Charlton Vs Wrexham — charlton vs wrexham: Ollie Rathbone goal sinks Addicks

charlton vs wrexham ended 0-1 as Ollie Rathbone’s 30th-minute flick and volley proved decisive at The Valley. Rathbone’s strike, his sixth in the Championship since returning from injury in December, sealed a win that left Wrexham with a four-point cushion over the sides chasing a top-six spot.

Match summary and key moment

Ollie Rathbone produced a superb flick and skidding volley in the 30th minute to give Wrexham the lead. The goal began when Callum Doyle’s cross was headed away to the edge of the area; Rathbone flicked the ball away from the defender onto his left foot and his volley skimmed into the far corner.

Charlton Vs Wrexham: Rathbone strike

Rathbone’s goal was his sixth league goal this season despite missing the first four months of the Championship campaign through injury. He had returned from injury in December and has since become a key scorer for Phil Parkinson’s side, whose victory kept them level with rivals for the play-offs and maintained a four-point cushion over the chasing pack.

Team selection and injuries

Nathan Jones made five changes for the fixture at The Valley (KO 3pm GMT), with Will Mannion, Reece Burke, Conor Coventry, Luke Berry and Tyreece Campbell coming into the side. The fixture was the Addicks’ fourth game in a hectic 12-day period. Thomas Kaminski missed out with a hamstring injury, while Conor Coady was not allowed to play against his parent club. Luke Chambers, Greg Docherty and Miles Leaburn were moved to the substitutes bench.

Pre-match notes suggested Kayne Ramsay, captain Lloyd Jones and Burke might start in a back three in front of Mannion, with Harry Clarke and Amari’i Bell operating as wing-backs and Coventry and Berry likely to be joined by Sonny Carey in midfield behind a front two of Lyndon Dykes and Campbell. January signing Tiernan Brooks was named in a matchday squad for the first time and was joined on the bench by Collins Sichenje. The Charlton matchday squad and bench were listed as follows: Charlton: Mannion; Ramsay, Jones (c), Burke; Clarke, Coventry, Carey, Berry, Bell; Dykes, Campbell. Subs: Brooks, Sinchenje, Gillesphey, Chambers, Docherty, Rankin-Costello, Fevrier, Leaburn, Kelman.

Chances, misses and late drama

Charlton created some of the game’s best chances but failed to convert, leaving them without a win in four games. Three times they found space inside the Wrexham box before Rathbone’s opener but returned empty-handed: Luke Berry took a second too long to pull the trigger and Issa Kabore blocked; George Dobson, the former Addick, threw himself at the ball to stop Sonny Carey; and Harry Clarke got his angles wrong and skewed a chance wide when he really should have scored.

After the break Lewis O’Brien should have doubled Wrexham’s lead four minutes after the restart when he met Kieffer Moore’s cross, only for Kayne Ramsay to thwart the danger. Tyreece Campbell’s wayward header was the most glaring missed chance for Charlton, and when Sonny Carey did hit an attempt on target it was saved by Arthur Okonkwo at full stretch. Okonkwo then produced a brilliant 90th-minute save to deny Carey and preserve Wrexham’s 1-0 win.

Standings, runs and reactions

The defeat left Charlton seven points clear of the relegation places and manager Nathan Jones described the match as one where his side must rue their wastefulness. Wrexham extended their unbeaten away run to six games and remain unbeaten on their travels since a late defeat at Swansea City before Christmas. From the last 18 points on offer on the road, Wrexham have collected 16. The victory was celebrated by travelling Wrexham fans on St David’s Day weekend and came at the expense of compatriot Jones.

Wrexham also announced that duo Ollie Rathbone and George Dobson had signed new deals. The match was available to watch outside of the UK and Ireland, while listeners in the UK and Ireland could hear live audio commentary from Terry Smith, Greg Stubley and former Addick Steve Brown. A pass was available for purchase for remote viewing or listening.

Charlton made five changes to their side for the game; Thomas Kaminski was ruled out with a hamstring injury and Conor Coady was ineligible to play. The match kicked off at 3pm GMT at The Valley.

In sum, Rathbone’s 30th-minute strike and Okonkwo’s late save decided a tightly contested game that kept Wrexham moving toward the play-off positions while leaving Charlton to reflect on missed opportunities.