Charlton 1 Stoke City 0

Tyreece Campbell scored the winning goal nine minutes from full time as the Addicks beat Stoke City to secure an important three points at The Valley on Wednesday evening.

Charlton defended well to keep a third consecutive clean sheet and very much deserved the win after creating considerably more chances than the visitors.

The Addicks bombarded the Stoke goal in the early stages. Conor Coady was first to get a sight at goal, sending a clipped shot well wide of the target after the ball fell to him at a tight angle in the penalty area.

Harry Clarke then smashed a header into the crossbar from close range after getting on the end of Sonny Carey’s devilish, in-swinging corner from the left.

Lyndon Dykes got on the end of a long ball and looped the ball over the onrushing Stoke goalkeeper Tommy Simkin but defender Ashley Phillips, rushing back towards his goal, was able to head the ball out for a corner.

The resulting set piece was another in-swinger from Carey, which fell to Lloyd Jones at the back post but he couldn’t control his volley from six yards out, which went wide of goal. 

Clarke’s cross from the right to the back post was met by Kayne Ramsay but his header was straight at Simkin. 

Former Charlton Player of the Year Jes Rak-Sakyi had Stoke’s first look at goal and it was a chance many at The Valley would have expected him to take. The winger was able to get in behind the Charlton defence, shifted the ball onto his favoured left foot but lifted his shot which skimmed the Addicks’ crossbar.

Another Carey cross from the left, this time from open play, was headed just wide by Dykes.

After that fast-paced opening 21 minutes from Nathan Jones’ side, the game slowed and Rak-Sakyi, this time on his right foot, blasted over the only other half chance of the first half. 

Charlton started the second half as they did the first, with Matty Godden, making his first start of the season, latching onto a long ball into the channel from Carey, before seeing his powerful shot from outside the penalty area deflected just wide of goal.

Substitute Campbell drove inside from the left in the 70th minute and forced a low shot down to his left from Simkin. 

It was the 81st minute when the Addicks netted their winner, Dykes flicked on Thomas Kaminski’s kick forward and Campbell got in behind the Stoke defence, rounded Simkin and finished calmly with his left foot. 

The win moves the Addicks seven points clear of the relegation zone ahead of next Tuesday’s clash with Portsmouth back at The Valley. Click here to purchase your tickets now. 

Charlton: Kaminski; Ramsay, Jones, Bell; Clarke, Coady, Dochery (c), Carey (Coventry 84), Chambers; Godden (Campbell 61), Dykes

Subs (not used): Mannion, Gillesphey, Sichenje, Rankin-Costello, Berry, Fevrier, Kelman

Goal: Campbell 81

Assist: Dykes 81

Booked: Coady 49 (pushing with Thomas), Godden 55 (pushing with Seko)

Stoke City: Simkin, Cresswell (Bocat 74), Thomas (Smit 75), Seko, Nzonzi, Wilmolt (c), Lawal (Talovierov 41), Rigo (Jun-Ho 74), Rak-Sakyi (Manhoef 57), Phillips, Cisse

Subs (not used): Fielding, Pearson, Otegbayo, Curley

Booked: Thomas 49 (pushing with Coady), Seko 55 (pushing with Seko), Nzonzi 78 (kicking the ball away), Manhoef 82 (foul on Jones)

Referee: Anthony Blackhouse

Attendance: 14,836 (1,112 from Stoke)