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Post-match Thread: Charlton Athletic vs Exeter City: Tuesday 3rd October 2023 KO 19:45PM

Visitors Exeter arrived at the Valley in poor form and on a five match winless streak against the Addicks. Charlton started very well, a departure from previous matches where we’ve taken a full half to warm up. A starting Chuks Aneke led the attack, flanked by Alfie May and Slobodan Tedic, and supplied by a hardworking duo of George Dobson and Louis Watson, who all imposed themselves and gave Exeter something to think about. Unfortunately, we’re still a side that has a calamity in us. On 23 minutes our centre backs parted like the Red Sea to allow Scott through on goal in acres of space slotting easily past the returning Ashley Maynard-Brewer to give Exeter the lead. Charlton heads didn’t drop and the team worked themselves back into the game. Just before half-time, a chance fell to Corey Blackett-Taylor when he burst into the box and got on the end of a Chuks Aneke header that ricocheted back off the crossbar and into his path. 

Charlton continued brightly in the second half, but it wasn’t until sixty-five minutes before the deadlock was broken. Tennai Watson was brought down in the box and awarded a penalty. Chuks Aneke wrestled the ball from regular penalty taker Alfie May, only to have his tepid shot saved by the keeper. Yet, Alfie May was determined to score and followed up on the resulting rebound, tapping it in past the desperate defenders. Not long after, Exeter’s Aimson was sent off after a reckless challenge on Alfie May resulted in a straight red. Exeter managed to work themselves back into it a bit, but Charlton made changes, bringing on, among others, young Miles Leaburn. On seventy nine minutes, he scored with a rocket from his right foot a yard out from the penalty spot. Alfie May followed it up some ten minutes later with a second goal, cleaning up in the box to seal the four one win.

We’re far from a well-oiled-machine, but we’re picking up points, we’re better than we’ve been in a long time and, if we can keep scoring, we’re showing glimpses of a team that can compete at the top end of the table.

Charlton 4 Exeter 1

Over to you.
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Comments

  • Gravesend_Addick
    Gravesend_Addick Posts: 7,299
    edited October 2023
    Another decent performance.  I wasn't a fan of the Appleton appointment, but he has got us playing well. & more importantly, winning games. Fair play to him.

    The only thing I would say is that he does have the luxury of a bolstered & near fully fit squad that Holden never had
  • Leuth
    Leuth Posts: 23,322
    edited October 2023
    Dunno if it was his idea or Apples' to play him there, but May looks born to attacking midfield, incredible drive and skill. Him and Watson were very classy, and once Tedic and the other Watson got the hang of their side, we looked lethal
  • Talal
    Talal Posts: 11,491
    Louie Watson > Scott Fraser which is nice. Classy player. 
  • eastterrace6168
    eastterrace6168 Posts: 22,582
    edited October 2023
    Bloody hell, now they can't stop talking about the red card in the studio, even Curbs accusing Alfie of making a meal of it, get on with the win FOR US, coming back from going 0-1 down...
    We won ok, lets just rejoice in our game eh
  • Hartleypete
    Hartleypete Posts: 4,699
    edited October 2023
    Thought Alfie May was exceptional, not just his goals but his energy and overall play. 

    Aneke out of order on penalty, not a team player for all his attributes he can be very greedy.

    great result and we had a ref in our favour for a change.
  • When Camera comes back, and if we can keep Aneke fit it certainly feels like we have some depth in our squad (at least in the middle and forward areas of the park) which is nice.

    Have to keep this momentum going and win our next match as well. 


  • Smithy
    Smithy Posts: 1,022
    Similar to Wycombe a couple of weeks ago, I would have taken a point for a significant period of that game. No idea how we’ve won 4-1 but I’ll take the ugly wins. Still think this team has a long long way to go to challenge though. 

    L Watson man of the match. 
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  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 63,781
    Leuth said:
    Dunno if it was his idea or Apples' to play him there, but Lionel May looks born to attacking midfield, incredible drive and skill

    Appleton has picked two players for that role now: Tyreece Campbell & Alfie May.

    Probably our two most energetic players with pace. Picking players that suit specific roles rather than sticking rigidly to what positions players have traditionally played and trying to make that work is a sign of a very mature manager that's confident in his ability IMO.
  • thenewbie
    thenewbie Posts: 11,001
    Another decent performance.  I wasn't a fan of the Appleton appointment, but he has got us playing well. & more importantly, winning games. Fair play to him.

