The Valley faithful witnessed a cracking match played on beautiful sunny afternoon on Saturday. A 2-0 win, thanks to two strikes from Karlan Grant, put the icing on the cake.
Lee Bowyer made two changes to the team that lost to Coventry a fortnight ago. Krystian Bielok and Jamie Ward came in for Naby Sarr and Tariqe Fosu who dropped to the bench.
Igor Vetokele was an absentee after picking up a knock in training on Friday.
Jason Pearce reverted to his favoured left side of central defence, and Bowyer continued with Anfernee Dijksteel at right-back and Chris Solly on the far left of the defence.
Pearce looked so much better playing on the left, and it gave the defence a far more solid look.
Barnsley opened brightly, but it was Charlton who went ahead after 8 minutes. A Tykes corner was cleared by Pearce to Lyle Taylor on the halfway line.
Taylor laid the ball off to Ward, who delivered a perfect crossfield pass to Grant. The striker cut into the area, fired past Adam Davies, and into the net via the far post.
The Addicks played some lovely flowing football at times. The Tykes always looked dangerous, but in terms of actual chances, they created very little.
Barnsley introduced Kiefer Moore after the break in an attempt to liven their attack up. But it was Charlton who continued to offer the greater goal threat.
The hosts seemed to have doubled their lead five minutes after the break. Pearce’s effort from a corner appeared to have just crossed the line, but James Linington ruled the goal out for a push.
Barnsley’s respite was brief though. Two minutes later Joe Aribo played Taylor in down the left. The striker drove the ball across for Grant to flick home his second of the afternoon.
Midway through the half, the Addicks nearly added a third. Taylor played Grant in again, but the onrushing Davies took it off the in form striker’s toe.
The ball broke to Taylor, 30-yards from goal. He took aim and, with the keeper stranded, let fly. He was foiled by an incredible headed clearance by Liam Lindsay.
Though the visitors continued to look dangerous, Bowyer’s side looked comfortable in defence, and recorded their third clean sheet of the campaign.
It was Charlton’s best performance of the season, as Bowyer readily agreed:
“That’s our best performance. They are the best side we’ve played by far. They’ve scored seven goals in the last two games, we’ve put that to bed, we kept a clean sheet.
“We defended like men. It proves all our hard work, that we’ve been doing the last 10 days or so, isn’t for nothing. I thought everyone from Jed up to the front two, Tariqe when he came on, everybody, George, it’s a great team performance and if you’re going to get promotion that’s what you need.
“I just said to them ‘We have everything in this dressing room’, so it’s great to watch, the way fight for each other. They do the dirty side, the horrible stuff because we won’t let them come off it, so I think today was a very good day,” siad the boss.
Charlton: Steer; Dijksteel, Bielik (Sarr 82), Pearce, Solly; Cullen, Aribo, Reeves (Lapslie 74), Ward (Fosu 62); Taylor, Grant.
Subs (not used): Phillips, Pratley, Marshall, Ajose.
Goals: Grant 8, 52.
Booked: Solly 20 (foul), Bielik 63 (foul).
Barnsley: Davies; Cavare, Pinnock, Lindsay, Pinillos (Hedges 60); Potts, Dougall, Moncur (Thiam 60), Brown; McGeehan (Moore 46), Mowatt.
Subs (not used): Walton, Jackson, Williams, Adeboyejo.
Booked: Pinillos 12 (foul).
Referee: James Linington (Isle of Wight).
Attn: 12,416 (1,368 Barnsley),
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TAGS: Charlton Athletic