Half time at The Valley
Referee: M. Russell.
Subs: Steele, Hassell, Done, Harewood, Etuhu, Rose, Kennedy.
Reds: Alnwick, Golbourne, Foster, Dawson, Davies, Perkins, Dagnall, Wiseman, Cywka, Mellis, Stones.
Hamer, Morrison, Green, Stephens, Kerkar, Fuller, Solly, Hollands, Wilson, Razak, Cort.
Teams:
Half time
One minute of added time came, and Mellis had a half chance to fire at goal but sliced a 20-yard strike well wide after some more brilliant build-up play involving Davies and Golbourne down the left.
Finally Alnwick was in action on 43 minutes as his world-class save kept Kerkar’s 25-yard free-kick out. Again Alnwick had to be alert as he denied a delivery that seemed destined for the top corner.
Davies again was on the rampage causing havoc in the box for Charlton but the ball wouldn’t drop kindly for Dagnall or Mellis after his wicked delivery on 40 minutes.
On 36 minutes it should have been 1-0 to Barnsley but somehow Dagnall couldn’t finish from four yards. A fantastic delivery by Davies down the left found his strike partner but he couldn’t connect and Hamer, luckily, managed to scramble at the second attempt. By this point the home fans were becoming frustrated.
A 20-yard free-kick was smashed into the wall and away with Alnwick still to make a save. A five-minute spell followed with Barnsley camped in Charlton’s half searching for the elusive opener.
From one end to the other with half-an-hour played as Charlton broke forward, Perkins was harshly penalised for a foul on Hollands after Davies had just seen his shot blocked by a great Morrison challenge at the other end.
By the midway point of the first half, Barnsley were in control and a series of slick passes eventually found Golbourne in the area but he was denied an effort on goal by a late flag.
Charlton pressed in the early stages, as was probably expected with a large home crowd , but soon the Tykes settled in and had a few efforts at goal from long range. First Dawson drilled wide before Cywka broke and saw a deflected effort saved low to his left on 15 minutes.
It's all to play for at The Valley with neither side managing to find the net in a really tight encounter in the capital.
Reds 0
Charlton 0
