Saturday 1 November 2014

Vetokele saves the day

After coming on as a substitute in the 65th minute, Igor Vetokele equalised for Charlton in the 70th minute to give the Addicks a 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday at The Valley today. Charlton remain 7th in the table.

Former Real Madrid player Royston Drenthe scored the opener for Wednesday on 27 minutes. After neatly spinning past Franck Moussa on the half-way line, Drenthe ran at the Charlton back four. He ghosted inside Wiggins far too easily before drilling a crisp shot from the edge of the D past Henderson and into the bottom right-hand corner to register his first goal since signing on loan from Reading.

Bob Peeters turned to wideman Johann Gudmundsson at the interval as his side displayed a renewed vigour after the break. Chris Solly’s 30-yard thunderbolt almost got the Addicks back on level terms, before George Tucudean’s mis-hit volley cannoned into the ground and clipped the top of the cross bar on its way over as Charlton began to turn the screw.

On 70 minutes, that pressure finally paid off. Wiggins, who was at fault for the first goal, picked the ball up inside his own half and surged forward from left-back, jinking inside Liam Palmer who was scared to make a challenge just inside his own penalty area. The defender’s cross-cum-shot flew across the box for substitute Vetokele, who found himself in the right place at the right time to tap home from six yards.

The Addicks thought they had found a late winner in the first minute of stoppage time, but Gudmundsson’s strike was ruled out for offside as both sides were left to settle for a point.

5 comments:

Brian G said...

A very welcome and well deserved point after going one down.Only Chelsea, Southampton, Arsenal, Watford and Charlton remain unbeaten at home in the league in the top two divisions now, so we're in pretty good company.

Dave said...

"Jinking" - a great and under-used word. Used here to perfection. I can just see Wiggins swerving run now and the junk inside which created the space for Igor to level.

Anonymous said...

It was Wilson who was ruled offside. Wiggins improves slowly and will hopefully get back to his best form. Gudmundsson adds some real creativity and quick thinking

Brian G said...

Actually I thought that, at times on Saturday, that we'd got our buccaneering full backs on top form again. Great going forward but having difficulties against good wide men. It'll come.

Sciurus Carolinensis Nemesis said...

In defense of Wiggins: Moussa and then most shamefully Buyens waved Drenthe through without a whiff of a challenge leaving him all the space he needed to have a pot at goal. Buyens has mastered the art of never quite making a challenge when it counts - apart from the cowardly late dig on Mattock which curtailed his afternoon.