Stockley, Washington (Clayden 89). Not used: Harness, Pearce, Davison, Watson, Ghandour, Elerewe. Booked: Matthews.

Wednesday: Peacock-Farrell, Palmer, Brown, Hutchinson, Iorfa, Adeniran, Bannan, Paterson (Kamberi 16), Green (Johnson 64), Wing, Hunt. Not used: Wildsmith, Byers, Luongo, Dunkley, Corbeanu. Booked: Hutchinson, Iorfa, Bannan.

Attendance: 17,639 (2,712 visiting). Referee: Will Finnie.

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Yesterday’s lunchtime kick-off was one to forget as the Addicks ground out a goalless draw. KEVIN NOLAN put his shoulder to the wheel at The Valley.

The puzzling conundrum of Charlton’s poor home form appears to have stumped even new manager Nigel Adkins, who put a brave face on this latest disappointment and declared “we’ve got the feel of the place…it’s the first time for me, playing at home at The Valley. It gives me an understanding of where we’ve got to try and keep improving on moving forward because it’s a big, big pitch.”

If he felt the merest hint of frustration, Adkins was at pains to hide it but thousands of fans who coughed up a tenner to endure this scrappy, frankly awful game were under no such constraint. To a man and woman they had burned while Charlton fiddled their way through 90+ minutes of scruffiness.

A game as insipid as this one can be redeemed in only one way – by the winning of it – and that proved beyond the reach of Adkins’ Addicks.

There were times indeed on this sun-drenched Saturday, not least during a torrid opening quarter hour, when out-of-form Ipswich threatened to pinch the point which leaves Charlton hovering just outside the play-off places, two points behind stuttering Portsmouth with a game in hand.

Fortunately, the Tractor Boys’ ambition stretched no further than a draw and they departed for Suffolk as happy as sandboys.

Forced to make one change after Ian Maatsen limped off injured at Sunderland, Adkins recalled Liam Millar in the loanee youngster’s place and deployed his personnel in an attacking 4-3-3 formation. The intention was to carry the fight to the visitors, who responded by dominating the early possession and coming within a whisker of grabbing an early lead.

Ben Amos was forced into immediate action to keep out a fierce header from James Norwood, who met Andre Dozzell’s setpiece at close range. The wrongfooted keeper received stout support from his skipper Jason Pearce, who blocked Keanan Bennetts’ follow-up on the goalline.

As the Addicks struggled to gain a foothold in a game they were expected to control, it became evident how much they miss Conor Washington, whose wholehearted willingness to chase lost causes, run the channels tirelessly and play off the shoulder of target man Jayden Stockley, made him invaluable.

The Northern Irish international’s goals arrived at vital times while, during his absence, they have dried up for the unsupported Stockley. Charlton’s forwards have hit a wall, with the slack picked up recently by unlikely scorers in Maatsen, Alex Gilbey and Diallang Jaiyesimi, all of whom opened their account for the club. Those priceless wins at Doncaster and Sunderland were won by doggedness and guts; Atkins can only dream of resounding victories by three or four-goal margins but no doubt he will deal with it.

It’s surely a matter of time, meanwhile, before Ryan Inniss adds his name to the list of all-time scorers. The opening goal at the Stadium of Light was down to his massive influence on setpieces in the opposition’s box while, against Ipswich, he was foiled only by a sharp save by Thomas Holy after meeting Jake Forster-Caskey’s outswinging corner with a firm downward header. The Czech keeper was less impressive in fumbling Ben Purrington’s deep cross but was bailed out by Mark McGuiness’s goalline clearance from Stockley’s attempt to bury the loose ball.

If this begins to sound like an end-to-end ding-dong, well, to be fair, it staggered along those lines for a while.

With possession exchanged like drunken sailors, it was Town’s turn to go close when Teddy Bishop burst into the penalty area and presented an onrushing Bennetts with a perfectly judged cutback. Staring the gift horse in its mouth, Bennetts kicked it into what would have been an appreciative North Stand. By now it was clear that clinical finishing didn’t feature on the agenda of either side.

Neither Jaiyesimi’s header, forceful enough but directed straight at Holy after being set up by Stockley’s flick, nor the unconvincing shot from Liam Millar routinely saved by Holy, disturbed that impression.

A fine effort from Forster-Caskey narrowly cleared the bar before Purrington created a last chance from which Stockley’s low drive drew a capable save from Holy before this discouraging, disheartening game fizzled into richly-merited obscurity.

It was then time to check elsewhere what damage had been done by Charlton’s failure to beat the misfiring Tractor Boys. And reassuringly, the Addicks are still in with a solid chance of crawling into the play-offs.

Lincoln City have inconveniently pulled themselves together, Sunderland lost to Blackpool but probably have enough points already while the Seasiders have hit form at the right time. But here’s a reason to be cheerful… Milton Keynes 1 Portsmouth 0, which leaves Pompey two points ahead of us in sixth place but with one more game played.

But wait up, there’s Oxford United to worry about as well. They beat Gillingham 3-2 in the last minute and leapfrogged us into sixth place, two points ahead. But we have two games in hand on them. Still with me?

Charlton: Amos, Matthews, Inniss, Pearce, Purrington, Pratley (Watson 61), Jaiyesimi, Forster-Caskey, Gilbey, Millar, Stockley. Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Gunter, Oshilaja, Famewo, Shinnie, Schwartz. Booked: Jaiyesimi, Watson.

Ipswich: Holy, McGuiness, Ward (Kenlock 70), Woolfenden, Edwards, Norwood (Jackson 25), Bishop (Sears 70), Bennetts, Downes, Dozzell, Vincent-Young. Not used: Cornell, Chambers, Skuse, Dobra. Booked: Dozzell.

