MATCH PREVIEW: Charlton Athletic vs Ipswich Town... Wednesday 22nd April 2026 - 7:45pm Kick-Off
Charlton Athletic vs Ipswich Town
Wednesday 22nd April 2026 - 7:45pm Kick-Off
Referee: Robert Madley
Introduction
It wasn't pretty, it wasn't overly effective, but Charlton edged ever nearer the finishing line that is Championship survival on Saturday afternoon. The Addicks made hard work of an already doomed Sheffield Wednesday, but could that have been the point that ensure Championship Football for the 2024/25 season next term
The Opposition
Name: Ipswich Town (3rd) - Manager: Kieran McKenna
Ground: Portman Road
Previous League Result: Ipswich 2-2 Middlesbrough
Of course the job isn't quite done yet, and if we want to avoid being relegated on Goal Difference then we must first obtain just one more solitary point from one of our three remaining League fixtures - First up we play hosts to an Ipswich side looking for an immediate return to the Premier League.
Before a ball was kicked in anger this season, you'd probably have ear marked Ipswich as the favourites to win promotion from the Championship this season, whilst their return to the Premier League was short lived, you can tell that Manager: Kieran McKenna is eventually destined for great things, and with two promotions from two full seasons already in the EFL, you feel that the Northern Irishman has a handle on English Football outside the top flight.
Ipswich come into this game in desperate need of their own three points, results last night mean that a win tonight for the Tractor Boys will put them back into second place, whilst defeat in SE7 will hand the advantage back to our South London neighbours - Ipswich though come into this game out of form, their last win came in the Old Farm Derby, beating Norwich 2-0 at Carrow Road, whilst they've since tasted defeat at Fratton Park, and drew 2-2 with promotion rivals: Middlesbrough on Sunday afternoon... So this promotion gunning side, that have already lost at Oxford and Leicester this season... Can be hurt.
In terms of head to head and Charlton have 18-wins in this fixture, compared to Ipswich's 21-wins... 2016 was the last time Ipswich tasted victory in SE7 though, with two of the last three games ending all square, including a dramatic 4-4 in 2022, whilst the Addicks last secured all three points in 2021, goals coming from Jayden Stockley and Alex Gilbey; Ipswich ironically would play just one more game before Kieran McKenna took over the reigns in Suffolk.
Charlton Team News
In terms of Charlton news, and we were welcomed with the return of Collins Sichenje on Saturday afternoon; Reece Burke also made his return, playing 60-minutes against Sheffield Wednesday, and you'd expect one of those to start this evening. Especially as Harry Clarke will be ineligible to face his parent club, and with Kayne Ramsay absent on Saturday with a hamstring injury, we could see a more make shift line up, especially on the right side of the Defence.
Elsewhere and Matty Godden continues to stake a strong case for a contract renewal in the summer. The striker has shown what we've been missing this season in recent games, and having scored the all important goal at Sheffield Wednesday he now has two goals in his last three appearances for the Addicks. You'd expect Godden to once again start alongside Lyndon Dykes, with Tyreece Campbell and Miles Leaburn acting as cover from the bench, in similar fashion to how we lined up at Portman Road earlier on in the campaign.
Kaminski
Sichenje - Jones - Bell
Ramsay - Coady - Docherty - Chambers
Carey
Dykes - Godden
Substitutes: Mannion - Gillesphey - Burke - Costello - Fevrier - Kelman - Knibbs - Campbell - Leaburn
Comments
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Why have you binned off Kelman?4
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4-0 home win7
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This is going to be a disgusting watch9
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Agreed. NJ will go all out and try and nick a draw in this one and tbh,do any of us care how we do it? Think we'll do it as well,1-1 and guaranteed Championship footy again next season 🤞fenaddick said:This is going to be a disgusting watch6 -
COYR1
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We'll be aiming for 0-0. It's going to be a difficult watch I think.1
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I think it’s pretty likely that TC will start instead of one of the front 2 (probably Godden given he might not be up to starting 2 games in a week).When we play the top teams TC nearly always plays as the we can defend in a 5-4-1 shape and be more defensive. I’d love to see TC and Godden up front but I think it will be TC and Dykes2
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Personally, I think we are going to have a ‘you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off’ moment at the end of the match when it starts to sink in that we only needed to draw and not help Millwall get promoted by beating Ipswich, getting 2 of their key players sent off and suspended for their next 3 games and injuring 3 more and putting them out for the rest of the season. That or we lose.6
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We'll beat them tonight to secure championship safety and then conga through the stands joyously singing "Sha la la la la la la la...we sent the Millwall up!"15
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6 months ago we had Ipswich and Hull away. At the time I wondered if we should rest players for the Ipswich game, as Hull was more winnable... We beat Ipswich and drew at Hull with a late equaliser.
Conversely, a month ago we had Boro and Oxford away. NJ DID rest players for the Boro game, which we won. And followed with a tired draw at Oxford.
So it will be interesting how NJ treats the two games this week. We're perfectly capable of getting a point against either, but it will require a defensive performance more like recent away games against the better teams3 -
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Forgot about himSix-a-bag-of-nuts said:Why have you binned off Kelman?0 -
Never leave early, but already checking early trains for tonight. Fair to say I am not very optimistic.
