Charlton 1 Shrewsbury Town 1 - Report

Sean Goss converted a fine diving header 10 minutes after the break but Charlton forced a deserved equaliser through Conor Washington 12 minutes from time.

But, instead of hanging on while the hosts came on strong, it was Shrewsbury’s substitutions who were gifted glorious chances to claim all three points.

First Daniel Udoh failed to get a shot away when being played in one-versus-one on the home defence, before Dave Edwards lifted a close-range effort well over and Shaun Whalley sent a dipping half-volley marginally wide.

The flurry of late drama left the visitors, without boss Steve Cotterill and led by Aaron Wilbraham, a little disappointed with just a share of the spoils.

It also highlights the progress made by Salop against a good Charlton side, who were well below what their talented side should be capable of.

The result keeps Shrewsbury 17th in League One, nine points clear of the drop zone.

Goss’ expertly-taken opener, from a fine Matthew Pennington cross, further highlights the amazing turnaround in his Shrewsbury career and was deserved after a bright start to the second period as Town went about a second win on the road in a few days.

But Charlton came on strong and Chuks Aneke had found the woodwork from a sitter before Washington’s well-taken finish crept in at Harry Burgoyne’s near post.

The dynamic felt like it would be the hosts who came on strong late on but instead it was gutsy Shrewsbury who continued charging forward and - through the help of some questionable defending from a porous backline - had the gilt-edged chances to claim all three points.

Burgoyne again got the nod over Matija Sarkic in goal. The south Shropshire shot-stopper was handed a second start on the road in a week.

Sarkic travelled with the squad, who stayed overnight on Friday, and was named on the bench, but Shrews are continuing to rest a niggling quad injury. Injured skipper Ollie Norburn also travelled.

Cotterill and Wilbraham opted for three changes from the side that ended a winless run of three with a midweek success at bottom club Rochdale.

Pennington returned to Shrewsbury’s back, with Brad Walker stepping forward into his more natural midfield position, in place of David Davis who dropped to the bench.

The other changes for a first trip to The Valley since August 2018 were in attack, where Harry Chapman replaced Whalley - who created both Shrews goals in Rochdale - and Curtis Main came in for Udoh in the centre-forward role.

Charlton ended a miserable run of form in south west London on Tuesday with a win over struggling Northampton Tuesday. Lee Bowyer’s men were without injured midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey for the contest.

Town started on the front foot at the empty 27,000-capacity arena, which felt as empty and soulless as any ground in League One this season.

For five minutes the visitors were sharp and looked after the ball well, wing-backs Nathanael Ogbeta and Josh Daniels delivering decent balls into the Addicks box.

The contest settled down, however, on a difficult patchy surface and it was the hosts who took charge.

Salop looked a little wobbly as Ro-Shaun Williams and Ogbeta clearances were insufficient but Lee Bowyer’s men could find no way through.

Town did venture forward down the left, as Josh Vela and Ogbeta combined well, before Goss hit the deck near the left byline to strong penalty appeals, referee Declan Bourne was unmoved.

The home side were in the ascendency and carved out a first opening after 17 minutes. Dangerous left wing-back Ian Maatsen, on loan from Chelsea, crossed low for Albie Morgan, who measured a curled strike towards the far post, which was cleared by an important Williams header.

A few minutes later Watson’s corner was headed back across goal by big defender Akim Famewo but Ben Watson, FA Cup winning goalscorer with Wigan, could not turn his header on target at the near post. Famewo then nodded well wide at the back post as Charlton asked questions of the Town backline.

Town’s first chance on goal was created by stellar work from impressive wing-back Daniels, who skillfully backheeled to striker Main after a neat touch. The Town frontman, from an acute right angle, lashed a fierce effort well wide of the near post.

Daniels enjoyed another impressive first half, with an aggressive defensive display against the impressive Maatsen and Liverpool loanee Liam Millar.

Chapman and Goss worked hard to press Charlton’s defenders as the hosts moved the ball well.

A raking crossfield ball from Chapman invited Ogbeta to scamper forward down the left. He fed Vela, whose cross invited Main to challenge keeper Ben Amos. Main won the header, which dropped wide, before taking a clatter from the shot-stopper.

Burgoyne was forced into his first save 10 minutes before the break, getting down low to keep hold of a Jayden Stockley low effort inside the box as Charlton got in down the left again.

Charlton enjoyed another period of monopolising possession, as Town found themselves falling deep. The visiting management team of Wilbraham, David Longwell and Brian Jensen urged their troops forward.

