Charlton 1 Fleetwood Town 2
Charlton fell to a 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town in a scrappy game at The Valley.
Jes Rak-Sakyi scored a wonderful individual goal on the stroke of half time to draw the Addicks level after Shaun Rooney’s superstrike but a second half header from Harrison Holgate and some expert game management earned the visitors three points.
Dean Holden named an unchanged lineup from the team that beat Exeter City 2-1 last weekend, with the Addicks starting the game in a 4-3-3 formation with Macauley Bonne leading the attack.
It was a quiet first half with Fleetwood sitting deep and allowing the home side a lot of possession.
The visitors had first sight at goal through Jayden Stockley, returning to The Valley after joining Fleetwood two weeks ago. He wasn’t quite able to control his effort from a cross from the left, with the ball going wide to safety.
Substitute, Rooney, who had replaced injured Fleetwood skipper, Danny Andrew, gave the visitors a 28th minute lead with a stunning half volley from 25 yards which went in off the post.
The Addicks play improved as the half drew to a close. George Dobson, set up by Scott Fraser, curled wide from the edge of the area four minutes before the break. Fraser then saw a header, from a Matt Penney cross, saved by goalkeeper Jay Lynch.
The midfielder was denied again in first half stoppage time by a wonderful block from Carl Johnston, when the second ball from a Gavin Kilkenny cross from the right fell at his feet.
Charlton did level in the fifth minute of first half stoppage time with a wonderful individual goal from Rak-Sakyi. Sean Clare found the in-form winger, who had drifted inside his defender and controlled beautifully on his back foot to create space. He then cut inside, onto his stronger left foot, evading a tackle from Scott Robertson, before keeping his composure and curling into the top corner of the goal for his ninth of the season.
After some good early second half attacking down the right wing by Charlton, the visitors took the lead again when Holgate met Phoenix Patterson’s corner and made no mistake with a free header. The Charlton players appealed to the referee Carl Boyeson for an off-the ball block on Fraser but he waved away the claims.
The Addicks pressed forward chasing an equaliser and substitute Chuks Aneke’s shot on the turn was comfortable for Lynch. Rak-Sakyi then blasted high and wide when a cleared free kick fell into his path.
Aneke then battled through on goal but Lynch was able to gather gratefully his low effort.
The Addicks went down to 10 men when Ryan Inniss was dismissed for a lunge on substitute Harvey Macadam. While the foul looked clear, Macadam was going away from goal and with Lucas Ness covering the decision from Boyeson was a surprise for those in the stadium.
The visitors managed the game well and Ness had to clear a Cian Hayes shot off the line in stoppage time to keep the score 2-1.
Charlton: Maynard-Brewer; Clare (Sessegnon 61), Inniss, Ness, Penney (Campbell 81); Kilkenny (Aneke 66), Dobson (c), Fraser; Rak-Sakyi, Bonne, Blackett-Taylor
Subs (not used): Wollacott, Thomas, Morgan, Payne
Goal: Rak-Sakyi 45+5
Assist: Clare 45+5
Booked: Penney 65 (diving), Fraser 71 (taking a free kick before referee’s whistle)
Sent-off: Inniss 79 (foul on Macadam)
Fleetwood Town: Lynch, Andrew (c) (Rooney 9), Wiredu, Mendes Gomes (Macadam 56), Stockley (Omochere 67), Robertson, Marriott (Hayes 67), Warrington, Holgate, Patterson (Nsiala 56), Johnston
Subs (not used): McMullan, Dolan
Goals: Rooney 28, Holgate 52
Assist: Patterson 52
Booked: Johnston 20 (foul on Blackett-Taylor), Wiredu 68 (foul on Bonne), Macadam 88 (kicking the ball away), Holgate 90+2 (timewasting), Rooney 90+6 (foul on Campbell)
Referee: C Boyeson
Attendance: 12,436 (121 from Fleetwood)