Charlton grab late win against Baggies to go fifth

Charlton's Sonny Carey celebrates his late winner against West Brom

Charlton moved up to fifth in the Championship table by beating West Brom with a goal in the sixth minute of added time.

Addicks midfielder Greg Docherty had a first-half penalty saved by visiting goalkeeper Josh Griffiths and in a game of few clear cut chances the contest had looked destined to finish goalless.

But a long range effort from Sonny Carey, which took a deflection off substitute Chris Mepham and beat the dive of Griffiths, delivered the hosts a late three points.

The outcome was perhaps harsh on a West Brom side that created more than enough to win the match but victory for last season's League One play-off winners Charlton extended a superb run of just one defeat in 10.

The win also put another brick in the formidable defences being built by Nathan Jones and his side at The Valley where they have lost just one match in 24 in all competitions stretching back to December last year.

West Brom will be left wondering how they came away with nothing, but in truth, while their approach play delivered chances, particularly in the first half, their finishing and decision making in front of goal left plenty to be desired.

Isaac Price and promising Aston Villa loanee Samuel Iling-Junior both saw efforts fly wide in the first half in which the visitors dominated both possession and shots.

Yet the best chance of the lot fell to the hosts after they were awarded a penalty when Ousmane Diakite was deemed to have handled under pressure from Miles Leaburn just after the half-hour mark.

The midfielder argued long and hard with referee Lewis Smith but in the end it mattered little as Docherty's telegraphed spot-kick was easily kept out by Griffiths diving low to his left.

The second period saw more life from both sides with Price forcing a fine save from Thomas Kaminski on 50 minutes, despite better options being available to his left.

And Carey served notice four minutes later of what was to come with a straight snap shot from distance which Griffiths kept out superbly diving low to his right to tip around the near post.

With the game heading into added time a point apiece seemed fair and generally acceptable to all parties, but a corner from the left for Charlton found its way to Carey on the edge of the box.

Gathering the ball and turning back towards goal he took one last speculative swing of his boot to earn his side three points and spark wild celebrations with the substitutes and management team on the touchline.

Ipswich secured back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and while there is still a long way to go to emulate their rise, Charlton are moving in the right direction.

'A wonderful night' - reaction

Charlton manager Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:

"It is wonderful and you have to enjoy those moments. I said to Sonny [Carey] at the end go and enjoy it as you don't often get 17 or 20,000 people singing your name.

"It was a wonderful, wonderful night but thoroughly deserved as well. I thought we had real control, I thought we finished strong and [brought on] the subs at the right time.

"The subs came on and gave us a massive impetus late on and it would have been a travesty if we didn't win it and definitely if they had nicked something at the end."

West Brom head coach Ryan Mason told BBC Radio WM:

"It's a disappointing result and it's not good enough. I could speak all day long about the performance and positives, the moments we created, the chances we should have taken but I don't think at the moment anyone wants to hear that.

"We have lost another game. The disappointment is there and it is frustrating. It is my responsibility and at the moment I am not giving enough to the players to change that and I need to do it.

"The one thing I will say is they are giving me everything and they are putting everything into it but it's not enough at the moment. It's another one that we shouldn't have lost but have done and the feeling inside the dressing room is there is a lot of anger.

"I'm fine. It's football and I know what it takes. I am in this position and I can handle it but for whatever reason at the moment the results aren't good and it is my responsibility to fix."