Charlton 1 Preston North End 2
The Addicks fell to a narrow defeat at the hands of Preston North End at The Valley on Saturday afternoon.
Charlton started brightly and took a well-deserved lead through Joe Rankin-Costello but the visitors struck back before the break and then netted in the second half. Preston held out despite late pressure from the Addicks.
The game was open from the start, with Greg Docherty inches away from giving the Addicks a first-minute lead with a wonderfully struck left-footed volley from 20 yards that just cleared the crossbar.
Will Mannion then made a low save to his right to keep out Brad Potts.
Rankin-Costello’s fourth-minute header, from Tyreece Campbell’s cross from the left, bounced back off the post.
Campbell was causing the visitors’ defence plenty of problems and had a 17th-minute left-footed shot from the edge of the area beaten away by Preston goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.
The Addicks took an 18th-minute lead in familiar fashion, from a long-throw from the right wing. Carey’s throw flicked off a Preston head and fell to Rankin-Costello to sweep home on his return to the Charlton starting lineup.
On the counter-attack Campbell’s shot from the left was saved by Iversen and Lyndon Dykes, inside the six-yard box, couldn’t quite reach the rebound.
After Charlton’s bright start, Preston’s 25th-minute equaliser also came from a throw from the right wing. This one was thrown short and the visitors created room for Potts to cross. His whipped ball was met well by Lewis Dobbin, who flicked a header across goal and into the net.
After an opening half hour with plenty of chances the game slowed and chances became fewer, and the sides went in level at 1–1 at half-time.
The visitors had the better of the start of the second half without creating much, while the Addicks were restricted to a powerful, left-footed shot from Docherty from outside the area which Iversen was able to gather.
Preston took the lead 20 minutes into the second half with an excellent counter-attack. In a three-on-two situation Dobbin fed Potts with a well-weighted pass, allowing the wing-back the opportunity to guide past the advancing Mannion.
The Addicks looked to get back in the game and nearly did when Fevrier got inside the box on the left wing and drove to the byline. He smashed a ball across goal which hit a Preston defender. It could have gone anywhere and was goalbound, but it struck a grateful Iversen and went behind for a Charlton corner.
Moments later Dykes and Matty Godden both went for the same ball in the penalty area and maybe got in each other’s way, the shot deflected off a defender and behind for another corner.
As stoppage time approached the Addicks piled on the pressure and Godden saw a shot from close range bravely blocked over by a Preston defender.
Dykes then had a shot saved by Iversen before Lewis Gibson made an incredible last-ditch tackle to deny Dykes when the Charlton striker looked to be in behind the Preston defence.
Charlton weren’t able to find an equaliser. With four games remaining, the Addicks sit five points above the relegation zone ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday.
Charlton: Mannion; Ramsay, Jones, Bell; Fevrier, Docherty (c), Rankin-Costello (Fullah 57), Carey (Berry 88), Chambers (Godden 57); Dykes, Campbell (Leaburn 76)
Subs (not used): Brooks, Gillesphey, Burke, Coventry, Kelman
Goal: Rankin-Costello 18
Assist: Carey 18
Booked: Jones 33 (foul on Dobbin), Dykes 55 (foul on Storey)
Preston North End: Iversen, Whiteman (c), Jebbison (Osmajic 75), Storey, Hughes (Vukcevic 88), Dobbin, Gibson, Devine, Moran (Thompson 74), Offiah, Potts (Lindsay 82)
Subs (not used): Cornell, Valentin, Lukovic, Smith, Small
Goals: Dobbin 25, Potts 65
Assists: Potts 25, Dobbin 65
Booked: Offiah 68 (foul on Dykes), Whiteman 71 (foul on Fullah), Iversen 90+4 (timewasting)
Referee: John Busby
Attendance: 18,902 (2,101 from Preston)
