Cambridge United 0 Charlton 1
Tyreece Campbell was the match-winner as the Addicks moved within six points of the top two with a 1-0 victory at Cambridge United.
The 21-year-old, who missed Charlton’s last game with a minor calf injury, scored his fourth goal in his last three games in just the 14th minute.
Nathan Jones’ side then didn’t concede a shot on target as they went on to keep a 19th clean sheet of the season.
Charlton are now 10 points clear of seventh place with four games remaining.
An early Macaulay Gillesphey header at the back post, prevented Ryan Loft from giving Cambridge the lead.
Minutes later it was the Addicks who struck. Campbell freed himself with some clever movement down the left wing and Josh Edwards’ long ball forward gave the 21-year-old something to run onto in the left channel. Campbell collected the ball and drove into the box, cutting inside onto his right foot before unleashing a low shot across goalkeeper Jack Stevens and into the bottom corner of the goal.
Before the Addicks opener, Cambridge defender James Gibbons had given Campbell a dead leg, which he wasn’t penalised for. Shortly after the Addicks had taken the lead Gibbons gave Campbell a nudge off the ball and the Addicks’ academy graduate reacted by pushing Gibbons over and was promptly booked by referee James Durkin.
Campbell was very much in the action and cutting in from the left again drew an excellent low save from Stevens with another driven right-footed shot.
Matty Godden then hit the post with a ferocious left-footed shot from just inside the Cambridge penalty area.
At the other end the closest Cambridge to finding the net was actually via Addicks’ defender Edwards. Some clever movement from a throw in freed up James Brophy who, from the byline, volleyed a ball across goal. Edwards at the back post got a head to it and the ball went back across goal and just wide of the post to the relief of the Addicks.
The second half was a tense affair but Charlton still had chances to score, Gillesphey’s right-footed shot bounced in front of Stevens, who gathered well.
Chuks Aneke’s header under pressure didn’t have quite enough purchase on it to trouble Stevens and Matty Godden’s volley was too close to the Cambridge stopper.
Cambridge put some pressure on the Addicks late with Dan Ballard hitting just wide before a heart-stopping goalmouth scramble.
The Addicks held on to secure an important three points ahead of Northampton Town’s visit to The Valley on Good Friday.
Cambridge United: Stevens, Bennett, Morrison (c), Watts, Brophy (Njoku 88), Loft (Kaikai 74), Stokes, Gibbons (Andrew 73), Stevenson, Ballard, Malone (Kachunga 65)
Subs (not used): Briggs, Hoddle, Longelo
Booked: Loft 59 (foul on McIntyre)
Charlton: Mannion; Ramsay, McIntyre, Gillesphey; Small (Watson 74), Berry (Anderson 58), Coventry, Docherty (c), Edwards; Campbell (Aneke 58), Godden (Mbick 88)
Subs (not used): Bouzanis, Watson, Gilbert, Ahadme
Goal: Campbell 14
Assist: Edwards 14
Booked: Campbell 19 (push on Gibbons), Coventry 42 (foul on Bennett), Berry 56 (foul on Stevenson), Small 74 (timewasting), Docherty 88
Referee: James Durkin
Attendance: 6,707 (1,034 from Charlton)