Referee: Craig Hicks.

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“HERE’S JOHNNNNEEEEEEEEE!!!” The Charlton Champion’s KEVIN NOLAN cheers Johnnie Jackson’s thrilling managerial debut and doesn’t find himself pining for the previous incumbent.

The King is dead. Long live Johnnie Jackson. Actually, belay that, the king isn’t dead. He’s very much alive and was spotted in the St Andrews district of Birmingham. Had his agent with him, if reports are accurate. But long live Johnnie Jackson anyway.

You know how football works. It’s like show business: the show has to go on. It waits for no manager. No more than 48 hours after Lee Bowyer was carried shoulder high out of The Valley – figuratively at least – he was supervising training at Birmingham City and assuring the blue side of Brum that “I’m absolutely delighted and it’s great to be back”. It seems he was always one of them, not one of us.

For their part, City can’t wait to benefit from his “man-management skills and motivational qualities”, Er, good luck with that, chaps. He can be like a bear with a grudge. And he’d been borrowing time for several weeks before he bailed.

Another of football’s enfant terribles arrived in charge of Bristol Rovers on Tuesday evening, hoping to benefit from Charlton’s obvious disarray. Joey Barton must have thought it was the perfect time to be playing the Addicks and during an opening half hour of defensive chaos, he saw nothing to discourage that belief. The Gas sliced through their bewildered hosts and in addition to compiling a two-goal lead, they went uncomfortably close to doubling their advantage. It threatened to be a nightmare start to Jackson’s tenure.

The 18th minute penalty which began Charlton’s problems was of the avoidable kind which has frequently blighted this disastrous season. Jonah Ayunga was persistent but not especially menacing as he squeezed between Ian Maatsen and Jason Pearce into the area. But the unnecessary shove in the back he received from Maatsen was all he needed to hit the ground and earn the penalty correctly awarded by referee Madeley. Left back Luke Leahy made easy work of drilling his spotkick down the middle as Ben Amos dived fruitlessly to his left.

Jackson’s sinking feeling, one which Bowyer would have recognised, was all too familiar. A sharp intake of breath united homebound fans and their caretaker as Ayunga beat Akin Famewo to a long ball, sensed that Amos was off his line and chipped cleverly from the right flank. On one bounce, his effort drifted, happily for the horrified hosts, inches wide of his target. They were still exhaling when Sam Nicholson slipped through their ranks to shoot on the run. Amos’ desperately deployed right leg kept the midfielder’s effort out, not that Rovers had long to wait for a second breakthrough.

Former Addick Brandon Hanlan was proving an awkward handful and it was his short pass which persuaded Ed Upson to try his luck from fully 30 yards. Completely deceived by the flight of the shot, Amos flopped and flapped as the defender’s long range potshot beat him.

Poker-faced on the sideline, Jackson almost instantly received the boost he urgently needed before despair set in. His own good judgement in restoring Andrew Shinnie to the starting line-up was rewarded as the Scotsman reduced the arrears two minutes after Amos’ howler. The scorer was part of the build-up with a shrewd pass which Conor Washington chased before crossing from the left byline. Upson’s headed clearance was chested down by Shinnie and brilliantly volleyed past Joe Day into the bottom right corner.

An equally fine equaliser extended Charlton’s spirited rally four minutes before the break. Preferred to Chuks Aneke up front, Jayden Stockley was ruthlessly chopped down by Jack Baldwin two yards outside Rovers’ penalty area. With the angle favouring Jake Forster-Caskey’s left-footed skills, it was he rather than Shinnie who stepped up to curl an absolute beauty into the top left corner. Charlton are well served in attacking midfield by Shinnie and Forster-Caskey; a conclusion Jackson reached without resort to Bowyer’s often needless rotation.

The second half initiative belonged to Jackson’s resurgent Addicks. Inspired by Washington’s insatiable appetite for work, they ran Rovers ragged until they ran out of, er, gas. Still, the relegated haunted visitors came within four minutes of departing with a precious point until rubber legged and out on their feet, they succumbed. A hit-and-hope lob from Shinnie was weakly headed back by Alfie Kilgour to Day but intercepted by Washington en route to the advancing keeper. The forward’s instinctive low volley hit the right post but rebounded kindly to be tapped into a vacated net. Day’s added-time dismissal for clobbering substitute Chuks Aneke outside his penalty area made lighter work of managing what remained of Jackson’s triumphant debut.

Victory over one of League One’s weaker entries is, on the face of it, no cause for excessive celebration. It will be remembered, nonetheless, as the evening on which Johnnie Jackson emerged from Lee Bowyer’s shadow and took control of Charlton for the first time in his own right. We won’t have long to wait before Thomas Sandgaard decides whether his appointment is made permanent.

Bowyer has seen fit to move to Birmingham. Better him than me. In Jackson, meanwhile, Charlton might have traded up.

Time will tell. But only if this genuine article is given time.

Charlton: Amos, Gunter, Famewo, Pearce, Maatsen, Forster-Caskey, Shinnie (Pratley 90), Morgan, Washington, Millar (Jaiyesimi 66), Stockley (Aneke 73). Not used: Maynard-Brewer, Oshilaja, Watson, Schwartz. Booked: Shinnie, Morgan.

Bristol Rovers: Joe Day, Leahy, Upson (Van Stappershoef 90), Westbrooke (Little 82), Hanlan (James Day 82), Nicholson (Hargreaves 65), McCormick, Kilgour, Ayunga, Baldwin, Williams. Not used: Ehmer, Martinez, Walker. Booked: Upson. Sent off: Joe Day.

Referee: Robert Madeley.