Charlton compound Blackburn misery with Valley win

Blackburn's Ryoya Morishita and Charlton's Amari'i Bell battle for the ball at The Valley

Charlton Athletic made it two wins on the trot to compound Blackburn Rovers' miserable week.

The Addicks led at half-time through a Macaulay Gillesphey header but the expected Blackburn fightback did not materialise after the break.

In a week in which they were disappointed by the EFL's decision to replay last weekend's abandoned game against Ipswich Town after they led with 10 minutes to go, Rovers were distinctly second-best at The Valley.

Sonny Carey underlined the home side's superiority with a crashing 25-yard drive and James Bree added a late third goal to follow up their battling win at Sheffield United last week.

Any Blackburn fans making the long trip to south London hoping their team would take out their sense of injustice on the Championship newcomers were in for another disappointment.

The fighting qualities and bright football that saw them deservedly ahead against Ipswich were totally absent against a workmanlike Charlton side aiming to build on their win at Sheffield United.

That result had ended a run of four games without a victory, and Nathan Jones' side appear to be finding their feet after winning promotion through the League One play-offs.

Neither side looked like scoring in a scrappy and combative opening half-hour but the cultured right foot of Bree, which gave Blackburn problems all afternoon, finally made an opening.

His free-kick picked out the head of Gillesphey and he placed his header back across goalkeeper Balazs Toth to edge the home side ahead.

Toth had to be sharp to keep out a Lloyd Jones header in added time and keep his team in it, but the lack of second half response from Rovers will be a worry for manager Valerien Ismael.

Todd Cantwell's cross hit Jones on the arm to bring loud penalty appeals from the visitors, but referee Anthony Backhouse was unimpressed, ruling the arm was not in an unnatural position.

Charlton grew stronger as the second half progressed and when substitute Isaac Olaofe held the ball up and laid it off, Carey was given far too much time and space to weigh up a shot and then send his shot flying between Toth and his near post.

Olaofe, who scored the late winner in South Yorkshire last week, created the third in the fourth minute of added time, setting off on a run down the left and freeing Greg Docherty, whose pull-back to the edge of the box found Bree, who calmly stroked a sidefoot shot through a crowd of players.

'Outstanding' after slow start - reaction

Charlton manager Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:

"It was outstanding, apart from the first 10 minutes when we struggled to get to grips with their fluidity - after that we were dominant, aggressive and front-footed.

"That second half performance was relentless and it should have been more, we missed some glorious chances.

"I'm immensely proud of that performance because that's how I want to see us play.

"I can't remember Thomas [Kaminski] having a save to make, and these are a good side that scores goals, and are fluid and better away from home than at home.

"I'm pleased and proud of [Macaulay Gillesphey] because he's been really hard done by. He scored the winner in the play-off final and not to start any of the first five, six, seven games is tough to take."

Blackburn head coach Valerien Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We had some good moments at the beginning but we were not consistent and the performance was not that good, I don't know why.

"We conceded a goal at a set-piece but the good thing was that it was only one goal at half-time.

"Then came the moment we were looking at and I think it's terrible the referee didn't see that [handball by Lloyd Jones], because it can be a game-changer.

"What's embarrassing is that our captain is allowed to speak to the referee and he has winked at him and laughed at him. This is unacceptable. He made a mistake, but at least treat our player properly and not laugh at our players.

"It's been a tough week but we have a quick turnaround with a game on Tuesday."