Crawley Town v Charlton Athletic | Wednesday 1 January 2025 | Match Preview

Sage

Crawley Town v Charlton Athletic
Wednesday 1st January 2025
Kick-Off: 15:00

Referee
Sunny Singh Gill - Previously officiated a Charlton game in August 2023 when we lost 3-2 at home to Port Vale.

Introduction
So 2024 draws to a close in the best possible way with 3 wins on the spin and breaking Wycombe’s long unbeaten record too. It’s been another tough year as a Charlton fan, starting the year with very real fears of relegation to the fourth tier, we can end it with the hope that 2025 will be a positive one as we fight for promotion. To kick off the new year is a trip to Crawley where we hope being near Gatwick on the way round means we can have our season take off in style. 

Opposition
Stadium: Broadfield Stadium
Manager: Robbie Elliot 
Nickname(s): The Red Devils
League Form: DLLLWW
Previous result: A 4-4 draw away at Exeter City.

Wollacott
Mullarkey - Conroy - Barker
Ibrahim - Camara - Kelly - Anderson - Quitirna
Swan
Showunmi

It’s my second preview against Crawley in a month and the first game at The Valley did not go to plan. Nathan Jones has repeatedly called the reaction catastrophic, it’s clear the backlash and criticism has really impacted him. The players have spoken about putting that result and performance right as we go into the game on New Year’s Day. On the night, Crawley played us off the park in large spells of the game, scoring a goal from outside the box and seemingly walked one in to win after Dan Kanu levelled during the second half. Former Addick loanee Camara was probably the pick of the bunch, no doubt having something to prove himself. He also scored away at Exeter on Sunday in what was a crazy game where Crawley were 4-1 up at half time just to throw it away and draw 4-4.

Charlton Team News
3 wins on the spin and 3 games totally unchanged, I don’t think anyone was expecting that at all. Credit to the players and management team to complete the minutes they have, to the level they have, and winning all 3 in the process. I think it’s clear if Jones could keep it the same, he would, however with yet another in such short time it would surely be foolish to expect the players to go again without any fresh legs.

Jones also explained after the Wycombe game that Aneke completed his first full training session on Saturday so it would be wise to expect him to be available against Reading rather than at Crawley. Otherwise, we can probably expect no more players returning to the squad who have been out injured.

AMB
REG - Jones - Gillesphy - Edwards 
Coventry - Docherty
Small - Anderson - TC
Ahadme

Mannion, Mitchell, Taylor, Berry, Kanu, Godden, Leaburn

Crawley Town 0-2 Charlton Athletic
Jones
TC

Happy New Year to every Addick and their loved ones, I hope 2025 brings you as much happiness as possible. Let’s hope matters on the field contribute to that too. 

clive

https://www.charltonafc.com/news/match-preview-crawley-town-v-charlton

clive

• The only previous league meeting between Crawley and Charlton was in December this season, with the Red Devils winning 2-1 at the Valley.
• Charlton’s last visit to Crawley Town came in the EFL Trophy in September 2023 – despite twice taking the lead, the Addicks eventually lost 4-3.
• Crawley Town haven’t lost their opening league match of any of the last eight calendar years (W6 D2) since they lost 3-0 to Portsmouth in 2016.
• Charlton Athletic have lost their opening league match in four of the last five years (W1), winning the other 3-1 against Portsmouth in 2023.

https://www.efl.com/news/2024/december/30/sky-bet-league-one--pre-match-stat-pack/

satindoors

COYR 

eastterrace6168

0-5 Comfortable away win, and we more than get revenge..."The Red Devils"...my arse🤦‍♂️

wmcf123

No Ahadme , thanks .  Kanu if Leaburn can’t play . 

KettsJohn

I would take an ugly 1-0 here in what could be difficult playing conditions because of the weather. Hope for same team. Be great if we won convincingly and kept the good form going into 2025. UTAs

cafc_se7

He won’t change the line up. You need to remember Jones at the best of times is not a tinkerer! He will be hoping and praying his same line up can get through the next two games and then he can rest in the FA Cup.

stonemuse

1-3, TC, Doc, Miles … and Charlton fans totally out-sing Crawley 

AndyG

Tomorrow has to be the day that we don’t mess around against a team we should beat ! Another performance like the last 3 and it should be fine

0-3 and the train keeps rolling

Callumcafc

Win four in a row? That’s not Charlton…

1-1 with a late Crawley equaliser

MuttleyCAFC

With so many subs you can use, surely it makes sense to start them and replace when there are signs of fatigue.

