CHARLTON ATHLETIC 5 CITY 0
League Division 1
28th December 1986
Attendance 7,697
Scorers Walsh(26 & 47), Melrose(60), Shirtliff(73), Shipley(80)
Ref P Vanes
City Suckling, Gidman, Wilson, Clements, N Reid, Redmond, White, McNab, Varadi, Moulden, Simpson – sub I Brightwell(unused)
Charlton Bolder, Humphrey, Reid, Shipley, Peake, Shirtliff, Stuart, Curbishley, Melrose, Aizlewood, Walsh – sub Pearson(70)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
DAVID LACEY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 29TH DECEMBER 1986
Charlton Athletic’s spell at the bottom of the First Division was brief and, so far as Manchester City were concerned. painfully to the point. Having been dumped there by Chelsea on Saturday they sprang back 24 hours later with a 5-0 victory at Selhurst Park, whlch has taken Lenme Lawrence’s team up five places.
Charlton’s biggest wln slnce returning to the First Division after an absence of 29 years owes much to the finishing of Walsh, who scored the first two goals and inspired an attack which had failed to find the net of lts own accord for five matches, Newcastle’s Roeder helping them gain a point at St James’ Park.
Manchester City have not won away from home since January 18, but they came to Selhurst intent on playing two wingers in an effort to open up the game. Eventually this was what happened, but hardly in the way Clty had planned 1t.
The close watch kept on McNab by Peake and the ease with whlch the Charlton full-backs, Humphrey and Reid. restricted the forward movements of White and Simpson combined to keep City penned in their own half for much of he game.
However, for all the thoughtful promptings of of Curbishley and Shipley, Charlton spent the first 25 minutes looking like a team that had not won for nine league matches. Indeed the match was sinking into a morass of muddle and despair when a Charlton supporter carrying a large toy pink elephant marched to the front of the main stand as if to show the players that the spectacle was driving eveyone to dnnk.
Walsh qulckly took the hint scoring spectacularly wlth a narrow angled shot from outside the penalty area which ricocheted into the net off the inslde of the far post. After that Charlton relaxed. Clty reeled. and the result was never in doubt.
Walsh increased Charlton’s lead at the start of‘ the second half with a low shot following Shipley’s short free kick, Melrose beat Suckling with one that dipped over the goalkeeper from 20 yards on the hour. Shirtliff forced in the fourth, and Shipley added the fifth afler Pearson, the substitute. had headed down Walsh’s cross.
The result leaves Lelcester bottom for the first time and has done nothing for Manchester City’s nerves. But above all it confirmed the feeling that in the First Division thls season there is, as yet, no such thing as a lost cause.