PNE 2 Charlton Athletic 1
An inspired substitution from manager Simon Grayson gave the Lilywhites their fourth straight Championship win against ten man Charlton Athletic at Deepdale.
Callum Robinson was brought on at half-time and took only seven minutes to fire home Adam Reach’s cross to give them a 2-1 win.
Joe Garner’s second goal in as many games – his 100th career goal – gave North End the lead ten minutes before half-time, but Johann Berg Gudmundsson levelled two minutes later from distance, but Robinson put the home side back in front before Harry Lennon saw red for kicking out at Joe Garner.
It was an unchanged North End side that started the game, looking to follow up the previous Saturday’s win over high-flying Sheffield Wednesday.
But the game had a slow start, the visitors matching the Lilywhites’ formation and the only chance in the opening stages coming when a Greg Cunningham cross from the left found the late run of Irishman Alan Browne, who head over the bar a quarter of an hour in.
However, it was 1-0 to North End ten minutes before the break as aPaul Gallagher cross from the right was met by Joe Garner, who headed into bottom left hand corner from 15 yards out.
Two minutes later though the Addicks were level as Johann Berg Gudmundsson was given space 25 yards out and he pulled the trigger, firing into bottom right hand corner of the goal.
North End made a change at the break with Callum Robinson on for Bailey Wright and it almost paid dividends four minutes in as Garner fired home again, only for the flag to go up for offside, quite rightly with Garner stood offside when Reach’s initial shot came in and was spilled.
But it did only take seven minutes for the change to pay dividends as Adam Reach did superbly down the left, beat two men, cut inside and pulled the ball to Robinson, who slammed home into the roof of the net from ten yards put – the move having been started by a wonderful long throw by Anders Lindegaard down the left for fellow loanee Reach.
With 18 minutes left it should have been three as North End countered after a foul on half way on Garner. The referee James Adcock did well to play on and Callum Robinson raced away, squaring for Browne, whose shot was saved but the ball came back out to Reach, who fired wide of the empty net from 15 yards, with two defenders on the line.
Moments later and the Addicks were down to ten men as Harry Lennon was given a straight red for a kick out at Joe Garner after a free kick into the box had been cleared by Paul Gallagher.
Jose Riga’s side really should have been down to nine men on 79 minutes when substitute Yaya Sanogo almost cut Paul Huntington in half with a tackle into his kidneys, but somehow it was only a yellow for the Arsenal loanee when it looked a red in any game!
In the penultimate of fove added minutes North End were almost punished by that man Sanogo as he was allowed space to turn and shoot across goal, the ball taking a small touch on the way through for a corner that Anders Lindegaard claimed.
: Lindegaard, Woods, Cunningham, Clarke (c), Huntington, Wright (Robinson, 46), Browne, Gallagher (Welsh, 83), Johnson, Reach, Garner (Hugill, 90). Subs not used: Hudson, Vermijl, Pearson, Doyle.PNE line-up
: Henderson, Gudmundsson, Cousins (Ba, 58)), Makeniok, Solly (c) (Fanni, 64), Fox, Lennon, Johnson, Lookman, Motta (Sanogo, 78), Texeira. Subs not used: Pope, Suk-Young, Harriott, Bergdich.Charlton Athletic line-up
: 10,075 (245 away fans)Attendance
: Mr J AdcockReferee