Charlton Athletic 2-1 Cambridge United match report: Tyreece Campbell and Myles Leaburn on target for Addicks in League One victory at The Valley

Cambridge United contributed to their own downfall once again during today’s 2-1 loss at Charlton Athletic.

Garry Monk was frustrated with the manner in which his Cambridge side shipped goals last time out in the 4-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town – and he will have been even more exasperated on this Boxing Day afternoon.

It took the hosting Addicks just 36 seconds to break the deadlock when Tyreece Campbell latched on to Myles Leaburn’s hooked ball forward on the halfway line. Campbell went on to show a good combination of pace and strength to keep United defender Zeno Ibsen Rossi at bay before firing a low shot from a narrow angle between the legs of Vicente Reyes, who had the look of a goalkeeper that knew he should have done better as he retrieved the ball out of his net.

It was the second quickest goal to be scored in League One this season, while it was also the second time in all competitions this campaign that Cambridge have conceded inside the first minute of a game.

And Reyes was also a central figure as Charlton doubled their lead in the 20th minute. Josh Edwards’ long throw from deep in Cambridge territory was flicked on by Macauley Gillesphey and with the Chilean international looking a little hesitant to come and mop up the danger, Leaburn rose highest to nod the ball in from close range.

Aside from the two goals, there was very little to separate the teams during a first half that lacked quality. United actually had more of the possession (53 per cent) and completed the greater number of passes (191), while they also carved out the only other clear opening before the half-time whistle when Sullay Kaikai could not keep his effort down from the edge of the box after good work from Jordan Cousins and Elias Kachunga.

Having veered away from his usual three-man defence with wing-backs in favour of a four at the back approach, Monk reverted to type during the interval with Liam Bennett and Danny Andrew replacing Zeno Ibsen Rossi and Kell Wats – and it was a switch that paid dividends only six minutes into the second half.

Josh Stokes collected the ball just inside Charlton half and after dancing his way beyond a couple of challenges, the playmaker found himself on the edge of the opposition’s box. He then slid a perfectly-weighted pass through for Bennett, who from almost on the right byline fizzed in a low cross that Kachunga gratefully tapped in from close range.

With the deficit halved, belief surged through a United side that were all of a sudden pressing much higher up the pitch and winning the ball back in dangerous areas.

They came agonisingly close to levelling up the scoreline in the 59th minute after Stokes’ attempt from the edge of the area was charged down and fell kindly for Kaikai 16 yards from goal. The attacker set his effort outside of the post and while it curled dramatically, there was not quite enough spin on the ball, which cannoned against Ashley Maynard-Brewer’s left upright.

Within a minute Reyes was called into action at the other end to deny United academy graduate Luke Berry’s rising shot, yet that was only significant chance the hosts carved out during the second half.

Instead it was Cambridge that did much of the attacking, although for all of their probing and domination of the ball, they were unable to create that one required golden opportunity to nab the equalising goal that their performance arguably warranted.

Third-from-bottom United remain four points from safety ahead of another trip to London on Sunday (29 December) when they take on 13th-placed Leyton Orient.

Charlton Athletic: Maynard-Brewer, Mitchell, Jones, Gillesphey, Edwards, Coventry, Docherty, Berry (Edmonds-Green 90+4’), Campbell (Ahadme 90’), Small, Leaburn (Anderson 90’)

Cambridge United: Reyes, Watts (Andrew 46’), Morrison, Okedina, Rossi (Bennett 46’), Brophy, Smith, Cousins, Kachunga (Loft 85’), Stokes (Nlundulu 68’), Kaikai