Opening day of the league season starts with a 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers. A great victory considering Novak was sent off in the 6th minute and the hosts pretty much had to play the whole game with 10 men.
A Bauer header in the 38th minute from a Holmes cross was enough, but the goal was also as controversial as the sending off was (at the time), as it was unclear if it had crossed the line before the Rovers keeper clawed it back and away
Setting up in manager Karl Robinson’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation the Addicks kicked off the 2017/18 season keeping control of the ball in the early stages and looking to get everyone a touch. Rovers, playing 4-5-1 looked to have come to The Valley to try and hit the home side on the counter.
All the game planning by both sides had to change in the sixth minute when Lee Novak fouled Stuart Sinclair. The striker took the ball but his tackle on the Rovers’ midfielder was deemed to be dangerous by referee Christopher Sarginson who, after ushering away the appealing Bristol Rovers’ players, sent Novak off, leaving Charlton with 10 men.
Despite playing one man down Charlton continued to cause problems, with Jay Dasilva and Ricky Holmes a threat down the left and Tariqe Fosu particularly impressing down the right on his Charlton debut.
Billy Clarke shot wide from a Dasilva pass in the 16th minute and in the 33rd minute, a last ditch Rovers’ tackle prevented Fosu from opening his Charlton account after a brilliant Addicks move that included Dasilva and Holmes.
At the other end Charlton remained relatively untroubled in the first half with Rovers unable to take advantage of the extra man.
The goal came after more great work down the left ended with Holmes winning a corner. The resulting corner, taken by the winger, found a leaping Bauer, whose powerful header beat Adam Smith in the Rovers goal, the keeper, clawed to keep it out but referee Sarginson adjudged the ball had crossed the line and gave the goal meaning Charlton took a 1-0 lead into half-time.
To the delight of the crowd, at half-time, fan Stuart McRae hit the crossbar to win himself £10,500 in the Valley Gold Crossbar Challenge.
Rovers came out for the second half with more purpose and attempted various efforts from long range but failed to trouble Amos whose best save was a smothering one as Rovers attempted a counter attack.
Indeed, despite the extra man, it was on the counter where Rovers looked most dangerous. They broke following a foraying run forward from Chris Solly, which resulted in a loud penalty claim for handball from Charlton fans. The counter attack was well held up by Jason Pearce and the brilliant Jake Forster-Caskey covered a lot of ground to nip the ball away from a Rovers' attacker.
The Addicks remained dangerous but as the game wore on the Bristol pressure became greater, the home side defended with energy, bravery and strong support from the Charlton faithful to earn a three points they fully deserved.
It was a brilliant all-around team performance, with Forster-Caskey and the returning Ahmed Kashi controlling the game from midfield and Pearce manning the backline with authority.
Some post match reaction below from KR, Bauer and Solly
Robinson - “The fans made it even today,” he said.
“We had a man sent off and they weren’t a 12th man because they made it 11 v 11. We fed off that, it’s an incredible feeling and the boys are buzzing.
“We had just over 12,000 fans rocking at The Valley. The fans have got their team back and a team to cheer for the rest of the season and we’ll be giving our all week in, week out.”
“The fire was lit and the roof came off and that’s why I came here. It’s their team, not mine and we play for them.”
Robinson added: “The fitness levels are incredible and so is the mental strength of the team. You’ll have to make us bleed to get anything out of us. I said to the players before the game – if they want to outrun you, they won’t. If they want to outfight us, come and have a go. If you want to come and try to outplay us, we’ll outplay you.”
Meanwhile, on the sending off, the Addicks boss was adamant that Novak’s challenge was not deserving of an early shower, but admitted that Bauer’s goal may not have crossed the line.
“It wasn’t a sending off and it wasn’t a goal either, by the way,” he explained.
“So hopefully by me telling you that it shows that I haven’t got on rose-tinted glasses, because it wasn’t a sending off. It’s a foul and Lee Novak has come across while being fouled and has gone in for the challenge. It doesn’t look great from behind, but I’m looking right down the line of it. He’s gone across the floor and I think simulation gets him sent off, personally.
“I feel sorry for Lee because it means so much to him this year. With losing Josh Magennis, this was his opportunity.”
Bauer - “Every victory is nice but this is special with 10 men, especially as it came in front of our own supporters,” Bauer said.
“The sending off after six minutes was unexpected for everyone and we had to change our gameplan but we can be very happy to have got all three points.
“We played almost all of the game with 10 men and we are all really happy.”
The BFG also heaped the praise on the club’s fans, thanking them for their support in helping the Addicks to record the win.
He said: “The atmosphere was really good, everyone was really happy and now we have to recover for our next game on Tuesday.
