Charlton Athletic Edge Past Wigan Athletic in Tight Contest at The Valley

Charlton Athletic continued their impressive form with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic at The Valley, as a late Chris Sze goal proved to be just a consolation for the visitors.

Match Summary: Charlton Athletic 2-1 Wigan Athletic

• Charlton Athletic Scorers: Matty Godden (11′, 38′)
• Wigan Athletic Scorer: Chris Sze (84′)
• Attendance: 16,491 (596 away fans)

Ryan Lowe took charge of his first game as Wigan Athletic’s head coach, opting to be in the dugout despite much of the preparation work being handled by his coaching team, including Glenn Whelan, Graham Barrow, and Frankie Bunn. Lowe made three changes from the victory over Cambridge United, bringing in Scott Smith, Jensen Weir, and Owen Dale for Baba Adeeko, Ronan Darcy, and Jonny Smith.

First-Half Action

Wigan started brightly, with Owen Dale delivering several dangerous crosses into the box, though they failed to convert any early chances. Charlton, however, took the lead in the 11th minute through Matty Godden. A cross from Kayne Ramsay led to a clearance attempt that deflected off Oliver Norburn and fell kindly to Godden, who finished clinically past Sam Tickle.

The home side almost doubled their lead when Tyreece Campbell’s goal-bound shot deflected off a teammate. Charlton continued to push forward, and their persistence paid off in the 38th minute. Macaulay Gillesphey headed a free-kick back across goal, finding Godden at the far post for a simple tap-in. Wigan players protested for offside, but the goal stood, sending Charlton into the break with a 2-0 lead.

Second-Half Fightback

Wigan came out determined after the break, with goalkeeper Sam Tickle producing a key save to deny Campbell just moments after the restart. A combination of Tickle and Will Aimson then prevented Godden from securing his hat-trick.

Substitute Chris Sze made an instant impact, setting up Charlie Taylor for Wigan’s best opportunity of the game, but the striker dragged his shot wide. Jason Kerr also had to make a crucial defensive header to deny Campbell’s curling effort.

As the game neared its conclusion, Jonny Smith’s cross led to a chance for Ronan Darcy, whose shot was saved by Will Mannion. However, Chris Sze was in the right place to smash home the rebound in the 84th minute, scoring his first goal of the season and giving Latics late hope.

Final Push Comes Up Short

Despite a late flurry of corners and attacking pressure from Wigan, Charlton held on to claim all three points. The defeat leaves Wigan looking to bounce back in their next fixture, while Charlton strengthened their promotion push with another impressive result.

Starting Lineups:

Charlton Athletic: Mannion, Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey, Small, Coventry, Docherty, Watson, Berry, Tyreece Campbell, Godden Subs: Mitchell, Ahadme, Leaburn, McIntyre, Anderson, Enslin, Reid

Wigan Athletic: Tickle, Carragher, Aimson, Kerr, Mellish (Darcy 45′), Scott Smith, Norburn, Dale, Weir (Sze 45′), Chambers, Taylor Subs: Darcy, Watson, Sze, Sibbick, Jonny Smith, Robinson, McManaman

Conclusion

Wigan Athletic showed resilience and nearly salvaged a point, but Charlton’s clinical finishing made the difference. As Ryan Lowe settles into his new role, Latics will be eager to respond in their upcoming matches. Meanwhile, Charlton continue to stake their claim for promotion, proving too strong for Wigan on the day.