1 min
Charlton Athletic moved a step closer to Championship safety with a 3-1 win over fellow strugglers Luton Town at The Valley.
After a low-key opening, the game sparked into life in the 34th minute as Charlton’s Lyle Taylor pounced on a poor David Davis pass to finish superbly past Luton keeper Simon Sluga.
However, the lead lasted less than two minutes as the Addicks failed to clear their lines and were punished when Harry Cornick slotted calmly into the corner.
Andre Green should have put the hosts back ahead just three minutes after the interval before Luton’s James Collins had a goal disallowed for offside.
George Lapslie’s introduction swung things in Charlton’s favour with his shot seeing a penalty given for handball.
Taylor calmly stepped up to send Sluga the wrong way to make it 2-1 before Lapslie sealed the win with a close-range effort with two minutes of normal time remaining.
The result means Charlton move up to 18th with a five point cushion ahead of third bottom Wigan Athletic.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
George Lapslie’s second-half introduction proved crucial – earning the penalty and scoring late on.
Moan of the Match
Charlton were poor on the ball at times and failed to make the most of the gaps in Luton’s defence in the transition phase.
Talking Point
How much of an impact could George Lapslie’s return from injury have at this crucial stage of the season?
Man of the Match
Lyle Taylor – Charlton’s talisman once again led by example, scoring two goals to help ease any relegation woes.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
Andre Marriner (West Midlands) – had few major calls to make but made the right decision with the penalty.
Atmosphere
Lively throughout from the home fans with nearly 3,000 Luton fans also adding to the noise.
Verdict
A much-improved second-half performance will give Charlton belief they have more than enough to stay up – although they still need to improve on the ball.
