Terriers head to The Valley
Town face Charlton Athletic for the eighth time in the last two years, as both sides look to bounce back from weekend defeats.
Nine points from the last ten games has seen Town slip out of the top half of the table. Contrasting performances summed up by a 5-0 victory over Barnsley, followed by Saturday’s loss at Doncaster Rovers has meant that mid-table, has been where the Terriers have been for the majority of the season.
Charlton have slipped to the foot of the Sky Bet Championship after playing in the FA Cup with Budweiser this weekend, suffering defeat at Sheffield United on Saturday, and their form has been as wavered as Town’s of late.
In fact, the Addicks have avoided defeat just twice in their seven games since they visited the John Smith’s Stadium in January, where they defeated the Terriers 0-1 in the FA Cup. That came in their last home game, beating high-flying Q.P.R 1-0.
Referee: Mark Haywood
Assistants: Dan Robathan and Iain Siddall
Fourth Official: Mark Jones
Sheffield United (A) 2-0 (L)
Leicester (A) 3-0 (L)
Sheffield Wednesday (A) 2-1 (W)
QPR (H) 1-0 (W)
Birmingham (H) 0-2 (L)
TOWN
Jonathan Hogg should be fit after missing Saturday’s visit to Doncaster. Joel Lynch (groin) and James Vaughan (calf) will both miss out; the latter should be back for Saturday’s visit of Blackburn.
CHARLTON
Chris Solly, Leon Cort, and Mark Gower all out through long-term injury.
The 44 year-old made nearly 250 appearances for Charlton in three stints as a player, earning himself the first of five England caps at the age of 31. He played for eight clubs in total, including Watford and Derby in the Premier League, but the Valley is where he found his home. Playing as a left-back, he finally hung up his boots in 2010 with Leicester, under the man who selected him for England, Sven-Göran Eriksson.
Powell took over the reins of the Addicks from Phil Parkinson in January 2011, with the Club languishing in League 1. They won all four of his opening games in charge, but a winless run of 11 games followed and they fell short of the Play-Offs. Powell completed an overhaul of his squad that summer, making 19 new signings, and took the Addicks up as Champions of League 1 in 2012. They amassed 101 points in that campaign – the biggest tally in their history and the highest in European football for that season.
Charlton finished ninth in the Championship a year later, just three points shy of the Championship Play-Offs, but have found it difficult to replicate that this campaign. Off the field, the Club has undergone a takeover with Belgian businessman Roland Duchâtelet taking over in January and brought in two Belgian players in January.
Despite this uncertainty, Powell helped the side reach the Quarter Final of the FA Cup with Budweiser this season, finally being knocked out this weekend against Sheffield United.
Powell is now looking to steer the Club to safety, having won just six of their 30 games so far. With four games in hand on the majority of the other sides around them, they are not adrift just yet.
Since last meeting
IN
Loic Nego – Újpest – Signed
Reza Ghoochannejhad – Standard Liège – Signed
Anıl Koç – Standard Liège – Loan
Piotr Parzyszek – De Graafschap – Signed
Marcus Tudgay – Nottingham Forest - Loan
OUT
Dale Stephens – Brighton – Signed
Ben Alnwick – Leyton Orient – Free
Yann Kermorgant – Bournemouth – Signed
Joe Pigott – Gillingham – Loan
Adebayo Azeez – Dagenham – Loan
Michael Morrison
The commanding defender made over 100 appearances for hometown side Cambridge United before moving to Leicester City in 2008. After a short stint with Sheffield Wednesday in 2011, he joined Chris Powell’s Addicks and has been a virtual ever-present since. He has made 128 appearances in the red of Charlton and will be the man to beat should Town achieve a victory.
Lawrie Wilson
After coming through Charlton’s academy, the versatile 26 year-old rejoined the Addicks from Stevenage in 2012. He has been in good form of late, able to operate in fullback or midfield. He’s made 35 appearances in all competitions for Athletic this season, bagging a brace against Brighton on Boxing Day.
Johnnie Jackson
With a creative left foot, the 31 year-old is top of the Addicks’ assist chart with four. He also has an impressive 44 goals for Athletic in his four years at the club, including four strikes this campaign. He bagged the only goal of the game in his side’s victory over Q.P.R last month and will be dangerous from a dead ball situation.
Simon Church
The Wales International scored the goal to knock Town out of the FA Cup in January and he has bagged seven times this campaign since joining from Reading in the summer. The former Town loanee has not scored since November in the league, but did notch in Charlton’s victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup in January.
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Leave the M25 at Junction 2 and follow the A2 towards London. After around 12 miles the road splits with the A2 going off to the left and the right hand lanes becoming the A102. Proceed on the A102 towards the Blackwall Tunnel. Leave the A102 at the next slip road (sign posted Woolwich & Ferry A206). At the bottom of the slip road turn right at the traffic lights towards Woolwich/Charlton. Proceed along the A206 passing the 'The Antigallican pub' on your right (the ground and away entrance are diagonally behind this pub).
