Charlton opened their league campaign at The Valley with an entertaining win over Wigan, one of the favourites for promotion.
Despite the midweek win over Colchester, Bob Peeters kept faith with the team which drew at Brentford last week.
Simon Church’s goal on Tuesday earned him a place on the bench at the expense of Joe Pigott.
Jordan Cousins’ eighth minute opener will be an early contender for goal of the season.
Taking a cross field ball from Johann Gudmundsson, Cousins cut inside and unleashed a 20-yard curler that went into the top left hand corner of Scott Carson’s goal.
The Addicks played a neat, easy-on-the-eye passing game and impressed the home crowd.
Wigan levelled midway through the opening period when a diagonal ball from the left put Callum McManaman one-on-one with Rhoys Wiggins. The Latics wide man sent Wiggins the wrong before beating Stephen Henderson from an acute angle.
Wiggins and Igor Vetokele had chances to score as the half drew to a close.
Midway through the second half, Stephen Henderson had to go off with what looked like a hamstring injury, as the Addicks began to lose their direction.
But it proved to be the lull before the storm. Right at the end, the hosts spurned good chances presented to Gudmundsson, Franck Moussa and Vetokele.
Vetokele was clean through with just Carson to beat but fluffed his lines.
Deep into injury time though, Charlton got their just desserts, albeit in fortuitous circumstances.
Moussa’s shot was blocked but looped up and cruelly over Carson to nestle in the net.
Three sides of The Valley exploded in a joint display of unbridled joy.
Just three days until Peeters’ team have to do it all again when Derby come to South London. The Valley faithful will be hoping for more of the same.
Charlton: Henderson (Pope 67); Solly, Ben Haim, Bikey-Amougou, Wiggins; Gudmundsson, Buyens, Jackson (Wilson 75), Cousins; Tucudean (Moussa 61), Vetokele.
Subs (not used): Morrison, Harriott, Church, Fox.
Goals: Cousins 8, Moussa 90.
Wigan Athletic: Carson; Perch, Kiernan, Ramis, Taylor; Huws, McArthur, Cowie (Espinoza 78); McManaman, Riera (Maloney 46), Fortune (Waghorn 69).
Subs (not used): Al Habsi, Tavernier, Caldwell, Barnett.
Booked: Taylor 25 (foul).
Goal: McManaman 22.
Referee: Andy D’Urso (Billericay).
Attn: 15,334 (447 from Wigan).
Saturday, 16 August 2014 16:58
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Friday, 15 August 2014 07:45
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The Rotherham Advertiser has reported that the Millers have received a substantial bid for Kieran Agard. Substantial it may have been, but Rotherham have rejected it.
Leeds are keen on the player but he is thought to prefer a return to London. Agard is a goal scoring wide man, so would compete with Johann Gudmundsson and Lawrie Wilson for a place.
Bob Peeters will have some pleasant selection dilemmas for the visit of Wigan, following Tuesday’s victory over Colchester.
Stephen Henderson will continue in goal and Chris Solly’s knee should be sufficiently rested for him to return.
Peeters will have to choose between Tal Ben Haim and Michael Morrison as Andre Bikey’s partner, with Rhoys Wiggins completing the back line.
Lawrie Wilson’s impressive display on Tuesday will put him in contention for a starting place.
Johann Gudmundsson is left-footed but normally operates on the right. The Icelandic international can play anywhere across midfield, which increases Peeters’ options.
Yoni Buyens is solid and Johnnie Jackson and Jordan Cousins are likely to contest the other central midfield berth.
Franck Moussa may edge out Callum Harriott on the left.
Georege Tucudean and Igor Vetokele will be the front runners.
Charlton could look like this:
Henderson; Solly, Morrison, Bikey, Wiggins; Gudmundsson, Buyens, Jackson, Moussa; Tucudean, Vetokele.
Subs: Pope, Ben Haim, Fox, Wilson, Cousins, Harriott, Church.
The referee will be Andy D’Urso from Billericay.
The Latics will be expected to be in the promotion hunt this season and will be a stern test for the Addicks. Peeters’ side are in a confident mood though and will fancy their chances of opening the league campaign at The Valley with a win.
The match day programme will cost £5, as it incorporates the annual handbook. The programme will have 68 pages this season, as well as a host of new features.
Here is an excerpt of Iain Liddle’s editorial notes that will appear in the Wigan issue:
“Here it is – your new-look Valley Review.
Today’s edition includes the annual handbook for the 2014/15 season boasting 68 pages packed with statistics and club history.
However, the regular section is also 68 pages, and will remain so over the course of the season, which means four extra pages of content per issue for the same price.
The matte cover effect and perfectly-bound publication (which basically means it has a spine, like a book) are also here to stay in 2014/15.
Valley Review has always had interesting, unique content which can’t be found anywhere else and that won’t change.”
Sellers can be found both inside and outside the ground and copies of the Valley Review are available again from the club shop.
Tuesday, 12 August 2014 21:31
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Fans got their first glimpse of the revamped Valley on Tuesday night and very impressive it was too.
Facilities outside have also changed. The fish and chip van in the West Stand car park has been replaced by a French style rotisserie outlet, serving chicken and new potatoes.
Charlton live lead commentator, Peter Finch, was almost apoplectic
when he failed to find his usual burger van.
There are placards of past Valley heroes outside the ground and the catering outlets within the ground have also had a major facelift.
Bob Peeters retained five of Saturday’s starting line-up – Stephen Henderson, Andre Bikey, Yoni Buyens, Jordan Cousins and George Tucudean.
Saturday’s substitutes, Morgan Fox, Callum Harriott and Franck Moussa were all rewarded with a start.
The game was effectively over midway through the opening period. A goal bound Callum Harriott shot was handled by Magnus Okuonghae.
A penalty and, more significantly, a mandatory red card for the Colchester skipper was to prove too big a hurdle for the visitors to overcome.
Yoni Buyens converted the penalty, firing high into the roof of the net.
The Addicks were a yard faster than their opponents all night and the added bonus of a playing with an extra man for three-quarters of the match, Charlton had far too much in their locker for Colchester.
The hosts had chances aplenty and converted another three after the break.
Lawrie Wilson notched a brace in four minutes early in the second half.
First he was played in by Moussa and fired across Chris Lewington into the far corner.
The second was almost an exact replica, with Cousins the provider this time.
Lively substitute, Johann Gudmundsson, twice tried his luck from range and both times Lewington failed to hold onto the ball.
On the second occasion, another substitute, Simon Church, was on hand to tap in from close range.
The Addicks have far sterner tests than this coming up, but their performance and easy on the eye style, will have impressed all who witnessed it.
Charlton: Henderson; Gomez, Morrison, Bikey, Fox; Wilson, Buyens (Gudmundsson 63), Cousins, Harriott; Moussa (Vetokele 60), Tucudean (Church 72).
Subs (not used): Pope, Ben Haim, Nego, Pigott.
Goals: Buyens 23 (pen), Wilson 55, 59, Church 89.
Colchester United: Lewington; Clohessy, Okuonghae, Eastman, Gordon; Gilbey, Moncur, Vose (Bean 29), Sears (Szmodics 63); Massey (Holman 46), Ibehre.
Subs (not used): Curtis, Walker, Thompson, Kent.
Sent off: Okuonghae 23 (handball).
Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey).
Attn: 5,752 (472 from Colchester).