On-song Taylor hits another high note against Pompey

Posted Sunday, March 10, 2019 by PA

Lyle Taylor grabbed his 13th Sky Bet League One goal of the campaign to seal a vital 2-1 victory for Charlton at home to promotion rivals Portsmouth.

Joe Aribo had fired the Addicks ahead four minutes before the break, only to see that effort cancelled out by Ronan Curtis on the stroke of half-time.

But Taylor was ideally placed to sweep home what turned out to be the winner after 51 minutes as the fifth-placed Addicks closed the gap on fourth-placed Pompey to just two points.

Charlton spurned a host of chances before finally getting on the scoresheet as Josh Cullen was initially denied what looked a certain 20th-minute opener when team-mate Igor Vetokele was unfortunately placed to block his goal-bound effort.

An unmarked Aribo then headed off target from a corner, Taylor blazed over from long range and Cullen made a poor connection with Vetokele’s clever pass as the Addicks pressed but without reward.

After Craig MacGillivray was forced into a save by another Taylor attempt from outside the box, there was nothing the Pompey keeper could do to prevent the hosts from going in front four minutes before the break.

After Cullen picked out Aribo inside the box, the midfielder then two touches before drilling an angled low shot from eight yards into the bottom corner of the net.

But parity was restored on the stroke of half-time when Curtis rose majestically at the back post to meet a Lee Brown corner and power home an unstoppable header past Dillon Phillips.

Early in the second half Curtis again had the ball in the back of the net, only to be correctly adjudged for offside before Charlton restored their lead in the 51st minute.

Substitute Ben Reeves teed up Taylor and the Addicks striker made no mistake with the simplest of close-range finishes.

Phillips then produced a decent stop to keep out dipping volley from Curtis, while Tariqe Fosu came close for Charlton with a dangerous shot that sailed inches over.

The Addicks were almost pegged back again on 83 minutes when Jamal Lowe played the ball across the face of goal but Curtis was just unable to apply a finishing touch.

Pompey substitute Brett Pitman then saw a curling effort agonisingly fly inches over, while Lowe’s stoppage-time time strike was blocked as Charlton bravely held on.