West Bromwich Albion 1 Charlton 1
Tyreece Campbell scored his fourth goal of the season as the Addicks came from behind to earn an excellent point on the road against West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday evening, maintaining their unbeaten start to the league campaign.
The result leaves Nathan Jones’ side joint top of the Sky Bet Championship, and the Charlton manager will be pleased with the way his team responded after Callum Styles put the hosts ahead just before the hour mark.
Jones handed full league debuts to Tyler Bindon, who joined the Addicks on Sunday, academy graduate Alan Mwamba and summer signing Millenic Alli, making three changes from the side that beat Preston North End 1-0 on Saturday.
The first half was a tense affair, with neither side posing a significant attacking threat. West Brom enjoyed the majority of the possession, but Arthur Okonkwo was only called into action once before the break, producing a smart save to deny Isaac Price after the home side capitalised on a Charlton turnover.
At the other end, Baggies goalkeeper Max O’Leary had a quiet first half, comfortably gathering a deflected Alli cross-shot from the right. Alli and Campbell also saw efforts blocked during the opening period.
West Brom made a change at half-time, introducing Rabby Nzingoula for Kareem Tunde, and almost made an immediate impact. Just 14 seconds after the restart, Price cut inside from the left and fired a right-footed effort across goal. A deflection off a Charlton defender sent the ball behind for a corner.
Okonkwo was called into action again in the 58th minute, producing an excellent diving save to his right to keep out Nzingoula. However, from the resulting corner, the hosts took the lead. Bindon did well to head clear a deep delivery, but the ball fell to Styles on the edge of the area, and his driven left-footed strike gave Okonkwo no chance.
The goal came as Jones prepared a triple substitution. Despite falling behind, the Charlton boss stuck with his plan, introducing Ivan Mesík, Timothy Ouma and Joe Rankin-Costello as the Addicks appeared to switch from a back four to a back three.
Charlton looked for an immediate response and Ouma’s cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Mesík, but a West Brom defender reacted just in time to prevent Miles Leaburn from converting.
Campbell’s equaliser arrived in the 69th minute. Rankin-Costello drove forward before releasing Mesík on the left. Leaburn battled to meet the wing-back’s deep cross, and when the ball dropped kindly for Campbell, the in-form winger made no mistake, calmly driving home with his left foot.
The Addicks continued to push for a winner, but neither side could find a decisive breakthrough. Charlton now face a quick turnaround ahead of Saturday’s trip to Stoke City.
West Bromwich Albion: O’Leary; Galves, Phillips, Campbell, Styles; Molumby, Diakité, Myhre (Stewart 89), Price; Morgan (Heggebø 77), Tunde (Nzingoula 46)
Subs (not used): Ingram, Mepham, Collyer, Townsend, Bany, Whitwell
Goal: Styles 59
Booked: Price 90+3 (foul on Campbell)
Charlton: Okonkwo; McNamara, Jones (c), Bindon, Bell; Coventry (Carey 89), Mwamba (Rankin-Costello 60); Alli (Mesík 60), Grant (Ouma 60), Campbell; Leaburn (Mbick 80)
Subs (not used): Brooks, Knibbs, Nkeng, Apter
Goal: Campbell 69
Booked: Bindon 77 (foul on Nzingoula)
Referee: Farai Hallam
Attendance: 22,578 (923 from Charlton)
