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Charlton Athletic
Championship
Mar 14, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
Blackburn logo

1-3

Buyens (57' pen.)
FT(HT: 0-2)
Rhodes (15', 78'), Conway (18')

Preview: Charlton Athletic vs. Blackburn Rovers

Sports Mole looks ahead to Saturday's Championship mid-table showdown between Charlton and Blackburn at The Valley.

Charlton Athletic will look to make it third time lucky when they host Blackburn Rovers at The Valley this weekend.

The Addicks have already fallen to two defeats at the hands of Saturday's opponents this season, losing 2-0 in the reverse league fixture at Ewood Park just before Christmas and then being dumped out of the FA Cup in their own back yard a fortnight later.

Both results contributed to a 14-match winless streak for Charlton that saw relegation loom as an increasingly likely possibility, but Guy Luzon has steadied the ship and his team have now won five of their last six games.

That makes them the league's form team going into this match, so they will be confident of finally get one over on their fellow top-half dwellers.

Holding on to a spot in the top 12 is perhaps the greatest motivation left for both of these sides as far as the league is concerned, with neither relegation nor the playoffs a likely possibility with 10 matches of the season remaining.

The Addicks have won their last three home games after a run of just one in 13 before that, and if they can keep their recent form up then they should be in line for a strong end to the season, with all of their remaining away games coming against teams in the bottom half.

Their most recent win came in dramatic fashion as two goals in the final 16 minutes saw them come from behind to beat Cardiff City 2-1 in South Wales, with Yoni Buyens netting the winning penalty three minutes from time.

Luzon may not make many changes from that side, although Igor Vetokele is pushing for a recall alongside the in-form Tony Watt, while Alou Diarra could also be in line for a return to the starting XI. Johnnie Jackson remains sidelined, however.

Blackburn go into the match two places and three points better off than the Addicks, but a consistent period like the one Charlton are currently enjoying is what fans have been crying out for recently.

Once again they have failed to launch a serious bid for the playoffs this season, and their focus could drift to the possibility of FA Cup glory over the final months of the campaign.

That distraction will linger on until at least April 8, when Blackburn will face Liverpool in their quarter-final replay at Ewood Park having held the Reds to a goalless draw at Anfield last weekend.

That left Gary Bowyer's side with a game in hand, which they played on Wednesday, with Jordan Rhodes striking late to earn a 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers.

An 11-point gap to the playoffs is a big one to bridge, particularly with such a tight race going on, but their fixture list is relatively kind so a late push is not entirely out of the question if they can string a few wins together.

It is their away form that often lets them down, however, with last week's victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough being their first on the road in the league since October, ending a winless run of 10 matches.

Rudy Gestede is expected to return to the starting lineup this weekend, while Doneil Henry could continue to partner Matthew Kilgallon at the back. Corry Evans and Marcus Olsson are both doubts after coming off in the first half in midweek, so Bowyer could be forced into a couple of changes.

Charlton:

Recent form: WWLWWW

Possible starting lineup: Henderson; Solly, Johnson, Diarra, Fox; Gudmundsson, Cousins, Buyens, Bulot; Watt, Vetokele

Blackburn:

Form in Championship: DDLDWW
Form in all competitions: DLDWDW

Possible starting lineup: Steele; Baptiste, Henry, Kilgallon, Spurr; Marshall, Cairney, Williamson, Conway; Gestede, Rhodes

Sports Mole says: 1-1


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Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes in action against Crewe Alexandra in a pre-season friendly on July 16, 2013
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