Friday night Sky Bet Championship football takes place at The Valley when Charlton Athletic host Queens Park Rangers in a London derby.

Last Saturday’s victory at Leicester City gave the Addicks a three point buffer from the relegation zone having played one game fewer. Sonny Carey put Nathan Jones’ side ahead nine minutes before half time and new signing Lyndon Dykes added a second in first half stoppage time. There was no scoring after the break as Charlton’s clean sheet helped them to put their defeat at Millwall behind them. 

It has been a rebuilding January for Jones as Dykes is one of his seven signings in the January transfer window. Harry Clarke, Luke Chambers, Tiernan Brooks, Jayden Fevrier, Conor Coady and Collins Sichenje are the other six newcomers, four of whom started at Leicester.

Mid-table QPR (one of Dykes’ previous clubs) are eight points above the Addicks and also come in to the game off the back of a victory. They came from behind to beat league leaders Coventry City at home. Eight minutes into the second half, Josh Eccles put Coventry ahead but Richard Kone equalised thirteen minutes later and Nicolas Madsen scored the winner for the hosts with just over quarter of an hour remaining. 

When the two teams met in South West London on the last Saturday in August, the Rs claimed the spoils. Paul Smyth put the home team ahead in the eighth minute but Robert Apter levelled early in the second period. It looked as if the game was heading for a draw until Kone scored with six minutes left. Koki Saito took advantage of the Addicks’ search for an equaliser by adding a third deep into stoppage time.

Another bumper crowd and an electric atmosphere is expected and Jones will be looking to Charlton’s loud supporters to be their twelfth man.

Picture supplied by Keith Gillard.