Charlton Athletic Overcomes Derby County 2-1 Thanks to Tyreece Campbell

Tyreece Campbell’s sharp start to the season rolled on at The Valley, his late winner dragging Charlton Athletic past Derby County 2-1 and deepening an already bruising week for the visitors.

Derby arrived in south London still reeling from the collapse of Turki Alalshikh’s proposed takeover on Monday. They left with nothing, undone by a 22-year-old winger who suddenly looks like a very different proposition to last year.

Derby strike first, Charlton waste chances

Charlton came out fast. Nathan Jones’ side pushed high, snapped into tackles and carved out the first chances.

From an early Sonny Carey corner, Billy Koumetio rose well but glanced his header wide. Karlan Grant, on his 100th appearance for the club after returning in the summer, then drove straight at Jacob Widell Zetterstrom when well placed, before rolling a neat pass into Carey’s path. Carey swung and horribly miscued, the ball dribbling away in the 16th minute to groans from the home crowd.

That let Derby breathe. The Rams began to keep the ball, stringing together longer spells of possession and edging their way into the contest.

The warning for Charlton came when Joe Ward drilled a low cross into the box and Sammie Szmodics met it first time, only for Will Mannion to block with a solid save. Charlton didn’t react. Moments later, they were behind.

Morris found Szmodics inside the area and this time the forward was ruthless, guiding his finish beyond Mannion to give Derby a half-time lead and add to the goal he scored in the EFL Cup defeat to Lincoln.

Charlton respond, Jones leads from the back

Conceding jolted Charlton back into life before the interval. Derby were forced into some desperate work at the back, Taylor throwing himself into a sliding block to deny Danny McNamara’s goal-bound strike. Zetterstrom then had to save with his legs after Campbell tried to squeeze one in at the near post.

The home fans wanted more. They also wanted a penalty. Referee Ben Speedie waved away loud appeals when Carey tumbled under a challenge from Lewis Travis, the decision met with fury in the stands.

Derby suffered a blow of their own early in the second half. Szmodics, who had appeared uncomfortable during the warm-up, lasted only until the 54th minute before being replaced by new signing Alex Mowatt.

That change did not settle Derby. Instead, Charlton’s pressure finally told just after the hour.

In the 61st minute, captain-for-the-day Lloyd Jones – fresh from signing a new two-year deal on Friday – rose to meet a delicate, dinked cross from Grant on the left of the box. Jones attacked it and powered his header home, levelling the match and igniting The Valley.

Derby tried to answer. Mannion, who had looked uncertain under high balls, produced a big moment when it mattered, flinging himself low to his left to tip Oscar Fraulo’s 20-yard drive around the post.

Campbell delivers the knockout

Charlton, though, had the game’s most dangerous outlet. Campbell kept stretching Derby on the break, driving at defenders, demanding the ball.

With 10 minutes of normal time remaining, he finally made it count.

Cutting in and working the ball onto his weaker left foot, Campbell unleashed a fine strike that flew past Zetterstrom and into the net, putting Charlton ahead for the first time on the afternoon. It was his second goal of the season, already just one short of his entire tally from the previous campaign.

The Valley roared. Derby, suddenly chasing, threw what they had left at Charlton in eight minutes of stoppage time. Crosses rained in, bodies packed the box, nerves jangled.

But the home side held. When Morris met Max Johnston’s cross deep into added time, his effort went straight at Mannion, a tame finish that summed up Derby’s day.

Charlton survived the late siege and banked three points. Campbell walked off to applause, a young winger transformed, while Derby trudged away from another setback in a week that has already asked hard questions about where their season is heading.