Portsmouth 1 Charlton 3
Charlton began 2023 with an excellent result and performance in a 3-1 win against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
The victory, the first under Dean Holden, was deserved after the Addicks controlled the game from start to finish.
Jes Rak-Sakyi scored his sixth league goal of the season to put Charlton in front but Portsmouth levelled, against the run of play, on the stroke of half time. Scott Fraser put Charlton back in front at the start of the second half and a stoppage time own goal secured an important three points for the Addicks.
It was a result Holden’s side deserved and the manager would have been pleased with the performance too after making seven changes from the side that played Oxford United and switching to a 4-3-3 formation.
The Addicks started the first half well and Miles Leaburn twice dragged just wide in the opening 20 minutes.
The 19-year-old was the provider for Charlton’s 23rd minute opener. George Dobson won the ball in Portsmouth’s half and found Leaburn who weighted a pass in to Rak-Sakyi. The winger danced into the penalty box and manoeuvred the ball onto his left foot before finding the bottom corner of the goal with a composed finish.
Portsmouth goalkeeper Josh Griffiths made a big save before the half-time break, just getting a leg out to kick away a Leaburn effort from a half-cleared Fraser cross from the left.
Ashley Maynard-Brewer stood big to keep out Dane Scarlett’s high effort but Pompey levelled in first-half stoppage time when Connor Ogilvie controlled a volley from a corner the Addicks weren’t able to clear.
Despite a dominant Charlton first half, the late leveller meant the sides went in at half time tied at 1-1.
Portsmouth Manager Danny Cowley reacted to Charlton’s strong first half with a triple change at half time.
The Addicks went back in front four minutes into the second half. Albie Morgan intercepted a Portsmouth pass up field and touched to Fraser. The midfielder took a few touches to set himself before striking across goal into the bottom corner.
Fraser nearly had his second minutes later but his curled free kick bounced back off the crossbar and into the grateful arms of Griffiths.
Marlon Pack received his marching orders for the second time against Charlton this season, again for two bookable offences. The first was for a foul on Fraser and his second he stopped Morgan on the counter attack giving referee Tom Reeves no option but to send him off in the 69th minute.
The Addicks sealed three points in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The dangerous Blackett-Taylor fed substitute Jack Payne in the box, who squared for skipper Dobson, on a lung-busting run forward, his shot was saved but bounced off Portsmouth’s Owen Dale and into the net.
Portsmouth: Griffiths, Swanson (Koroma 80), Morrison (Mingi 74), Raggett (c), Ogilvie, Dale, Morrell, Pack, Curtis (Hackett 46), Pigott (Jacobs 46), Scarlett (Bishop 46)
Subs (not used): Oluwayemi, Hume
Goal: Ogilvie 45+3
Booked: Hackett 56 (scuffle), Pack 63 (foul on Fraser)
Sent-off: Pack 69 (foul on Morgan)
Charlton: Maynard-Brewer; Clare, Inniss, Ness, Sessegnon; Morgan (Payne 73), Dobson (c), Fraser (Henry 88); Rak-Sakyi, Leaburn (Stockley 78), Blackett-Taylor
Subs (not used): MacGillivray, Lavelle, Campbell, Kanu
Goals: Rak-Sakyi 23, Fraser 49, Dale (own goal) 90+4
Assists: Leaburn 23, Morgan 49
Booked: Dobson 56 (scuffle)
Referee: T Reeves
Attendance: 18,468 (1,380 from Charlton)