Shrews ended the first period with a decent effort at goal, as Daniels took down a high ball smartly and worked it into Chapman, who spun sharply and sawa fine volleyed attempt fly 10 yards over.

Town worked a promising opening two minutes after the interval, as Vela fed Goss, who flicked a neat ball out to Main. The striker delivered a low ball from the left side of the box but no white Shrewsbury shirt had read the cross and Charlton survived, to the visitors’ frustration.

Walker kept Amos honest with a trademark free-kick from the best part of 30 yards that swerved before the keeper claimed.

Town had started the second period well and were rewarded for their positivity with an opener 10 minutes after half-time for the second time this week.

Like at Rochdale, the lead came courtesy of a fine Salop header.

Pennington brought the ball of defence, from the right, and took stock before sending in a perfectly-measured cross into a period of vacated space in the six yard box where, from nowhere, stormed a deep run from Goss who lunged into a diving header and planted the effort superbly beyond Amos.

It was the midfielder’s third goal of the season and third goal in five games and further evidence of his comeback story since Cotterill replaced Sam Ricketts in November, with the midfielder frozen out and not even registered for league action until December.

Salop tails were up after the opener as Chapman looked to jink his way into the box. Ogbeta sent a right-footed volley from a half-cleared corner claimed by Amos.

Shrewsbury were close to a second just after the hour. A bouncing ball dropped across Goss’ body and, from 25 yards out, the goalscorer sent a wicked, dipping half-volley just a couple of yards wide across Amos’ goal.

Right-back Chris Gunter’s woeful effort that almost found the corner flag was a signal for change as Bowyer sent Chuks Aneke, Matt Smith and Andrew Shinnie on.

But Salop forced the next meaningful chance, midway through the second half, Daniels’ low cross was flicked on smartly at the next post by Main, but only into the side netting.

As the contest entered its final 20 minutes Charlton began taking control and Aneke should have levelled.

The Addicks top scorer somehow crashed a sitter against the crossbar from six yards out after being superbly found by Washingon. Town were holding on.

Charlton dictated possession as Salop dropped, and a corner was almost the visitors’ undoing as Main swiped into the air, enticing Burgoyne off his line, the keeper aimed a wild swipe at the ball with his first and missed, but his defenders had just recovered to clear.

Shrewsbury had already brought Edwards and prepared to introduce Udoh and Davis when the sting in the tail arrived.

The Addicks worked into the left side of the penalty area, where Washington was found, and the in-form Washington was allowed on to his right foot and cut a clever low finish through a number of bodies in at Burgoyne’s near post.

Town had just over 10 minutes to sit on a very worthy point, but there was heaps of late drama to come.

As Charlton pressed, Salop flew away on a break, started by Davis who fed Udoh in a one-versus-one face-off with a Charlton defender. Udoh tore forward, worked his way into the box, but refused to get his shot away and was smothered. It encapsulated Udoh’s physical power to get forward but highlighted a lack of belief at the death.

Town were left to rue what appeared a huge chance to grab a winner five minutes from time.

But there would be bigger moments to come. Charlton inexplicably played a poor hospital pass backwards as Davis was invited in on goal, with Amos out to meet him, Davis squared for midfield partner Edwards, who was free, but could only sky an effort well over while off-balance. Town players held their head and screamed their frustration in disbelief.

There was still more to come, as Town introduced Whalley on the stroke of 90 minutes, and Shrews’ No.7 sent a dipping, swerving half-volley over Amos, who was out of his penalty area, but a few yards wide. Amos ripped into his players in front of him, who had seemingly lost control.

Cotterill’s men could be pleased with their point but will no doubt be cursing a lack of composure at the death that should’ve secured all three.

Teams

Charlton Athletic (4-4-2):

Amos; Gunter, Famewo, Pearce ©, Maatsen; Millar (Shinnie, 63), Watson, Pratley (Smith, 63), Morgan (Jaiyesimi, 80); Stockley (Aneke, 63), Washington.

Subs not used: Maynard-Brewer, Oshilaja, Schwartz.

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2):

Burgoyne; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell ©, Williams; Daniels, Vela, Walker (Whalley, 90), Ogbeta, Goss (Davis, 79); Chapman (Edwards, 69), Main (Udoh, 79).

Subs not used: Sarkic, Sears, Pyke.

Referee: Declan Bourne

Attendance: Zero