The swearing, the glorious goals and the daring to dream ... the story of Charlton Athletic 1 Rotherham United 1
THEY don't half swear a lot in this neck of the woods. They also do it a little bit differently.
The ‘f’ word takes on a south-east London twang so it's said – or yelled, to be more accurate – with an ‘a’ and not a ‘u’.
The press box at the Valley is rammed right up against rows of home supporters and the agitation of those fans flooded over the media's working area.
There was an awful lot of ‘facking’ this and ‘facking’ that from the Charlton Athletic seats as visiting Rotherham United came tantalisingly close to pulling off a first victory on their travels for almost two years.
For nearly a quarter of an hour, 600-plus gleeful Millers followers dared to dream as their side led from the 58th minute to the 72nd. It had taken a wonder-goal to put them in front, it took another wonder-goal to peg them back.
Manager Steve Evans inherited the away drought, dating back to November 8 2022, when he rejoined the club in April and a busy summer of recruitment ensued.
After a three-game winless opening to the League One campaign, Rotherham ended Huddersfield's Town's 100 per cent record last week and then, on Saturday, had the edge on proceedings against opponents who hadn't previously dropped a point on their own turf.
“We've had really good spells where we were really on top in the game,” Evans said. “I remember a spell when Charlton had good possession, I don't remember a spell where they were really on top.”
The work in progress he often talks about is starting to progress encouragingly.
He was a mix of emotions after the clash: satisfied with much of the performance but frustrated his squad weren't travelling back north with a 22-month weight lifted off their shoulders.
“It's something we all want to get out of the way,” the boss said.
THE MATCH
He's 34, has been playing senior football since he was a teenager and has amassed 431 appearances in his 14-plus years as a pro. Yet Liam Kelly ran off with the wide-eyed delight of a kid making his debut after putting the Millers in front.
There had been 17 previous goals in his long career but surely none to match the quality of this one.
The midfielder picked up possession from Jonson Clarke-Harris around 45 yards out, quickly made ground and then let fly with the purest of shots from 25 yards.
When precision meets power to this degree there can be only one outcome.
It was a deserved lead for Evans' men who had gone toe to toe with a team in fifth spot and not been found wanting.
Kick-off had been delayed for ten minutes after their team bus had been held up in traffic on its way to the stadium, but there was nothing stop-start about Rotherham's display.
They'd been given an early let-off when Charlton's Gassan Ahadme fired wastefully over but responded with efforts from Sam Nombe – a run and low shot – and Mallik Wilks – a well-struck 18-yarder – that required saves from Will Mannion.
“In the first half, we had to deal with a lot of long balls going up to the ‘9’ (Ahadme) and, for me, he was winning too many headers,” Evans said. “It was giving them a focus and a platform.
“It's fair to say that our two centre-halves got woken up at half-time.
“Cameron Humphreys and Jamie McCart were excellent in the second half. They won their headers and what happens? The Charlton boy gets taken off.”
Sadly, it was the substitute replacing him who curled in a sublime equaliser in a second half in which both sides went for the win.
“When you've got the resources of Charlton, you bring Chuks Aneke on to the pitch,” Evans said. “When you've got the resources of Rotherham, you bring Jordan Hugill on to the pitch, so we're not complaining.
“We went in at half-time and we said: ‘We've done okay but we need to do more.’ We changed one or two little positional things. We got the goal from that. It was a brilliant strike from Liam.
“Their goal, the ball ricochets off Liam and ends up going to Aneke. I know Chuks well. He can do that.”
That was an exquisite near-20-yard curler into the top corner just beyond the despairing outstretched hand of keeper Dillon Phillips.
Charlton pressed, Rotherham pushed. There were sights of goal but nothing too clear.
A home fan had made friends with journalists through the contest. “Would you take 1-1 now?” I asked. “No,” he replied, then immediately corrected himself to “Yes” as an 87th-minute attempt from Hugill whistled not far wide.
The Millers emerged from proceedings climbing the table and in 15th spot.
“Both goals were worthy of winning a game,” Evans said. “This is a good Charlton side.
“We've won and drawn in our last two games and next we have a game at New York Stadium. That gives us something to work hard for in training.”
THE AWAY RUN
Six-hundred-and-sixty-nine days without a win on opposition soil on the afternoon that the two teams did battle, 674 by the time you read this, 690 by the time Rotherham get their next chance.
“Today's a day when we should win a game, isn't it,” Evans said. “We're trying to take it off the players' backs and the club's back that we haven't won away in nearly two years.”
It's coming, Steve, it's coming.
It nearly came at the Valley.
The Charlton supporter leaned over at the end to shake hands. “Fair play,” he said. “You could have won that.”
The memory of Kelly's goal lingered: a first in the league away from New York for the Millers since last February.
The home fan agreed, it was a right facking strike.
Charlton (3-5-2): Will Mannion; Alex Mitchell, Lloyd Jones, Macauley Gillesphey; Kayne Ramsay, Greg Docherty, Conor Coventry, Luke Berry (Allan Campbell 60), Thierry Small; Matt Godden (Tyreece Campbell 60), Gassan Ahadme (Chuks Aneke 60). Subs not used: Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Dan Potts, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Tennai Watson.
Rotherham (4-3-1-2): Dillon Phillips; Joe Rafferty, Cameron Humphreys, Jamie McCart, Reece James; Hakeem Odoffin, Liam Kelly (Alex MacDonald 76), Joe Powell; Mallik Wilks (Esapa Osong 83); Jonson Clarke-Harris (Jordan Hugill 76), Sam Nombe (Shaun McWilliams 76). Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Cohen Bramall, Joe Hungbo.
Goals: Kelly 58 (Rotherham), Aneke 72 (Charlton).
Referee: Simon Mather (Lancashire).
Attendance: 13,569 (616).