“Plan A was out of the window very early and the atmosphere was great and helped us a lot.
“From last season, we collected experience against Bolton by winning with 10 men. We knew how to handle it and we did well and thankfully we left the pitch as the winners.”
Solly - “We didn’t expect to start the season in that manner, by going down to 10 men inside five minutes,” explained Solly.
“But it has shown even in the first game of the season that we have got a style where we feel we can beat anyone. We can match anyone and if they want to play football, we’ll play football. If they want a battle, we’ll have a battle. We’re not the biggest of sides but we are strong, especially when attacking set-pieces, and it bodes well.”
Meanwhile, the right-back echoed the sentiments of his boss Karl Robinson in praising the support from the stands provided by the Valley faithful and hopes the Addicks’ home turf can become somewhat of a ‘fortress’ over the season.
He said: “It’s always nice to play at home in your first game and the fans were huge for us. They got behind us and pushed us and that was really nice so, hopefully, it will continue.
“We want to make it a fortress here and get back to that year when we went up and we felt like no one was ever going to beat us here. That’s what we’ve got to create again this season.”
Godden, 26, is one of the most sought-after players outside the Championship after scoring 21 goals in 38 matches for Stevenage last season.
Stevenage have already rejected two offers for Godden, both believed to be from League One sides.
Championship clubs, including Ipswich, have made enquires and others have also watched Godden regularly. He has two years left on his contract.
Before joining Stevenage in 2016, Godden scored 30 times for National League South club Ebbsfleet in the 2015-16 campaign. He was at Scunthorpe from 2009-14 but never made the breakthrough and was sent on loan to various clubs in non-league.
Stevenage will not be forced into selling Godden for less than they believe he is worth. They noted that Ollie Watkins, who scored 16 goals for League Two club Exeter last season, cost Brentford nearly £2m.
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Opening day of the league season starts with a 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers. A great victory considering Novak was sent off in the 6th minute and the hosts pretty much had to play the whole game with 10 men.
A Bauer header in the 38th minute from a Holmes cross was enough, but the goal was also as controversial as the sending off was (at the time), as it was unclear if it had crossed the line before the Rovers keeper clawed it back and away
Setting up in manager Karl Robinson’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation the Addicks kicked off the 2017/18 season keeping control of the ball in the early stages and looking to get everyone a touch. Rovers, playing 4-5-1 looked to have come to The Valley to try and hit the home side on the counter.
All the game planning by both sides had to change in the sixth minute when Lee Novak fouled Stuart Sinclair. The striker took the ball but his tackle on the Rovers’ midfielder was deemed to be dangerous by referee Christopher Sarginson who, after ushering away the appealing Bristol Rovers’ players, sent Novak off, leaving Charlton with 10 men.
Despite playing one man down Charlton continued to cause problems, with Jay Dasilva and Ricky Holmes a threat down the left and Tariqe Fosu particularly impressing down the right on his Charlton debut.
Billy Clarke shot wide from a Dasilva pass in the 16th minute and in the 33rd minute, a last ditch Rovers’ tackle prevented Fosu from opening his Charlton account after a brilliant Addicks move that included Dasilva and Holmes.
At the other end Charlton remained relatively untroubled in the first half with Rovers unable to take advantage of the extra man.
The goal came after more great work down the left ended with Holmes winning a corner. The resulting corner, taken by the winger, found a leaping Bauer, whose powerful header beat Adam Smith in the Rovers goal, the keeper, clawed to keep it out but referee Sarginson adjudged the ball had crossed the line and gave the goal meaning Charlton took a 1-0 lead into half-time.
To the delight of the crowd, at half-time, fan Stuart McRae hit the crossbar to win himself £10,500 in the Valley Gold Crossbar Challenge.
Rovers came out for the second half with more purpose and attempted various efforts from long range but failed to trouble Amos whose best save was a smothering one as Rovers attempted a counter attack.
Indeed, despite the extra man, it was on the counter where Rovers looked most dangerous. They broke following a foraying run forward from Chris Solly, which resulted in a loud penalty claim for handball from Charlton fans. The counter attack was well held up by Jason Pearce and the brilliant Jake Forster-Caskey covered a lot of ground to nip the ball away from a Rovers' attacker.
The Addicks remained dangerous but as the game wore on the Bristol pressure became greater, the home side defended with energy, bravery and strong support from the Charlton faithful to earn a three points they fully deserved.
It was a brilliant all-around team performance, with Forster-Caskey and the returning Ahmed Kashi controlling the game from midfield and Pearce manning the backline with authority.
