Justice is done - but at a price

A Karlan Grant penalty in time added on gave Charlton a 1-0 victory over Accrington Stanley at The Valley this afternoon. The Addicks remain 4th in the table on the same number of points as Sunderland.

Justice was hence done, but at the price of Lyle Taylor being suspended for three matches. Accrington were the dirtiest side I have seen at The Valley this season.

Very little happened in the first half, the main interest being the care with which the ineffective referee sprayed his white lines. He must practice in his back garden. The second half was livelier and Charlton were more effective, but insufficiently clinical.

The Addcks should have broken the deadlock in the 12th minute as Taylor delivered a low ball across the face of goal, but Darren Pratley and Grant both failed to apply what would almost certainly have been a scoring touch. Billy Kee's glancing header was straight at Dillon Phillips, while a vital headed clearance by an Accrington defender prevented Taylor from meeting Grant's dangerous cross.

Phillips made an excellent reaction save to deny Luke Armstrong from close range five minutes before the interval and was called into action again early in the second half to deal with Kee's looping header.

Only a superb Maxted stop kept out a header from 'The Cat', while Phillips did even better at the other end to tip over Kee's effort.

Grant dragged an effort agonisingly wide as Charlton began to dominate but things turned ugly eight minutes from time when both sides were reduced to 10 men. Charlton's Krystian Bielik saw a headed effort ruled out after Taylor was adjudged to have fouled Maxted. A goalmouth brawl broke out and after consulting his assistant, referee John Busby produced straight red cards for Maxted and Taylor.

Richard Cawley has tweeted: 'I couldn't see live that Taylor did anything wrong. Was around the keeper and got pushed to the floor by him. Seemed to be kicks heading his way while he was on the floor.'

The northern charm merchants continued to abuse the linesman after the penalty, one giving the Onanist signal, but all the referee did was issue one yellow card.

There seemed to be a rumble in the tunnel after the game as it was shaking from side to side.

The Covered End drum was brought into Harvey Gardens to accompany a chant of 'We won the FA Cup and now we're going up.

The report from Louis Mendez is here: Fiery affair