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Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Charlton Athletic
Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Charlton Athletic

The Addicks slumped to their fourth defeat on the season at Ewood Park on Saturday.

Blackburn

The game was effectively over inside twenty minutes when Rovers took a two goal lead.

The visitors fielded an unchanged team, though they made several changes to players’ roles during the course of the game.

Blackburn took the lead after just six minutes. Nick Pope played the ball out to Jordan Cousins in a central position.

The midfielder was dispossessed and the ball was played forward to Jordan Rhodes. Rhodes made no mistake and fired past Pope’s left hand into the far corner of the net.

Charlton looked nervy at the back and there were more scares before Rhodes increased Rovers’ lead after nineteen minutes. A mix up between Tal Ben Haim and Pope allowed Rhodes to nip in and tap the ball into the empty net.

The Addicks put their first meaningful move together just before the half hour mark when Ben Haim and Cousins combined to put Igor Vetokele in, but the Angolan’s first touch let him down and the chance was gone.

Bob Peeters then made a tactical substitution, taking Morgan Fox off and replacing him with Lawrie Wilson. Wilson went into midfield with Chris Solly switching to left-back.

Both sides had further chances before the break. Jason Lowe’s shot drew a smart save from Pope and Wilson and Johann Gudmundsson combined to tee up Callum Harriott but Harriott miscued.

Peeters made another change at the break, replacing Harriott with Joe Pigott.

The Addicks improved in the second half and came into the game more without seriously threatening to claw their way back into the game.

Charlton’s inability to win – they have won just twice since September – is now a real concern.

The side looks disjointed and seem short of confidence. Too many players are being asked to play out of position.

Plenty of food for thought for Peeters to digest in the run up to Christmas.

Charlton: Pope; Gomez, Ben Haim, Bikey, Fox (Wilson 30); Buyens, Solly, Cousins (Bulot 73), Gudmundsson; Harriott (Pigott 46), Vetokele.

Subs (not used): Etheridge, Onyewu, Tucudean, Ahearne-Grant.

Booked: Buyens 69 (foul).

Blackburn: Steele; Baptiste, Hanley, Duffy, Olsson; Tunnicliffe, Lowe (Williamson 49), Evans, Marshall (Dunn 76); Gestede (King 76), Rhodes.

Subs (not used): Eastwood, Kilgallon, Varney, Conway.

Goals: Rhodes 6, 19

Referee: David Webb (Lancashire).

Att: 13,231 (318  Charlton).


 
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