Charlton: Amos, Solly, Bauer, Pearce, Dasilva, Kashi, Forster-Caskey, Fosu (Ahearne-Grant 84), Holmes (Crofts 90+4), Clarke (Watt 70), Novak.
Subs (not used): Phillips, Reeves, Konsa, Sarr.
Goal: Bauer (38)
Sent off: Novak (6)
Bristol Rovers: Smith, Brown, Lockyer, Sercombe, O Clarke (Broom 65), Harrison (Gaffney 65), Bodin, Lines, J Clarke (Nicholls 15), Broadbent, Sinclair
Subs (not used): Slocombe, Burn, Bola, Partington
Bookings: Sercombe (27)
Referee: C Sarginson
Attendance: 12,968 (2,174 from Bristol Rovers)
Some post match reaction below from KR, Bauer and Solly
Robinson - “The fans made it even today,” he said.
“We had a man sent off and they weren’t a 12th man because they made it 11 v 11. We fed off that, it’s an incredible feeling and the boys are buzzing.
“We had just over 12,000 fans rocking at The Valley. The fans have got their team back and a team to cheer for the rest of the season and we’ll be giving our all week in, week out.”
“The fire was lit and the roof came off and that’s why I came here. It’s their team, not mine and we play for them.”
Robinson added: “The fitness levels are incredible and so is the mental strength of the team. You’ll have to make us bleed to get anything out of us. I said to the players before the game – if they want to outrun you, they won’t. If they want to outfight us, come and have a go. If you want to come and try to outplay us, we’ll outplay you.”
Meanwhile, on the sending off, the Addicks boss was adamant that Novak’s challenge was not deserving of an early shower, but admitted that Bauer’s goal may not have crossed the line.
“It wasn’t a sending off and it wasn’t a goal either, by the way,” he explained.
“So hopefully by me telling you that it shows that I haven’t got on rose-tinted glasses, because it wasn’t a sending off. It’s a foul and Lee Novak has come across while being fouled and has gone in for the challenge. It doesn’t look great from behind, but I’m looking right down the line of it. He’s gone across the floor and I think simulation gets him sent off, personally.
“I feel sorry for Lee because it means so much to him this year. With losing Josh Magennis, this was his opportunity.”
Bauer - “Every victory is nice but this is special with 10 men, especially as it came in front of our own supporters,” Bauer said.
“The sending off after six minutes was unexpected for everyone and we had to change our gameplan but we can be very happy to have got all three points.
“We played almost all of the game with 10 men and we are all really happy.”
The BFG also heaped the praise on the club’s fans, thanking them for their support in helping the Addicks to record the win.
He said: “The atmosphere was really good, everyone was really happy and now we have to recover for our next game on Tuesday.
“Plan A was out of the window very early and the atmosphere was great and helped us a lot.
“From last season, we collected experience against Bolton by winning with 10 men. We knew how to handle it and we did well and thankfully we left the pitch as the winners.”
Solly - “We didn’t expect to start the season in that manner, by going down to 10 men inside five minutes,” explained Solly.
“But it has shown even in the first game of the season that we have got a style where we feel we can beat anyone. We can match anyone and if they want to play football, we’ll play football. If they want a battle, we’ll have a battle. We’re not the biggest of sides but we are strong, especially when attacking set-pieces, and it bodes well.”
Meanwhile, the right-back echoed the sentiments of his boss Karl Robinson in praising the support from the stands provided by the Valley faithful and hopes the Addicks’ home turf can become somewhat of a ‘fortress’ over the season.
He said: “It’s always nice to play at home in your first game and the fans were huge for us. They got behind us and pushed us and that was really nice so, hopefully, it will continue.
“We want to make it a fortress here and get back to that year when we went up and we felt like no one was ever going to beat us here. That’s what we’ve got to create again this season.”
Rumours in the Evening Standard suggest we may be after Stevenage striker Matt Gooden
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/charlton-consider-bid-for-15m-stevenage-striker-matt-godden-a3605826.html
Godden, 26, is one of the most sought-after players outside the Championship after scoring 21 goals in 38 matches for Stevenage last season.
Stevenage have already rejected two offers for Godden, both believed to be from League One sides.
Championship clubs, including Ipswich, have made enquires and others have also watched Godden regularly. He has two years left on his contract.
Before joining Stevenage in 2016, Godden scored 30 times for National League South club Ebbsfleet in the 2015-16 campaign. He was at Scunthorpe from 2009-14 but never made the breakthrough and was sent on loan to various clubs in non-league.
Stevenage will not be forced into selling Godden for less than they believe he is worth. They noted that Ollie Watkins, who scored 16 goals for League Two club Exeter last season, cost Brentford nearly £2m.