Charlton’s game with Doncaster Rovers at The Valley had to be abandoned with heavy rain plaguing large parts of the pitch.

The Valley pitch had standing water along the North East touchline before the game started. When the turnstiles opened at 1.30pm, the area immediately in front of the North goal was still covered.

The safety of the players could not be guaranteed on that pitch so the match should have been called off. The continuing rain worsened conditions, but by the time Lee Collins decided the pitch was unplayable, Doncaster were 3-0 ahead. Had the score been 0-0, it is likely the game would have been abandoned – rather than suspended – when Collins took the teams off.

After a half-hour delay, the game resumed and there was time for Charlton to reduce the arrears, Rovers to have a man sent off and have a goal chalked off for offside.

With Rovers having to defend the troublesome North Stand end, and with the momentum having shifted towards the hosts, it made abandoning the game an easier decision.

Early arrivals would have been worried to see Ben Hamer’s reaction when making a save during the warm-up. It appeared that tales of the keeper having a damaged finger were correct.

Despite the monsoon conditions, the match was highly entertaining, Doncaster played some quick, incisive stuff and thoroughly deserved to take a 3-0 lead. The dire conditions did not stop Jordan Cousins showing what a gem of a player he is either.

Less than two minutes had elapsed when Paul Keegan nodded home Theo Robinson’s right-wing cross. Fifteen minutes later, Robinson was again the provider, this time cutting in from the left to give Chris Brown a simple chance to double the lead.

Midway through the half, Brown headed home his second from a right-wing corner. Three minutes later the game was suspended for half-an-hour to allow surface water to be cleared.

In truth, the pitch looked no better when it passed the referee’s inspection. Ten minutes after the resumption, Simon Church reduced the arrears. A Gower free-kick from the halfway line found its way to the striker, who put the ball to Ross Turnbull’s left and into the bottom corner of the net.

Rovers had the ball in the net again within a minute but the effort was disallowed for offside.

Keegan picked up a second yellow card just before the break for a foul on Yann Kermorgant and Rovers were reduced to ten men.

Despite more work by the ground staff during an elongated interval – plus help from some of Doncaster’s players – referee Lee Collins called the game off.

The players’ appearances and goals will be expunged from the records but Keegan’s red card and the booking picked up by Mark Gower will stand.

Charlton: Hamer; Solly, Cort, Morrison, Wiggins; Pritchard, Cousins, Gower, Harriott; Kermorgant, Church.

Subs (not used): Pope, Evina, Dervite, Wilson, Green, Sordell, Pigott.

Goal: Church 37.

Booked: Gower 45 (foul).

Doncaster: Turnbull; Wabara, Khumalo, Jones, Husband; Coppinger, Keegan, Wellens, Cotterill; Brown, Robinson.

Subs (not used): Maxted, Quinn, Furman, Syers, Duffy, Paynter, McCullough.

Goals: Keegan 2, Brown 17, 23.

Booked: Keegan 37 (kicking ball away).

Sent off: Keegan 45 (foul, second booking).

Referee: Lee Collins (Surrey).

Attn: 13,633 (626 Doncaster).