POST-MATCH THREAD: Charlton Athletic v Hull City: Saturday 25th April 2026: KO 12:30

A crucial showdown at the Valley this afternoon brings Hull City to town, with the Addicks needing only one point to secure Championship survival, a point that has been disappointingly elusive over the course of the last few games. Hull CIty are on the edge of the playoffs and have every incentive to press for the three points.

Harvey Knibbs makes a surprise start, joining Conor Coady, Harry Clarke, and Charlie Kelman. Jayden Fevrier assumed Tyreece Campbell’s spot on the left and Sonny Carey took up a deeper position in the centre. A box midfield to kick things off, with Kelman up top on his own.

It took fifteen minutes for the first real threat on goal for either side. Greg Docherty put Charlie Kelman through in space on the right. He beat his man and his driven ball across the goal was dangerous but ultimately found its way back out to Coady on the edge of the box. His shot through traffic was on target and forced a save from the Hull keeper. By that point in the match the Addicks found themselves in the unusual position of having some seventy percent of the possession.

Next, something equally unusual happened! Conor Coady floated a beautiful ball forward into space on the left, finding Charlie Kelman. Kelman shrugged off his man and maneuvered inside and unleashed a curling effort from twenty yards that eluded the keeper and nestled into the far side of the goal. Goal fo the season? The Addicks were in front and largely in control. Only 70 more minutes of stomach-churning anxiety left to endure.

Following the goal, Hull wrestled back possession of the ball. A long cross was swung deep to the back post and when Thomas Kaminski rose up to claim it contact from the Hull striker left him in a heap on the ground. This brought play to a stop for a period of a minute or two. Collins Sichenje also went down and, whilst Kaminski shook off the contact, the man from Kenya was deemed unable to continue. Reece Burke replaced him, which was not ideal as he was forced to contend with former-Addick Liam Millar and his pace and trickery.

Seven minutes of injury time were added to end of the first half. Hull had a chance deep into the period that was dragged wide and Sonny Carey had a go from the edge of the box that wasn’t much of a threat. Then, right before the seven minutes were up Hull scored an equaliser. Harry Clarke’s misplaced back pass gave the visitors a corner that was swung in to the far post. Kaminski was manhandled, having his shirt clearly pulled, as he tried to scramble across, and the headed ball went past him. It was cleared by Conor Coady but the ball was deemed to have crossed the line and the goal was awarded.

In the first period, Hull struggled to get their wingers on the ball until the final fifteen minutes when they settled and the Addicks, as per form, dropped deep. Misplaced passes and poor patterns of play plagued the visitors’ first half, where they were mostly lethargic and dull. The Sichenje substitution allowed Hull to grow back into it. Harry Clarke was pinned further back to compensate for Burke’s lack of pace against Liam MIllar.

For the Addicks, Charlie Kelman was in his element in the first half. He was sharp and causing them problems on and off the ball. At one point, he was the outlet for a clearance from a corner. His deft first touch turned his man and, as he stepped in front, he forced his man to pull him back and take him down; earning a free kick and a yellow card to the Hull Captain. Through the equaliser, the momentum had swung in Hull’s favour. With Charlton’s inability to score more than one goal, it would take a special effort and a bit of guile to prevent the second half from becoming a situation of backs-to-the-wall defending, or worse, another loss from a winning position.

Predictably, Hull came out in the second half with the bit between their teeth.
A few half chances kept momentum with them. But, to be fair, Charlton had a couple of their own on the counter. On 51 minutes, it was Burke that found himself, surprisingly, pushing forward. His ball went out to Fevrier on the left and his whipped ball went just inches in front of Harvey Knibbs’ outstretched boot, just a few yards from goal. But Hull conjured up more in the first ten minutes of the second half then they did in the entirety of the first. They looked much more like playoff contenders, battling with Wrexham for that sixth spot.

The box midfield that had worked well for the majority of the first half, it was now a more rigid five man back line and a flat four ahead of them., with Kelman isolated up top. In an effort to regain some of the momentum from earlier, Nathan Jones looked to replace tired legs. On 62 minutes, Carey was replaced by Luke Chambers, and Knibbs was replaced by Tyreece Campbell. The impact of Campbell’s fresh legs was immediate, winning a corner on the left. It was driven in by Fevrier and almost headed by the oncoming Lloyd Jones; but it wasn’t to be.

Jayden Fevrier, who looked dead on his legs at times, wasn’t done yet! On just under 67 minutes, he popped up on the right to gather a loose ball and managed to elude three defenders as he moved towards the centre before delivering the Addicks’ second goal (the first time we’ve scored two at home for donkey’s years it seems), with a left footed scorcher from just outside the box. The Valley came to life again through renewed optimism.

By 81 minutes, Charlie Kelman’s race had been run. He fell to the ground to receive treatment (for exhaustion!) and was then replaced by Lyndon Dykes. His impact was immediate, helping to defend a corner. Hull had us penned in with a owner and multiple throw ins. Just under 84 minutes had elapsed when one of those long throws found Kaminski off his line flapping. His poor contact punched the ball into the path of McNair at the back post, but his volley was fumbled, letting the home side off the hook. Charlton were finding it difficult to clear the lines and escape being penned back in their own box.

Despite absorbing heaps of pressure, the Addicks weren’t done yet. Kaminski made a save and found Dykes in the opposition half. He held off his man and was able to fire a shot that forced a save, the ball going out for a corner. The Addicks managed a bit of possession to keep the visitors at bay. By that time, Greg Docherty was a spent force, feeling the effects of a sore groin, or cramp. All changes had been made by Nathan Jones and he was forced to go down to receive treatment. Six minutes of added time were announced, which the Addicks, would attempt to endure despite the captain nursing his soreness and others running on fumes. When he came back on, hobbling and with limited mobility, he was kept milling about up top as an outlet. But, at the same time, Hull were running out of time and the pressure was causing them to make mistakes with loose passes and poor decisions.

Before this was over, Charlton had two half chances. One with Dykes and Coady chasing a loose ball forward and one with Fevrier on the break after the Hull keeper went forward in the dying seconds for a corner. With heavy legs, he prodded forward with the Hull defenders trying to peg him back and the keeper raving from behind to try and get back. He had the chance to put Tyreece Campbell through but, running on fumes, he just kept pressing forward before shooting. The ball was cleared away by a retreating defender and out for a corner. Perhaps he could have chosen differently, but who cares? He was outstanding in his role today and he helped secure Championship football for another year.

Charlton gave absolutely everything today and, finally, got what we deserved from this season. It’s worth remembering that we’ve come up and, on a limited budget, have largely over performed, having never been in the relegation spots all season. At times, like today, this side has been dead on its feet, but nevertheless kept going. Today was a day to proudly reflect on that. And it was summed up by Captain Greg Docherty playing through injury to see the game out, making tackles and contending for headers in the dying minutes, all on one leg! Well done.

Charlton 2 Hull 1
Over to you.