Charlton 3 Sheffield Wednesday 1: Forestieri goal little consolation

Skipper Johnnie Jackson, striker Simon Makienok and Reza Ghoochannejhad all netted as they ended Sheffield Wednesday’s impressive unbeaten run with a 3-1 win, with Fernando Forestieri grabbing a consolation.

These two sides could barely be further apart in terms of confidence, form and league positions going into the game.

Hosts Charlton, with interim manager Karel Fraeye now at the helm, were looking to end a run of 12 games without a win, five without scoring and sitting second bottom.

There is major unrest among supporters too, with between 200-300 fans protesting outside the club offices before the game, with chants of ‘We Want Our Charlton Back, and ‘You’re Not Fit To Run Our Club’ the less abusive chants to be shouted against Belgian owner Roland Duchatelet and his board.

Conversely, Carlos Carvalhal’s Sheffield Wednesday were on a run of 11 games unbeaten, including wins over Arsenal and Newcastle in the League Cup, and are pushing to squeeze into the top six.

In order to get the team firing the Addicks were given a pre-match team talk by a Royal Artillery sergeant major, based at nearby Woolwich barracks, and the players wore a poppy on their shirts.

It seemed to have the desired effect with Makienok almost getting a header in on goal from a El-Hadji Ba cross inside the opening minute.

Charlton lost defender Chris Solly to injury midway through the first half but their new-found fighting spirit soon came to the fore as the high-flying Owls had their wings clipped.

Skipper Jackson met a Johann Berg Gudmundsson corner perfectly in the middle of the six yard box and headed powerfully in for the Addicks first goal in six games and 476 minutes of football.

Gudmundsson had already fired a warning with his set piece as Ghoochannejhad nodded wide.

Charlton’s second totally belied their current situation with a neat piece of passing football between Ghoochannejhad and Gudmundsson resulted in a low cross being tapped in from close range by Makienok with half-time looming.

Denmark striker Makienok, a 6’7” loanee from Palermo has endured an injury-plagued season, netted only his second goal of the season to give Charlton a solid lead at the break.

Owls coach Carvalhal made two changes at the break in order to try and get something from the game with skipper Glenn Loovens and midfielder Sam Hutchinson forced to give way.

It did not work and 11 minutes after the break Ghoochannejhad added a third when he finished off another good move this time involving Morgan Fox and the ubiquitous Gudmundsson.

Originally an injury doubt, Gudmundsson also hit the crossbar with a curling, dipping free kick from 30 yards.

Forestieri turned in a low Kieran Lee cross with 17 minutes remaining but offered little else in response.

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