Fuller Cracker Shatters Posh Hopes
Nobody inside the Valley could deny that Peterborough United played some excellent football, arguably their best football of the campaign, but a blockbuster from former Stoke City man Riccardo Fuller set Charlton Athletic on their way to a 2-0 success.Jan Kermorgant tested goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik inside the first three minutes at the Valley with a dipping volley that the Posh shot-stopper did well to parry behind for a corner kick.
Emmanuel Frimpong saw a shot deflected over the crossbar before Ricardo Fuller headed over the top. At the other end, Dwight Gayle saw a shot deflected wide of the target after a good run into space.
Michael Bostwick tested Hamer following a well-worked Posh free-kick on 24 minutes, the goalkeeper gathering the ball at the second attempt as Gayle closed in.
A twisting run from Fuller saw him burst into the box on 34 minutes, but his shot was saved by the legs of Olejnik. Gayle then saw a looping header land on the roof of the net after a delightful cross from Newell following excellent approach play from Posh.
Boyd toe-poked over from the edge of the area after another fluent Posh move with Tomlin and Gayle both involved. Boyd was then denied by Hamer who tipped over a left-foot shot from 20-yards as Posh again attacked at pace.
Jan Kermorgant planted a free header wide of the target on 47 minutes as Charlton came close to the breakthrough. Fuller clipped the outside of the post with a diving header moments later after a good Solly centre.
An excellent run from Joe Newell from left-back presented Lee Tomlin with a shooting opportunity on 51 minutes, but his crisp, low drive was expertly pushed away by Hamer. Thorne sent a diving header wide of the target from the resulting corner kick.
Gayle was next to try his luck, but his curler was more routine for Hamer after an intelligent pass by Thorne. It all came from a superb run from Newell, who was marauding from his left wing-back station.
Tomlin then struck the base of the post, but knew nothing of it as Boyd’s wayward shot struck the bottom of his right-foot. Bostwick was booked for a foul on Fuller on the half-way line on 64 minutes.
Boyd fired over from a tight angle on 71 minutes as Posh continued to create chances in front of goal. Tomlin felt he should have had a penalty on 73 minutes after going over in the box, but the referee waved away his protests.
Frimpong gave way to Danny Green on 74 minutes as Chris Powell made his first switch of the evening. The deadlock was broken on 76 minutes and it was a blockbuster from Riccardo FULLER who took a touch and let fly from fully 30-yards leaving Olejnik with absolutely no chance.
The goal came as a sucker punch, Posh have arguably played the best football of the season and Charlton had created nothing until that point, but the Addicks have quality across the pitch and the former Stoke City man demonstrated it with a fine finish.
The home side undeservedly added to their tally on 84 minutes as Jan KERMORGANT slid in at the far post to convert after a low cross had somehow found its way to the back post. McCann fired over from the edge of the area with his left-foot as four minutes of added time was signalled by the fourth official.
Final Score: Charlton Athletic 2-0 Posh
Charlton: Hamer; Solly, Morrison, Cort, Seaborne, Pritchard, Jackson, Frimpong (sub Green 74min), Kerkar, Fuller (sub Hulse 79min), Kermorgant (sub Jonsson 90min). Unused subs: Button, Dervite, Stephens, Hulse, Wright-Phillips.
Posh: Olejnik, Little, Brisley (sub Swanson 83min) , Knight-Percival, Newell, Bostwick, Boyd, McCann, Tomlin, Thorne, Gayle. Unused subs: Day, Zakuani, Clarke-Harris, Carthey, Alcock, Ferdinand.
Attendance: 17, 377 (518 Posh fans)