TEN MEN DELIVER A KO TO TROTTERS
Young Addicks hold on in shock
CHARLTON ATHLETIC boss Karl Robinson credited an incredible rearguard action after his youthful ten-man team dealt Bolton’s promotion hopes a heavy blow.
First-half goals from Charlton centre-back Patrick Bauer and loan signing Nathan Byrne secured the points after the Trotters had gone ahead through a stunning Zach Clough free-kick.
And jubilant Addicks boss Robinson even had no complaints about the red card that saw new signing Lewis Page dismissed after 11 minutes for bringing down Josh Vela when clean through.
He said: “It was definitely a sending off. I thought it was unlucky for Lewis Page because he’s actually been injured in his first game and out for the first the few weeks.
“I feel sorry for him because it wasn’t even his man and he did unbelievably to almost get there.”
But Robinson was full of praise for his team’s defensive stand after the Trotters dominated but created little.
He added: “I don’t think there were many chances created. We looked disciplined. Our second-oldest player was our goalkeeper (Declan Rudd) at 26 and that showed in the energy and the legs we had in the team.” Bolton boss Phil Parkinson was at a loss to explain how his side let slip such a commanding position. He said: “I can’t remember a worse feeling since I came to Bolton. It is absolutely unacceptable for the intelligence we have got in this team. “Of course at 2-1 they will sit back and make it as difficult as possible, but we didn’t show enough quality in the second half to get back into it. “There wasn’t enough intent to get back on level terms so we didn’t deserve to one bit.” Early on Charlton midfielder Joe Aribo almost found space in the box, but saw the chance snuffed out by Trotters’ defender Mark Beevers With an entertaining ebb and flow to the contest Charlton midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey stung Ben Alnwick’s fingers after the Trotters’ Jay Spearing miscontrolled on the edge of the box.
Next came the moment that should have turned the contest when Clough fired his superb freekick beyond Rudd from 25-yards out after Page saw red.
Clough should have made it two on 19 minutes when he volleyed over from ten yards out with the goal at his mercy.
And Bolton were swiftly punished when Forster-Caskey supplied the free-kick that saw Bauer head home the leveller on 21minutes.
Next Charlton captain Chris Solly saw his attempted block deflected against his own post, before Rudd had to be swift off his line to deny Clough.
With the contest looking like it was drifting towards half-time Forster-Caskey supplied Byrne from a free-kick for the visitors’ second in first-half stoppage time.
Parkinson expressed dismay after seeing his team go to sleep for the equaliser, before getting caught on the break for the winner.
He added: “We were in control of the game really, patient with the ball, but then gave away a silly freekick and the ball is in the back of our net.
“We are absolutely livid about the second goal because we left ourselves open against Swindon (in the last home game) at 1-1 and had spoken about it.”
After the break James Henry saw a header drift wide of Rudd’s goal, before the Trotters midfielder fired wide from the right edge of the box.
Next Bolton centre-back David Wheater headed straight at Rudd from a corner, before Spearing blasted over and Bolton ran out of steam.