POST-MATCH THREAD: Charlton Athletic vs West Bromwich Albion - Tuesday 4th November 2025 - 7:45pm

In the opening minutes Charlton found it hard to keep possession. Conversely, West Brom. had no such problems. They came forward a number of times, finding space easily. But Charlton contained them and limited the visitors to minor chances. Where they found themselves in on goal, they inevitably fluffed their lines.

On 34 minutes, a cross into the box found Miles Leaburn, who headed the ball into the centre of the box. The ball was handled in the area by a West Brom player and a penalty was awarded. Curiously, Captain Greg Docherty stepped up to take it. The strike was read well by the keeper who made a save to keep the game scoreless. Sonny Carey would have been my choice for penalty taker, as he has the finesse and, perhaps more importantly, the nerve to make it count.

The first half was a though watch. Conor Coventry had a positive effect on keeping the ball moving forward. I thought it was Onel Hernandez, though, who stood out in his wingback role on the left. Making his debut in the starting eleven, he was a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable half.

To start the second half, West Brom had their way with us down the right. On about 48 minutes, Thomas Kaminsky was called upon to make a save with his feet that kept us in it. West Brom should really have done better and, based on their lack of ability to finish, I can see why they’re struggling.

On 54 minutes, the ball fell to Sonny Carey who unleashed a shot from twenty yards or so that forced another remarkable save from the West Brom keeper. The resulting corner was a threat, but it was cleared and West Brom escaped again.

On 68 minutes, James Bree was tackled and it looked as though his left ankle gave way in dramatic fashion as he tried to evade the defender. He dropped to down in agony and it looked as though he was to be replaced. But he made it to his feet and continued.

On 73 minutes, Harvey Knibbs and Ibrahim Fullah came on to replace Greg Docherty and Onel Hernandez. Carey dropped back a bit and Knibbs and Fullah pushed on to support Leaburn up front. The game needed some new inspiration and young Fuller was handed his opportunity. Within mere moments of his introduction he provided just that with a pirouette on the ball and a probing pass forward to release Miles Leaburn. It didn’t come to much in the end, but the move helped to breathe new life into the final fifteen minutes of normal time. A couple more opportunities put the pressure on the visitors, but nothing came to much.

For the final ten minutes, Tanto Olaofe came on, replacing Miles Leaburn. Both sides then traded shots back and forth to run out regular time. There were five minutes of stoppage time added and the Addicks piled on the pressure effectively. Then, with about thirty seconds of time left the home side forced a corner. James Bree swung it in but it was easily cleared, but only into the path of Sonny Carey. He was closed down, but managed to evade his man, push the ball forward and unleash a now characteristically audacious twenty-five yard screamer through a crowd of people in the box. The ball took a small deflection and scooted underneath the West Brom keeper and into the back of the net to deliver all three points.

This side is resilient. The initial excitement of life in the Championship has seemingly ebbed away a bit, making the last few matches a tad more tedious. But this team seem capable, so far, of finding a way more often than not. And this kind of result, including a last minute goal that redeemed the earlier penalty miss, will help bring back some of the earlier season enthusiasm, both on and off the pitch. Hernandez and Fullah will be happy with their contributions and the Addicks will be happy to find a couple more sources of energy and new ideas for the long season ahead.

Who doesn’t like a last minute beauty! West Brom will be left scratching their heads as Charlton continue to collect points towards the journey upwards.

Charlton 1 West Bromwich Albion 0

Over to you.