Obviously hope I am wrong.0 -
This has the buildings of the most atrocious example of anti football that’s ever been played. They can’t beat us if the balls in the air or out of play for 90 mins0
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I hope they've had a recording of the 3-0 away win on repeat and whatever they did that (unbelievable) day...they do again!2
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Lineup leaked51
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Communist football at its finest.fenaddick said:This is going to be a disgusting watchI actually think that given how good Ipswich are on the ball and the fact they need to get a win given how hard Millwall are pushing them, they are going to come at us and it will suit us.
This a prime Jones scenario. He knows they have better players. He knows they need a win, he knows he’s got the slowest midfield ever to operate at this level, he’ll be parking the bus and showcasing the very best of Soviet resilience we’ve ever seen.
The iron curtain will be up, us, the people of Nathan’s communist republic will be fed his the lastest serving of perestroika and hope that our dour brand of football philosophy scores an historic victory over the flamboyant western liberal outfit that is Ipswich
If we get the point that keeps us up, we will celebrate with Potatoes and Gruel whilst Nathan then has a decision to make about direction to take our football in next season. Do we stick to our communist principles and sign more centre backs and painfully slow midfielders that do good work ‘off the ball’, or do we invite the free market capitalism into the team and sign players that can actually do stuff with the ball at this level.16 -
Just a repeat of the Middlesbrough game please. If they end the game with 90+ shots that’s fine4
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oohaahmortimer said:4-0 home win
Welcome back Happy valley, we have missed you.1 -
Did you watch Pompey beat them?cabbles said:
Communist football at its finest.fenaddick said:This is going to be a disgusting watchI actually think that given how good Ipswich are on the ball and the fact they need to get a win given how hard Millwall are pushing them, they are going to come at us and it will suit us.
This a prime Jones scenario. He knows they have better players. He knows they need a win, he knows he’s got the slowest midfield ever to operate at this level, he’ll be parking the bus and showcasing the very best of Soviet resilience we’ve ever seen.
The iron curtain will be up, us, the people of Nathan’s communist republic will be fed his the lastest serving of perestroika and hope that our dour brand of football philosophy scores an historic victory over the flamboyant western liberal outfit that is Ipswich
If we get the point that keeps us up, we will celebrate with Potatoes and Gruel whilst Nathan then has a decision to make about direction to take our football in next season. Do we stick to our communist principles and sign more centre backs and painfully slow midfielders that do good work ‘off the ball’, or do we invite the free market capitalism into the team and sign players that can actually do stuff with the ball at this level.
They pressed high and disrupted their measured build up. Their left back stayed back and passed almost every ball backwards and looked a weak link in that game.
Stick or twist?
Play with those who can close down? Sichenje and Campbell at wing back, Leaburn up front, or park the bus?
Good luck Nathan.
I will be 100% behind the team, tapping my flask in rhythm with the drummer under my blanket in the West Stand.I might even poke my head out if it is going well!9 -
9-0 home win.
NJ kicks off the shackles to reveal a well hidden aptitude for attacking formation. All four forwards score a brace with a single contribution from one of the midfielders (unspecified).
Defensive shutout as our goalkeeper leaves his clown gloves at home and defence put their boots on the correct foot for once.
Home crowd exits The Valley, arm in arm full of the joys of life.
OR...2 -
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We will be ripped to shreds tonight.
1-4.1 -
I wouldn't be surprised if that is how we play, even if we do line up with a midfield. It could be a very defensive midfield.fenaddick said:Lineup leaked0 -
2-2
And hit the bar in injury time.
Crowd goes wild - we stay up.
1 -
please god no Burke
will be a tough watch but I think we'll nick a draw 1-1 (Kelman sub)1 -
Fully expect team changes. This league is so unpredictable who knows what to expect
Ideally world we lose tonight and win Saturday, but sadly as much as I’d like to make it more difficult for that lot, i never want us to lose a game7 -
I think we will attempt to play the same way we always do. Try not to concede in the first 70 minutes and hope to catch them on the break in the final 20 as they open up in a desperate search for a winner.
I can't see us being even more defensive than we usually are. That would not be a good move.
But I think Ipswich will completely control the ball and push us back, so we will seem to be parking the bus.
It won't be pretty.
One thing IS certain. If we are drawing after 90 minutes there will be 11 minutes of added time.2 -
I don't see Oxford winning their last two games and think we are all but mathematically safe. However, I would much prefer it if we could confirm that ourselves.
I would love to be able to clap the players after the game on Saturday on the back of two good performances that would put the lid on what has been a tough but ultimately successful season back in the Championship.
I think Kaminski may come back in, Ramsay will be risked, Sichenje will start, Carey should be given a break (I don't think Jones will, but I'd go for Knibbs though I could see it being Berry), and TC will be selected as a counter attacking threat.
Kaminski
Sichenje Jones Bell
Ramsay Docherty Coady Chambers
Carey
Dykes TC3 -
I still think we will go down. We will get pummelled 3/4-0 tonight and need goodwill from our neighbours to stay up on the last saturday. Hope i am wrong.1
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Might be a 5-0 loss tonight. They need it badly, but we have little cohesion. Dykes has his moments, and Godden is a great tryer, but with nothing but desperate legs in midfield, the onus is on Lloyd Jones to win or block everything.
No doubt Fevrier will start at right wing back, but that is going to be our weak link. Coady needs to start, with Doc or JRC, but I doubt it will make much difference.
Going to be a tough night.
COYA!0 -
I suspect you and most others were saying the same when we played away to Ipswich…golfaddick said:We will be ripped to shreds tonight.
1-4.3