ValleyGary

I can see him picking the same side, maybe Berry being changed for Anderson at most. Earlier subs likely if players look leggy.

Haven’t made a prediction the last 3 games so won’t now, but hoping for 12 points from 12.

Covered_End_Lad

It will be called off, I work in Crawley and all my colleagues saying it won’t be on as their stand can’t handle the wind

ArmchairAddick

Covered_End_Lad said:

It will be called off, I work in Crawley and all my colleagues saying it won’t be on as their stand can’t handle the wind

The forecast has dropped to 30mph gusts from 3pm ... depends how much they trust the forecast I guess

MuttleyCAFC

It is going to be wet but the winds are expected to drop by kick off time to 15 mph getting lighter.

KingKinsella

Elation of a win against one of the teams that has irritated me the most in recent years is still making me glow with pleasure. Stopping their run is another bonus.
But I'm still a doubting Thomas. We've seen performances like that this season against top sides, NJ knows how to stop teams from playing. Bolton, Birmingham, Wrexham (slightly lesser extent) now Wycombe.
What I want to see is teams such as Crawley outplayed.
It will be interesting if NJ reverts back to ariel bombardment that occurred against Crawley at home- he must have been convinced it would work.... or does he see the light of recent success ( or fears the wroth of sections of the fans) and opts  for a more skilful approach along the grass. I think it will be the latter.
I hope Leaburn can play 75 mins or so but I thought he should have been taken off after 70 mins or so as he looked weary and as I have posted  before took a lot of heavy handling from the Wycombe defenders. Alex Michell also took a heavy challenge and played on, will. he be fit?

Pedro45

Mitchell and Leaburn had knocks so I expect them to be benched. REG and Ahadme to start and Godden for TC. Maybe Anderson or Campbell for Berry. Same style and subs as required. Would be great to win this and the next one...COYA!

Valiantphil

Don’t want Godden or Ahadme anywhere near that side until we are at least 3-0 up. 

Sage

Again I have to stress the team in the preview is not the team I want to see, it’s what I think he could do. In every other circumstance you keep the same team and they’ve been playing so well, Leaburn particularly. But our 4th game in 12 days is a lot to ask them to go again and then again on Saturday. We shall see.

Southendaddick

I can’t believe he wouldn’t change the side after the games we have had in a short space of time but it’s probably inevitable who else would play the same eleven 4 times in 10 days 

I really really hope he doesn’t take Crawley for granted (like the home game)

This is a great opportunity to get in the mix with Reading next week hope they get it right 

lancashire lad

Thanks Sage

RonnieMoore

The weather forecast is awful this afternoon high winds and heavy rain will make the game a farce…the may be even a chance of the game being off or not finishing??

Keep an unchanged side.…this game is more difficult then Wycombe cause these sides are very unpredictable…just come out the other side having not lost the game. 

golfaddick

I'm on a winning streak having correctly predicted the last 3 wins.

However, that ends today. If the weather doesn't beat us then Crawley will.

PP..........or 2-1.

MuttleyCAFC

RonnieMoore said:

The weather forecast is awful this afternoon high winds and heavy rain will make the game a farce…the may be even a chance of the game being off or not finishing??

Keep an unchanged side.…this game is more difficult then Wycombe cause these sides are very unpredictable…just come out the other side having not lost the game. 

It will be windy but the BBC forecast is saying 14 mph winds at 3pm then decreasing through the game to 10 mph. The rain looks more of an issue. I know it spoils a lot of people's day but a postponement probably helps us in terms of the bigger picture.

se9addick

ArmchairAddick

se9addick said:

So ok getting there but you might have a long time waiting to get back!

se9addick

ArmchairAddick said:

se9addick said:

Ooh crumbs.  That isn't good.

I don’t think it’s actually affecting trains from London Bridge to Three Bridges (yet) as they seem to be running to schedule:

ArmchairAddick

se9addick said:
I don’t think it’s actually affecting trains from London Bridge to Three Bridges (yet) as they seem to be running to schedule:

Only just noticed that.  Thankfully I'm coming from the other direction by car ...

Malone_Addick

Feeling confident today …we win 3-1 … COYR!!

ShootersHillGuru

Both teams will go into this with an air of confidence. Us off the back of three wins and they for having beaten us recently. Let’s be honest and say this is a game we shouldn’t lose but this is also Charlton we’re talking about so all bets are off. I’ll say that this has a 1 - 1 draw written all over it. I’ll be watching Lloyd Jones’s performance closely. If he has somewhere else lined up I doubt we’ll see him risk getting injured. I doubt that but worth a mention.