Charlton made it four wins in a row when they scored a late goal to beat Plymouth 2-1 at The Valley on Saturday afternoon.
It was an entertaining game that saw the Addicks fall behind, miss a penalty and hit the woodwork twice.
Naby Sarr came in to replace the injured Patrick Bauer, but it was Jason Pearce who operated on the right side of the central defensive duo.
There were two early goals as the game got off to a cracking start. Argyle took the lead after 9 minutes. A deep cross from the left found Graham Carey unmarked.
Carey headed the ball back across goal, beyond Jed Steer’s despairing dive, and just inside the far post.
It took the Addicks just three minutes to restore parity. Pearce headed Ben Reeves’ right wing corner towards goal, and Karlan Grant reacted quickest to prod the ball home.
Both sides had chances to take the lead, though
Charlton were the more dominant force.
Reeves and Joe Aribo went close for the Addicks, and Joel Grant went closest for the visitors.
But Lee Bowyer’s side spurned a golden opportunity to take the lead eight minutes before the interval.
Lyle Taylor played the ball into Chris Solly’s path in the box, but he was tripped by Anthony Sarcevic.
Taylor stepped up to take the spot-kick, but his firmly struck effort was too close to the keeper. Matt Macey got a strong hand on the ball and it spun up and rebounded off the bar. Grant was the first to react but could only turn the ball into the side netting from a tight angle.
Jamie Ward had a chance to double the lead before the break but was foiled by Macey, and Taylor and Joe Aribo had shots blocked.
The Pilgrims went close early in the second period, with Grant going close when he rattled the bar.
But it was Charlton who had the majority of the chances – they had 23 shots during the course of the afternoon.
Lewis Page came closest of all when his deflected shot hit the post five minutes from time.
The Addicks richly deserved the three points, and they snatched the winner two minutes from time.
Ben Reeves put a deep cross in from the left. Igor Vetokele headed it back across goal for Grant to turn under Macey.
The Valley erupted. The players joy was a sight to behold, and in stark contrast to the Plymouth team who were crestfallen.
The win moves Charlton up to sixth, just five points from the top.
A delighted Bowyer gave his thoughts after the game:
“I think we were outstanding today, the way we moved the ball and created as many chances as we did from start to finish.
“You have got to understand when the crowd get a bit edgy at times in the last 10 minutes it is easy just to lump it forward but they just kept playing and playing and playing and they got rewarded.
“Should we have scored more goals? Yeah, of course we should of but the most important thing for me is that we got the three points.
“We’ve got four on the bounce now and we’ve just got to keep taking these wins and keep moving up the table and keep the belief going because they are in a very good place at the moment.
“I said to them before the game ‘All I ask is that when you walk in here and sit-down after the game, you can look at your mate either side and say “I gave you everything today” and I said (after the game) “You can definitely all do that” and that’s why I think they won the game, because they just kept going and going and going. They wouldn’t give in.
“We have to keep winning because others are winning. We can’t let a gap get too big, so we have to keep winning games and we see where we are at the end of the season.”
Charlton: Steer; Solly, Pearce, Sarr, Page; Cullen, Aribo, Reeves, Ward (Vetokele 81); Grant, Taylor.
Subs (not used): Phillips, Dijksteel, Marshall, Lapslie, Morgan, Ajose.
Goals: Grant 12, 88.
Booked: Taylor 45 (foul).
Plymouth: Macey; Smith-Brown, Edwards, Wootton (P Grant 38), Sawyer (Wylde 46); Sarcevic (Fox 54), Songo’o, Lameiras, Carey; J Grant, Laddapom
Subs (not used): Letheren, O’Keefe, Dyson, Fletcher.
Goal: Carey 9.
Referee: Dean Whitestone (Cambridgeshire).
Attn: 10,818 (1,013 Plymouth).
TAGS: Charlton Athletic