POST-MATCH THREAD: Norwich City v Charlton Athletic: Boxing Day 2025: KO 15:00

It’s Boxing Day, which means Charlton are playing a hundred miles away in Norfolk! The Youngster Keenan Gough makes his full starting debut in the backline, in for the injured Kayne Ramsay, with Amari’i Bell back from injury on the left, and Charlie Kelman returning to the bench after scoring the winner as a second half substitute last week. Miles Leaburn and Tanto Olaofe lead the front line and Karoy Anderson continues his claim to partner Conor Coventry in the middle.

On just over five minutes the home side forced a decent save out of Thomas Kaminski. Karoy Anderson’s eagerness in the press left him too high up field and the Charlton midfield exposed. Norwich exploited the space and the result was a decent effort that Kaminski did well to parry away for a corner.

Being beat in midfield proved a problem again some eight or so minutes later when a Norwich counter led to hitting the post. Moments earlier, Charlton forced a corner that Keenan Gough managed to head back into the danger area, but the Norwich keeper was well placed to snuff out Conor Coventry’s attempt to make something of it. But Charlton were second best in the opening minutes. Norwich found space and looked much more dangerous in the final third.

Yet, for a five minute spell from about 23 minutes, Charlton’s press came into its own, forcing Norwich into numerous mistakes that piled pressure on in consecutive attempts to clear their lines. Charlton couldn’t capitalise, but they were beginning to find a rhythm that threatened the home side.

Before the end of the half, Norwich pressed forward, testing Kaminski and forcing a very good finger tip save. The resulting corner came to nothing, but the pressure was mounting. Charlton had their own chance one the break, with Karoy Anderson finding himself firing away from the edge of the box. The shot was deflected away for a corner that came to nowt.

It was Norwich that would have went in at the break frustrated. For all their decent play and half chances, they hadn’t found a way to score. Though they showed their quality in possession, their weaknesses were exposed. At times they couldn’t cope with the press and the visitor’s brand of south east London physicality. They were forced into mistakes that Charlton would look to exploit in the second half, when Kelman and Campbell would likely feature. Nathan Jones was forced to sit in the stands for this one (an accumulation of yellow cards?), which afforded him a decent opportunity to take in the action from a higher vantage point as he looked to unlock an advantage for his side. Most of the pressure was on the home side, a club rooted to the wrong end of the table and struggling to get to grips with the drop to a lower league.

The second half started with two changes for Norwich and an unchanged Charlton side. The action picked up where it had left off. Both sides traded blows back and forth. At about sixty minutes, Nathan Jones took off Bell and Anderson, with Tyreece Campbell and Greg Docherty coming on, presumably to protect Bell and sure up gaps in the midfield.

Only 30 seconds after the substitutions, Norwich opened a lead. The ball was swung in fiercely and Lloyd Jones’ attempted clearance pinballed off of McKama, the Norwich striker in the centre, some six yards out. His deflected touches killed the ball stone dead, right in front of him, more through luck than skill. He was able to sort his feet and beat Kaminski from point-blank range.

On 70 minutes, Charlton made another double change, bringing on Charlie Kelman and Rob Apter on for Miles Leaburn and Tanto Olaofe. Norwich continued to pile on the pressure as they grew in confidence. On 83 minutes, Luke Berry came on for Conor Coventry to try and effect a positive change through a 4-4-2. On 90 minutes, Tyreece Campbell broke down the left hand side and swung a cross in that came off the head of the defender in front of Luke Berry that forced a save from the keeper to keep out the equaliser that spun down directly in front of him and smothered. A measley three minutes additional time left not much room for getting back into this.

On another day, set pieces could have made the difference for us. But today, these were woeful. James Bree was off the pace and Rob Apter was no better. From open play, we made next to nothing. And nothing much fell our way either. No shots on target tells the story. I felt at half time we had them right where we wanted them to be but the anticipated second half assault never came. Kaminski was our man of the match. He made saves that kept us in it, in both half’s. Norwich weren’t head and shoulders above at all. With a bit of luck, one golden chance could have broken them but it wasn’t to be. Instead, they come away with all three points and a bit of confidence to rescue their season.

Norwich City 1 Charlton 0
Over to you.