Charlton’s failure to boost firepower this season comes back to haunt them in League One play-offs

SHREWSBURY TOWN 1

Morris 58

CHARLTON ATHLETIC 0

(Shrewsbury win 2-0 on aggregate)

BY RICHARD CAWLEY AT MONTGOMERY WATERS MEADOW

Lee Bowyer’s side had plenty of graft, but that alone was never likely to be enough to take Charlton Athletic back into the Championship.

When it truly mattered, the Addicks were found wanting.

Shrewsbury were the better side over the two legs.

Caretaker boss Bowyer’s assessment that his team had been superior in the League One semi-final meetings was as misplaced as many of the set-pieces from the South Londoners and the smattering of shots attempted.

Shrewsbury showed exactly why they had the second-best defensive record in the division during the regulation campaign with just 39 goals conceded. 

Charlton, only middle of the table when it came to hitting the back of the net after 46 games, lacked the quality or imagination to really knock them out of their stride.

It always looked the problem going into the second leg. Jon Nolan’s excellent strike at The Valley on Thursday left the Addicks in the role of chasers.

That lack of firepower was always a worry. The early glut of goals under Bowyer – nine in his first three games after replacing Karl Robinson in March – had dried up.

They managed just five in their last eight matches. All five of their defeats were by 1-0 scorelines.

In the end, Charlton paid for the lack of investment in their front line. They looked short of strikers at the end of the summer transfer window – the loan signing of Joe Dodoo from Rangers summing up their hapless late activity to cover the exits of Nicky Ajose, Lee Novak and Tony Watt. January was little better.

For a club harbouring genuine promotion ambitions, it really is quite unforgivable.

Ajose ended up back from an unsuccessful loan from Bury but netted just once – a crucially important goal at Portsmouth last month. 

Josh Magennis managed to break double figures but needs someone prolific alongside him.

Bowyer cannot be blamed for any of that. He never got a transfer window to try and add those missing ingredients to the squad.

Robinson felt promises were broken at the start of 2018 when he was not allowed to spend – owner Roland Duchatelet’s intent to sell the SE7 outfit cited as the reason for a lack of fresh investment.

Instead the Liverpudlian was restricted to loans and the loss of Ricky Holmes, when not distracted by the renewed interest of Sheffield United, was the kind of match-winner who Charlton badly, badly missed when full of perspiration but glaringly lacking inspiration.

Arsenal’s Stephy Mavididi was a disappointment on his second loan spell. So too was Sullay Kaikai.

Ben Reeves failed to deliver enough. Mark Marshall had an excellent work ethic but was not the attacking live-wire presence he had been in the 2016-17 season for Bradford City. He did not even make the matchday 18 at the weekend as Bowyer opted instead for a narrow midfield four.

Without Holmes, the burden to make things happen fell even more squarely on the shoulders of Tariqe Fosu. His inclusion from the start of Sunday’s match – despite being eased back into the fray after a hamstring injury – spoke volumes for his importance as well as underlining Bowyer’s desperation to ask some questions of that resilient and strapping Shrewsbury backline.

The young winger was only signed as back-up to some of the other offensive additions a little over 12 months ago but has proven to be the big success. Niggling injuries disrupted his campaign after a red-hot opening few months.

With only 12 months on his contract, Fosu signing new terms would be an early win in terms of the negotiations which will take place.

There were moments that went against Charlton in that second leg. Mat Sadler should have conceded a penalty when Joe Aribo’s cross struck his right arm. There was definite movement by the Town defender towards the ball but referee Jeremy Simpson let the incident pass unpunished.

That would have handed the visitors a huge chance to take the lead in the first half and level up the aggregate score.

The Addicks created so little and Dean Henderson, a steady and commanding presence in the Shrewsbury goal over the 180 minutes, did not need to make a major save until he pushed away Jake Forster-Caskey’s 81st minute strike from the edge of the box.

Shrewsbury had more success and Ben Amos twice denied Alex Rodman at his left post.

He could do nothing about Carlton Morris’ goal just before the hour mark. The striker collected Shaun Whalley’s cutback to finish confidently with his left foot.

Amos should have won Charlton’s Player of the Year award – that honour instead falling to Jay Dasilva – and he made an outstanding late stop to prevent substitute Stefan Payne from adding a second goal on a late breakaway.

By that stage Charlton’s prospects of a comeback were over. 

Bowyer can walk away with his head held high. It looks hugely unlikely he will be staying on, especially after making it clear that he would only countenance doing so if he was appointed permanent boss.

But he deserves credit for reaching the play-offs – the Addicks were five points adrift of the top six when he took on the job in a temporary capacity.

Bowyer was hampered by injuries and a lack of squad depth, the same issues which Robinson and Russell Slade struggled with too.

There could still be a happy ending if Andrew Muir completes his takeover of the club.

The Australian made his millions in retail and this Charlton Athletic side needs properly kitting out.

Whoever the next managerial incumbent is – and Chris Powell is understood to be high on their shortlist – there needs to be some investment in this squad and a clear vision.

Amos and Dasilva, both of whom have acquitted themselves well, return to Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea respectively. Mavididi, Kaikai and Michal Zyro cut the squad size as well as they also end their loans – even if they made little contribution where it counted. 

It all points to Muir being in control soon. His very public appearance in the Valley directors’ box last week – the obligatory Charlton scarf draped around his neck – seemed a display of confidence that protracted negotiations have been completed. 

Muir’s business consultant Gerard Murphy and Paul Elliott – lined up to be the club’s new chief executive – were also in attendance. The former was also spotted at Shrewsbury.

The rebuild will not be easy. The path ahead needs more than just a successful managerial appointment and a better success rate on the recruitment front to make sure Charlton’s stay in the third tier of English football is only for three years.

But Muir has one advantage straight off the bat – he isn’t Duchatelet. It never felt like the Addicks could properly progress without the Belgian – loathed by such major swathes of the club’s support – ending a reign which has delivered plenty of failure and nothing which can really be termed as success.

Bowyer and his troops tried to end Duchatelet’s spell on a high note. But the former Addicks midfielder lacked the tools – when it came to personnel – to topple a cohesive Shrewsbury team which has massively punched above its weight. 

The challenge now is to make Charlton a heavyweight at this level. 

There are set to be new people in all the positions of power soon to try and finally change the club’s fortunes and long-term prospects.

It’s going to be difficult to make such a cack-handed mess of the job as Duchatelet did.

Charlton (4-4-2): Amos 7, Dijksteel 7, Pearce 7, Bauer 7, Dasilva 7, Forster-Caskey 7, Konsa 7, Aribo 6, Fosu 5 (Kaikai 62, 5), Magennis 6, Ajose 5 (Mavididi 59, 5). Not used: Phillips, Kashi, Reeves, Zyro.