Charlie Kelman marked his return from injury with a decisive late winner as Charlton Athletic edged struggling Oxford United 1-0 at The Valley. The former QPR striker, making his first appearance after missing seven matches with a hamstring injury, came off the bench to settle a tense and often scrappy contest with a precise finish 12 minutes from time.
The victory ended Charlton’s six-match winless run and brought them their first success since 4 November, halting a slide that had seen them tumble from fifth to 19th in the Championship standings. For Oxford, who have collected just one point from a possible 12, this latest defeat deepened relegation concerns and turned what should have been a landmark day for Gary Rowett’s one-year anniversary in charge into a miserable occasion.
Nervy Opening Reflects Pressure on Both Sides
With Charlton desperate to halt their alarming drop down the table and Oxford anxious to pull away from danger, the opening exchanges were understandably cautious. Passes went astray from both sides as they struggled to find rhythm, and there was little in the way of sustained attacking quality in the early stages at The Valley.