    The only thing I would say is that he does have the luxury of a bolstered & near fully fit squad that Holden never had
    He does. But it does look like he has worked hard to get the squad fitter and harder working since he came in and while the slow starts and rough patches in games are still an issue I've been mostly impressed by his willingness/ability to change it up when needed - he certainly has made good use of the squad he's been given.
  • Addickted2U
    Addickted2U Posts: 3,080
    I'm starting to quite like Appleton. Good post match interview. 
    Says he's pleased with level of running without the ball. That the players ran hard. 
    I reckon he's getting the fitness levels better, and we seem stronger towards the end of a match. I saw that at Shrewsbury and tonight. 
  • Valley11
    Valley11 Posts: 11,997
    Appleton talking a lot of sense post match.

    Also…I heart Alfie May. Runs his bollocks off and is a winner.

    And finishes like a proper bastard.

    COYRs
  • First 45 mins was a really disjointed performance. Purely down to the fact that the front 4 were all over the shop. Second half we sharpened up and really took Exeter apart. 

    Can’t be many sides in this division with this much attacking talent. Appleton has some seriously talent to pick from in the attacking position. To think Dan Kanu hit a hat trick for the 23s yesterday and will probably won’t get a sniff at the bench.

    3 homes wins in a row. Let’s make it 4 on Saturday and we will be right back in the hunt.


  • Enjoyed that. Really important to get that goal just before half time but some good performances across the pitch.

    Louis Watson was excellent. Technically very good but his work rate was also great to see.

    Defence still worries me but I do like the look of Jones. Just need to cut out the silly mistakes overall 

    The difference Aneke can make is massive and even if he can't play a full 90 if can can contribute to most matches we'll be much better off for it.

    Not getting carried away but we had good options on the bench tonight and this is a better squad than they have shown so far. Will be tougher tests to come but promising signs are there.
  • Sillybilly
    Sillybilly Posts: 9,236
    A game which turned on two refereeing decisions. A penalty that was at best debatable and a red card that wasn’t even a foul. I think we’d have gone on to win regardless but those decisions turned that win into a stroll rather than the struggle it might have been. We get our fair share of bad decisions though so hey ho.  May & Louis were terrific. Plenty to be picky about but we won 4-1 so that would be churlish. Onwards and upwards. 
  • Leuth
    Leuth Posts: 23,322
    Alfie May has quickly become a favourite of mine - the penaty celebration v Fleetwood - tonight. The man can do no wrong for me right now a PROPER striker 
    He's a proper player and he's formed a bond with us the like you rarely see. But he's not a striker any more. He's an artist 
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  • YannTheMann
    YannTheMann Posts: 1,042
    Chuks shooting boots weren't on today but still thought he had a good game and was constantly a problem for their defenders. May Incredible again, it's great to have a fan favourite again 
  • king addick
    king addick Posts: 3,702
    Thought we were really good tbh bar there goal. They'll always have a spell at some point but thought we were good all over the pitch, not fantastic but good. There goal was disappointing but we responded really well and fully deserved that win. Louis Watson and Alfie May were great and good to see Chucks start and make a difference from the off! Like Tedic aswell..fully committed.

    Overall..good performance! Tough test on Saturday but confident we can give them a game and make any team earn there 3 points. 
  • fenaddick
    fenaddick Posts: 11,164
    Definitely the best performance under MA so far. Feels like the team are starting to understand his ideas and tactics. Just need to cut out the defensive lapses in concentration 
  • Bailey
    Bailey Posts: 3,265
    edited October 2023
    Good performance, still have some daft moments in the defence but the system with May in a free role looks pretty good. Fraser coming back and Chuks starting and actually walking off rather than being helped off is a massive bonus. 
  • Absolutely absurd decision to let Aneke take that penalty when Blackett-Taylor had taken an unstoppable one at Stevenage a couple of weeks earlier and Alfie May had scored two.

    If it was 4-1 fair enough but not at 1-1.

    Someone deserves a real bollocking from Appleton for the decision.
  • carly burn
    carly burn Posts: 19,462
    Thought we am started very sluggish and May struggled early on
    Our goal and the timing of changed things. 
    Louis Watson set the tone. They should all follow it.
    All in all a good result
  • ozaddick
    ozaddick Posts: 2,846
    My Aussie sheila reckons she's a Charlton good luck charm. It's the middle of the night there but she's just been told it's not her, it's me. 😎
  • Smithy
    Smithy Posts: 1,022
    Jesus Christ, just seen a replay of the red card. That’s up there with the worst refereeing decisions I’ve seen 
  • We ran away with it after the red card, but before then the game was very even. The starting formation left us very open at times, and overloaded in midfield. And very vulnerable to counter attacks with so many players up the pitch.

    It'll certainly be entertaining if we keep playing like that, but it puts a massive workload on the 2 central midfielders. 

    I thought May was too deep in the first half, and Thomas too advanced, May seemed a bit further forward in the second, and was rewarded with 2 poachers goals. L Watson and Chuks were excellent too.
  • Talal
    Talal Posts: 11,491
    edited October 2023
    May saying he gave it to Chuks because he wanted to kickstart his season.