Wycombe Wanderers 0 Charlton 4
Charlton kept their top two hopes alive with an outstanding 4-0 victory at Wycombe Wanderers.
The Addicks were ruthless in attack and strong in defence, giving up a first shot on target in the 86th minute, equalling a club-record 20 clean sheets in a season.
Lloyd Jones, Luke Berry, Matty Godden and Karoy Anderson scored the goals but it was a result and a performance that every player and the 1,849 travelling Charlton fans contributed to.
Wycombe had started the day in second and results elsewhere take Wrexham into the top two, four points clear of the Addicks ahead of the two teams going head-to-head in Wales on Saturday. Charlton may well have to play that game without Chuks Aneke after the striker’s stoppage-time sending off.
Nathan Jones made one change from the team that beat Northampton Town at The Valley on Good Friday as Macaulay Gillesphey, who missed that game with muscle stiffness, replaced Tom McIntyre.
With plenty to play for, it was a frantic start, with the ball spending a lot of time in the air in the opening 10 minutes. Lloyd Jones set the tone when he was booked in the second minute for a strong tackle on Richard Kone.
It was Lloyd Jones that then provided a bit of quality to give the Addicks an 11th-minute lead. Charlton recycled play from a long throw that had been cleared and Greg Docherty burst to the byline, cutting a cross back on his weaker left foot, to Lloyd Jones who stabbed a volley home for his third goal of the season.
Berry doubled Charlton’s lead in the 24th minute with a contender for the Addicks’ Goal of the Season. Charlton played a short free kick to create the angle for Thierry Small to cross into the box, Lloyd Jones won first contact, heading across goal. Wycombe cleared the ball to the edge of the area where Berry was on hand to smash a volley home. The shot was so powerful Wycombe goalkeeper Will Norris hardly moved before the ball hit the net.
Norris made a good save to prevent a Charlton third five minutes later when he batted away a Godden volley.
It took until the second minute of stoppage time in the first half for Wycombe to record a shot on goal – Garath McCleary shooting high and wide from just outside the penalty box.
With the last kick of the half a dangerous, in-swinging Cameron Humphreys cross was chested to safety by Gillesphey to ensure the Addicks went into half-time with a two-goal lead.
Godden’s 19th goal of the season and Charlton’s third of the game came 14 minutes into the second half and was all about the striker’s endeavour. Godden pressed a Wycombe back pass and the unfortunate Norris slipped after a bobble impacted his first touch. His second touch bounced off Godden who was then able to tap into an open net from two yards out as Norris looked on hopelessly.
Substitute Anderson made it four three minutes later heading home Small’s whipped cross from the right wing.
Will Mannion, who had controlled his box well, was finally forced into a save four minutes before full time, diving across goal to keep out substitute Alex Lowry.
The final bit of drama came four minutes into stoppage time when Chuks Aneke was sent off for an off-ball incident involving Wycombe’s Luke Leahy.
Wycombe Wanderers: Norris, Grimmer (c), Scowen (Simons 57), Leahy, McLeary (Onyedinma 83), Bakinson (Udoh 57), Low, Humphreys, Kone (Lowry 83), Bradley, Taylor
Subs (not used): Ravizzoli, Reach, Hagelskjaer
Booked: Grimmer 64
Charlton: Mannion; Ramsay, Jones (Watson 77), Gillesphey; Small (Gilbert 87), Berry (Anderson 27), Coventry, Docherty (c), Edwards; Godden (Hylton 77), Campbell (Aneke 77)
Subs (not used): Maynard-Brewer, Mbick
Goals: Jones 11, Berry 24, Godden 59, Anderson 62
Assists: Docherty 11, Small 62
Booked: Lloyd Jones 2 (foul on Kone), Edwards 37 (foul on Grimmer), Nathan Jones 62 (celebrating)
Sent-off: Aneke 90+4 (off-ball incident)
Referee: Will Finnie
Attendance: 8,084 (1,849 from Charlton)