Defeat in the Welsh capital sees Charlton slip down the table

Cardiff City secured their first league win back in the Championship, as Jack Moylan scored twice on the way to a 3-1 victory over Charlton Athletic.   The Addicks fell to 8^th in the table pending this afternoon’s results.   Richard Cawley commented that Charlton were clearly second best.

However, they are still ahead of Millwall.  After going 2-0 ahead at the Toolbox, an improved performance by West Ham in the second half saw them score two goals.  ‘Last Ditch’ Dykes had an opportunity to make it 3-2 at the death but sent the ball way over the goal.   The whole occasion was degraded by commentary from Ian Dowie, proving that there is life after football death.

The commentators in the preamble to the televised WSL match at The Valley noted that Charlton were a club and team used to adversity on and off the pitch.  And so it proved with the Addicks going down 1-4 to the well-funded London City Lionesses.   At least they scored their first WSL goal and it was a stunner from distance.

The attendance was sparse at The Valley and many Addicks departed at dawn to make the trek to Cardiff.  Fortunately, the national border is free of controls for now.

In the Welsh capital, the Bluebirds took the lead after eight minutes, as Alex Robertson found Yousef Salech on the edge of the Charlton box, and the Cardiff striker's deft touch played through Moylan, who in turn found the bottom corner.

The hosts had their second midway through the first half, when Moylan turned provider for Salech, who shrugged off Tyler Bindon before beating Okonkwo from close range.

Charlton found a route back into the game before the half-hour mark, as Bindon's through ball played in Tyreece Campbell, and the Jamaica international slid the ball under Nathan Trott to halve the deficit.

Cardiff almost had their third two minutes later in an increasingly end-to-end first half, but Moylan was denied a clean sight of goal by an excellent last-ditch block from Charlton skipper Lloyd Jones.

The Bluebirds should have restored their two-goal cushion on 38 minutes as Moylan's header at the back post was clawed off the line by Okonkwo, only for Joel Colwill to get the rebound all wrong and miss the target from six yards out.

And the visitors once again had Okonkwo to thank for keeping the score 2-1 with half-time approaching, as the on-loan Wrexham goalkeeper scrambled across his line to stop what looked destined to be Salech's second of the game.

Having seen his side struggle as the first half wore on, Charlton boss Nathan Jones made two changes at the break as Amari'i Bell and Timothy Ouma replaced Milenic Ali and Bindon.

And it was the visitors who had the first big chance of the second half, as former Cardiff man Karlan Grant was played through on goal but could only find the side-netting.

The Bluebirds responded with a good chance of their own, Joel Bagan's cross finding Colwill at the back post, but Okonkwo was equal to the effort once again.

After seeing countless chances come and go, Cardiff eventually restored their two-goal lead on the hour mark, as summer-signing Moylan smashed an effort in off the post from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Bagan came close to adding a fourth for the Bluebirds, but his effort curled away from the far post and behind for a goal-kick.  Ollie Tanner was next to threaten, as he drove into the Charlton box and beat Bell but was denied by the outstretched leg of Okonkwo.

Charlton rarely threatened in the second half but should have pulled one back when substitute Charlie Kelman found himself one-on-one with Trott; however, he was denied what would have been a goal with his first touch by the Cardiff keeper.

Moylan almost added a spectacular fourth, but his curling effort from distance drifted just wide before he was replaced to a standing ovation by the home supporters, Calum Scanlon coming on in his place.

Victory for the Bluebirds ends what has been a tough return to the second flight, but they go into the international break having broken their winless streak at the eighth time of asking.

For Charlton, it is now five games without a win, having previously sat top of the Championship after three successive victories to start the campaign.

AI avatar Desmond from Deal says: ‘At least the three week international break will give the board the time to sack Jones and find a quality replacement.’