Charlton 3-1 Wycombe: FLW report as Michael Appleton marks first game at The Valley with a win | OneFootball

Michael Appleton's introduction to The Valley ended in victory as Charlton Athletic beat League One rivals Wycombe Wanderers 3-1 on a day full of firsts.

Not only did the new manager earn his first win in his first home game as Addicks boss but Miles Leaburn bagged his first of the season to give them the lead before Freddie Potts' first professional goal, a stunning volley, pulled Wycombe level early in the second half and then Tedic came off the bench to win it with his first goal for the club before birthday boy Corey Blackett-Taylor sealed the three points in stoppage time.

The result left The Valley faithful in full voice and dreaming of what can be achieved under Appleton this season. They're up to 16th while Wycombe drop to 11th after seeing their recent unbeaten run ended at five games.

Charlton Athletic 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers

Charlton came out firing as the new manager looked to take his first chance to endear himself to The Valley faithful - with Alfie May and Blackett-Taylor both forcing saves from Max Stryjek inside the opening quarter of an hour.

The visitors were carrying a threat of their own, however, with Michael Hector cutting out a dangerous cross at the back post and then Sam Vokes heading just wide from a free-kick moments later.

Former Addick Brandon Hanlan was proving a real nuisance for the Charlton backline in the opening stages and was perhaps unlucky not to win his side a penalty as we neared the 20-minute mark when Hector overcompensated for a mistake and looked to have caught him.

Leaburn had started on the right flank to allow May to return to the starting XI but he was still carrying a goal threat and fired just over from 20 yards out in the 24th minute having created some space with a clever turn.

Three minutes later, he went one better by grabbing the opener. Fellow academy product Tyreece Campbell danced down the bi-line before finding Leaburn, who showed quick feet to create the space for a shot and made no mistake with his finish from 10 yards out as he picked out the far corner.

The decision to start Campbell in attacking midfield looked an inspired one by Appleton as the 20-year-old was running the show as we passed the half hour and closed in on the break. He was inches away from a second assist when he slid May through but just put a bit too much on it, which allowed Stryjek to rush out and collect.

Wycombe, and particularly Hanlan, were continuing to threaten though. The forward, who started his career at The Valley, was making life difficult for his former employers and winning the battle against Hector both on the floor and in the air. His best chance before the break came at the back post when he peeled off the centre-back but put his header from a tight angle into the side netting.

It looked like it might not be the Chairboys day when Vokes' looping header, which had Harry Isted beaten, came back off the crossbar in first half stoppage time, but they found a way through nine minutes after the break - and in some style.

Charlton may well have thought they'd averted danger when a cross was cleared to the edge of the box but Potts had other ideas - the West Ham United loanee picking out the corner with a stunning first-time volley.

As we passed the hour, Wycombe went close through Garath McCleary, who whistled a powerful strike across the face of goal after cutting in from the left. As the Chairboys pressure continued, the outstretched leg of Lloyd Jones ensured the scores stayed level as Josh Scowen's low shot was diverted wide.

Appleton threw on Karoy Anderson to add more energy in midfield and then Chuks Aneke, for the limping Leaburn, as he searched for the vital second. The hosts were looking threatening, with Campbell leading the charge, but their attacking intent nearly saw them concede again when they lost the ball allowing Bloomfield's side to break.

Hector's rash attempt to win the ball on the halfway line allowed McCleary to race through and slide the ball to Hanlan, who drove into the box and cut inside before looking to taking aim - only for Terell Thomas to arrive just in time to deny him.

A trio of changes made all the difference for Appleton as substitutes Tennai Watson and Tedic linked up to find the go-ahead goal. The former's low cross found the Manchester City loanee on the edge of the six-yard box and he looped a first-time finish in off the far post to open his account for the club and restore Charlton's lead.

The Addicks weren't done, though, as Blackett-Taylor's dynamism proved too much for some tired Wycombe legs in stoppage time. The winger burst in from the left, leaving defenders in his wake, and then hammered a strike past a helpless Stryjek.

Three goals and three points for Charlton on Appleton's first game at The Valley. The home support will hope this is a sign of things to come.

Charlton Athletic player ratings

Harry Isted - 6

James Abankwah - 6 (Tennai Watson - 7)

Michael Hector - 4 (Lucas Ness - 6)

Lloyd Jones - 7

Terell Thomas - 6

Tyreece Campbell - 8 (Slobodan Tedic - 7)

George Dobson - 6

Louie Watson - 5 (Karoy Anderson (62) - 6)

Corey Blackett-Taylor - 7

Miles Leaburn - 7 (Chuks Aneke (69) - 6)

Alfie May - 6

Unused subs: Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Chem Campbell,

Wycombe Wanderers player ratings

Max Stryjek - 7

Chris Forino - 6

Joe Low - 6

Luke Leahy - 6

David Wheeler - 5

Josh Scowen - 6

Freddie Potts - 7

Harry Boyes - 5 (Dale Taylor (89) - N/A)

Garath McCleary - 6

Sam Vokes - 7 (Killian Phillips (79) - 6)

Brandon Hanlan - 7 (Kieran Sadlier (89) - N/A)

Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers: What is the attendance?

The attendance at The Valley for Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers was 12,856.

That figure included 909 travelling Chairboys fans.

Michael Appleton post-match reaction

"It was tough," a delighted Appleton told FLW after the game. "I thought first half we played quite well at times and some of the young players in the group, the strikers, made it difficult for them.

"We knew that at some point they would have a real presence in the game because they're a group of men who, let's face it, for the last five, six, maybe seven years that same nucleus of players have been playing at the top end of the division and winning games most weeks.

"We knew it was going to be tough at times. That first 25 minutes of the second half was hard but what I've seen from the group was a grit, a determination to keep the ball out of the goal. It took a real wonderful strike for them to score the goal. You just hope they're able to deal with that moment in the game. I like to think that we gave them a little bit of help by freshening it up when we could and picking the right moments to do it. Fortunately, today that worked."

Asked for a message to Charlton fans after his first win, he said: "Delighted. Like I say, it's one of them where last week they certainly helped us in their numbers and again today they stuck with the team when they were under the cost a little bit - that was going to happen."

He added: "I expected difficult moments today and we got them but there were moments in the game today where they showed a bit of bravery and I think the fans helped them because they didn't get on their backs, they stuck with them."

Matt Bloomfield post-match reaction

Bloomfield cut a frustrated figure after the game as he felt his team had done enough to get a result and were not helped by the officials.

He explained: "It's a real tough one to take because ultimately we deserved to get something out of the football match and we didn't but if we continue playing like that, with the belief that we've been showing recently.

"We need to make sure that we continue that and not let this effect us too much."

The Wycombe boss added: "We don't want to look too far ahead, I think it's about us sticking to what we believe in. We're still under the evolution of finding that consistency about us. I'm not going to make any bold predictions because this is a really, really tough league and we've come away to a really big football club with a massive following and a big budget and there were some decisions today that went against us, which is really unfortunate.

"Ultimately, we just have to go back and watch the game back, see it with clear eyes and make sure we correct the things we need to correct. It wasn't a perfect performance because if it was perfect we'd have kept a clean sheet and won the game."

He concluded: "I think my emotion right after the event is of pride at how the team played."

Who do Charlton Athletic play next?

Up next for Charlton is a trip to face Shrewsbury Town in League One next weekend.

They're back at The Valley the week after to host Exeter City.