Cardiff City 3 Charlton 1
Charlton fell to defeat at Cardiff City in the Addicks' final game before the September international break.
Jack Moylan scored twice and set a goal up for the home side and proved a constant threat and while Nathan Jones’ side were able to find the scoresheet, with Tyreece Campbell netting his fifth of the season, the Addicks weren’t able to find a way back into the game after the Bluebirds went 3-1 up with just under 30 minutes to go.
Jones opted to name an unchanged starting XI from the team that drew 0-0 with Portsmouth last weekend and the Addicks threatened early, with Ivan Mesík having a goalbound shot blocked from a Tyler Bindon long throw. Miles Leaburn also had an effort blocked after Campbell had found him on a swift counter-attack.
Cardiff took the lead in the eighth minute when Moylan’s lovely dummy allowed him to get away from the Charlton defence and get on the end of a Yousef Salech pass. The attacking midfielder made no mistake with his finish from just inside the penalty area, passing the ball across goal and into the bottom corner of the net.
Arthur Okonkwo then made a good save, diving to his left to keep out a low Chris Willock shot from just outside the area that skidded off the wet surface.
Another Charlton counter-attack saw Campbell break down the left and get on the end of a Leaburn flick-on. The winger’s left-footed shot across goal was gathered by Cardiff goalkeeper Nathan Trott.
The home side doubled their lead in the 24th minute when Moylan broke into the box and scrambled the ball to Salech, who turned well and smashed home with his right foot.
The Addicks got a goal back five minutes later when Tyler Bindon’s defence-splitting pass put Campbell in on goal. The wideman controlled the ball well and slotted it through the onrushing Trott with the confidence of a man scoring his fifth goal of the season.
Charlton were grateful for some wasteful finishing and the heroics of Okonkwo to keep the score at 2-1 going into half-time. Lloyd Jones made a crucial challenge to deny Moylan a second goal, with the ball dribbling narrowly wide of the far post. Joel Colwill then missed from four yards before Okonkwo scrambled across his goal excellently to deny Salech.
Jones made a double change ahead of the restart with Amari’i Bell and Timothy Ouma replacing Bindon and Millenic Alli as the Addicks moved to a back three.
Charlton had a good chance to draw level when Ouma played in Karlan Grant, but the striker hit the side-netting with a low shot.
Moylan scored his second goal of the game 16 minutes into the second half with a powerful strike from the edge of the area that gave Okonkwo no chance of keeping out.
The Addicks looked to get a goal back, with Trott parrying Campbell’s low shot into the floor before gathering. Then Charlie Kelman, who had just come on as a substitute, got in behind the Cardiff defence and tried to lift the ball over Trott, who managed to make himself big and deny the striker.
Charlton weren’t able to find a way back into the game and will be back in action on Saturday, October 10th when Bristol City visit The Valley.
Cardiff City: Trott; Ng (c), Bielik, Osho (Moreno 83), Bagan; Robertson, J.Colwill; Tanner (Ashford 70), Moylan (Scanlon 82), Willock (Turnbull 62); Salech
Subs (not used): Tryer, Tankiewicz, Kpakio, Robinson, Lawlor
Goals: Moylan 8, 61 Salech 24
Assists: Salech 8, Moylan 24, Tanner 61
Booked: Robertson 27 (foul on Grant), Tanner 33 (foul on Alli), Bagan 45+5 (foul on Campbell), Ashford 90+4 (pushing Mesík), Colwill 90+6 (foul on Bell)
Charlton: Okonkwo; McNamara (Edwards 83), Jones (c), Bindon (Bell 46), Mesík; Coventry (Kelman 70), Skipp; Alli (Ouma 46), Grant, Campbell; Leaburn (Carey 83)
Subs (not used): Brooks, Rankin-Costello, Knibbs, Nkeng
Goal: Campbell 29
Assist: Bindon 29
Booked: McNamara 35 (foul on Colwill), Skipp 51 (foul on Moylan), Mesík 90+4 (pushing Ashford)
Referee: Elliot Bell
