Charlton Athletic stunned Ipswich Town with three goals in 12 second-half minutes at Portman Road to pick up their second away win of the season. The Addicks are now in the play off places at 5th.
The home side, previously unbeaten on their own patch this
term, dominated the first half - but Ivan Azon had an effort smothered by
Addicks goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and Ipswich forward Chuba Akpom hit the
crossbar.
Charlton, who have now won four of their past six games,
made them pay, as Sonny Carey scored his fourth goal in seven games and then
Macaulay Gillesphey headed in a second.
Ipswich, who have now lost two on the bounce and saw
goalkeeper Alex Palmer limp off injured in the first half, were clearly
rattled, and Miles Leaburn added a third shortly after going on as a
substitute.
The south London side had conceded a total of 14 goals in
their previous three games against the Tractor Boys, and with the home side
dominant early on, this meeting looked like going a similar way.
Azon was denied by Kaminski, the dangerous Jack Clarke had
an inswinging corner headed off the line by Charlton's Greg Docherty, and then
Akpom smashed a shot against the bar after great approach work by Azon.
The loss of Palmer, who seemed to suffer a muscle problem as
he raced out of his area to sweep up, did not interrupt the flow of the game,
but Charlton then created the two best chances of the first half as a warning
of things to come.
Isaac Olaofe, in his first league start, turned away from
Ashley Young and ran clear of the defence only for substitute goalkeeper
Christian Walton to save with his feet, and then Gillesphey miscued a glaring
chance over the bar from James Bree's wicked curving corner.
The dancing feet of Clarke continued to look like Ipswich's
best means of opening up the visitors, but Kaminski turned the former
Sunderland man's shot over the bar and then Akpom headed his fine cross
narrowly wide.
Charlton came alive again after 52 minutes as Carey picked
up Leif Davis' headed clearance and drove straight back at the defence, peeling
left to beat Dara O'Shea and then driving a low shot beyond Walton.
Suddenly it was all Charlton as Walton produced a fine save
to deny Charlie Kelman, and following the resulting corner, Carey's cross was
flicked by Olaofe's heel at the near post and ballooned off the diving Walton
to fall neatly onto the head of Gillespie for 2-0.
Kasey McAteer thought he had pulled one back with a far-post
header, but an offside flag ruled the goal out.
Charlton rubbed home their superiority when Conor Coventry
retrieved an over-hit corner and played a sharp pass towards the byline.
Tyreece Campbell collected and delivered the ball onto the head of Leaburn, who
made it three.
George Hirst's poor touch denied Ipswich their final chance
of retrieving something from the game, and Charlton could have added a fourth
when Leaburn and Campbell both went close.
Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:
"It was a magnificent result - some squad, some team."
"In the first 25 minutes we had to get to grips with it
because we were really passive and allowed them to work patterns and get their
good players into areas, and we had to defend the box really, really well.
"Then we became more aggressive, got on the front foot
a little bit more, and we had four really good chances in the first half.
"At half-time I got into the players and said 'Look, if
we want to be passive, these are a good side who will play round you and
through you'. In the second half we were really aggressive and went after the
game.
"The goals were excellent goals and the game-changers
that went on were excellent. It was some performance."
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