BOWYER RUES LATE SLIP

ShOuld Charlton fail to reach the play-off final, lee bowyer will look back at the latter stages here and ask why his players switched off. Charlton were 2-0 up with three minutes to play when doncaster’s matty blair put mallik wilks’s cross past goalkeeper dillon Phillips. ‘i’m disappointed to concede so late on,’ bowyer said. ‘but we realise it’s another 90 minutes. anything can happen.’ it leaves the second leg on Friday night finely poised. in Charlton’s favour is that they haven’t been beaten at the valley since december 1, and have won six consecutive games at home. they have to be considered favourites to return to the Championship after a three-year exile. there can be no doubt that lyle taylor and Joe aribo, two of bowyer’s stars who scored yesterday, would be suited to second-tier football. together with Josh Parker, they rotated often to unsettle the leaky doncaster defence. it worked to great effect and delivered two goals in a two-minute spell that could have completely wiped out doncaster’s hopes of winning the tie. taylor scored his 25th goal of the season when he headed past marko marosi. it came after doncaster captain andy butler’s header backwards landed at the feet of Josh Cullen, who was able to cross to the back post where the striker was waiting. aribo was next to profit from poor defending. danny andrew’s poor clearance was returned quickly into the doncaster area where aribo nipped past the left back before shooting underneath marosi. Charlton could have done more at that stage to extend their lead, but their intensity dropped. ‘in the first half we lacked energy and spark,’ said grant mcCann, the doncaster manager. ‘in the second half we were everywhere and we were much better.’