Blackpool 0-1 Charlton Athletic: Late Chuks Aneke header condemns Neil Critchley's men to fifth defeat in just seven league games

Chuks Aneke’s well-taken header seven minutes from time condemned Neil Critchley’s side to another frustrating loss, leaving the Seasiders rooted inside League One's bottom four.

Blackpool were forced to play an energy-sapping 89 minutes with 10 men after James Husband was sent off inside a horror first 60 seconds - the defender being dismissed for the second time already this season.

The Seasiders were given hope just before half-time when the referee evened things up, showing a second yellow card to Charlton defender Ben Purrington.

But even when it was 10 v 10, the Addicks always looked the more likely to make the breakthrough and that’s exactly what they did late on, leaving Blackpool without a win in six games in all competitions.

Neil Critchley opted to make two changes to the side that drew 1-1 at Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.

One was enforced, with Demetri Mitchell replacing Luke Garbutt, who hobbled off the pitch with a hamstring injury just five minutes into Saturday’s game at Gresty Road.

At the other end of the pitch, Jerry Yates was dropped for Ben Woodburn, who was handed a debut after arriving on transfer deadline day on loan from Liverpool.

Matty Virtue and Keshi Anderson were out injured, while the likes of Teddy Howe, Jordan Thorniley, Daniel Gretarsson, Kenny Dougall and Sullay Kaikai weren’t named in the 18-man squad.

The away side were straight onto the front foot from kick-off and almost got in behind Blackpool’s backline inside 20 seconds, but thankfully the linesman raised his flag for an offside.

Sixty seconds had barely passed when the drama really kicked in, starting with James Husband being shown a straight red card.

The defender, only back from suspension at the weekend, got the wrong side of Omar Bogle before clipping the striker as he surged through on goal.

Deemed to be the last man, the referee had no option but to flash a red card, Husband’s second of the season already, and a free-kick, which Bogle struck into the wall.

Critchley acted swiftly, handing a Blackpool debut to Dan Ballard in the most unusual circumstances after just three minutes, replacing the unfortunate Grant Ward who hadn’t even touched the ball.

Ten-man Blackpool, now lining up in a 4-2-3 formation, initially responded well to the setback, but the Addicks soon asserted their control.

Demetri Mitchell was undone at left-back by Alfie Doughty, who reached the byline before pulling the ball back to Omar Bogle who steered a first-time effort into the side-netting.

The Addicks continued to have joy down their right, a deep Chris Gunter cross reaching Ben Purrington at the back-post whose first-time effort fizzed just wide of the near post.

Mitchell continued to look nervy, the left-back gifting Gunter possession of the ball on the edge of the Blackpool box, the Charlton man curling one wide of the upright.

While the away side unsurprisingly enjoyed the vast majority of possession, Pool remained resilient and kept a solid defensive shape.

Bogle did well to engineer a chance for himself, showing good strength to chest the ball down before skewing an effort over.

The first-half might not have been the most dramatic in terms of clear-cut goalscoring chances, but it certainly had plenty of talking points.

We got another one six minutes before the interval when Charlton were reduced to 10 men to make it 10 v 10.

Purrington was the man to be shown his marching orders after receiving a second yellow card for hauling CJ Hamilton to the ground.

The game opened up on the stroke of half-time, Bogle heading narrowly over for the visitors before Woodburn spurned the chance to score on his debut - shooting over after Charlton’s backline had been caught out by Chris Maxwell’s quick punt up the field.

The first opportunity of the second-half came the way of Charlton, as Andrew Shinnie curled one narrowly wide from 25 yards with Maxwell at full stretch.

Blackpool responded with a half-chance of their own, Gary Madine seeing a shot blocked after being teed up by Hamilton, who had made a surging run down the right unopposed.

The game sprung back into life just before the hour-mark, the drama re-emerging with a good chance for Bogle, who was thwarted by a superb block from Marvin Ekpiteta.

Charlton had the ball in the back of the net from the resulting corner, Ryan Innis rising highest to head home.

But the goal was ruled out after some deliberation between the official and his linesman, who somewhat belatedly raised his flag for offside following Blackpool’s passionate appeals, deeming Bogle to have added a late touch on the goalline.

Blackpool changed it up in a bid to win the game, bringing on Jerry Yates and Bez Lubala in place of the tiring Madine and Woodburn.

While the second-half was generally an even affair, Charlton were the side creating the most opportunities, Ian Maatsen narrowly shooting over the bar with a swiping 20-yard effort with 15 minutes left on the clock.

Saying that, a presentable opening went begging 12 minutes from time when the Seasiders worked the ball well into Lubala on the corner of the box, only for the forward to be crowded out before he could get a shot off at goal.

In such an action-packed encounter, it seemed unlikely it would end goalless and, sure enough, the deadlock was eventually broken seven minutes from time.

Charlton were the side to make the breakthrough, substitute Chuks Aneke glancing home a close-range header after Alfie Doughty had nodded the ball back across the face of the Blackpool goal.

Despite the fourth official indicating six minutes of added time, Pool weren’t able to muster a response and the Addicks saw out the remainder of the game without too much trouble.

TEAMS

Blackpool: Maxwell, Turton, Ekpiteta, Husband, Mitchell, Williams, Robson, Ward (Ballard), Woodburn (Lubala), Hamilton, Madine (Yates)

Subs not used: Sims, Gabriel, Sarkic, Kemp

Charlton: Amos, Gunter, Purrington, Famewo, Shinnie, Inniss, Doughty, Watson, Pratley (Maatsen), Bogle (Aneke), Washington (Smyth)

Subs not used: Maynard-Brewer, Williams, Forster-Caskey, Levitt

Referee: James Bell