Tyreece Campbell kept his strong start to the new campaign alive, delivering an 80th‑minute strike that secured a 2‑1 win for Charlton against Derby at The Valley. The victory came on the heels of a turbulent week for the Rams, whose prospective takeover by Saudi official Turki Alalshikh fell through on Monday, leaving the club in a state of uncertainty. Derby had taken the lead at the interval thanks to Sammie Szmodics, who had also found the net in the EFL Cup defeat to Lincoln.
The Addicks, however, responded quickly. Lloyd Jones – fresh from signing a two‑year extension on the preceding Friday – rose to meet a cross and headed the ball level. Just minutes later, Campbell completed the comeback with a clinical finish, ensuring Nathan Jones’ side walked away with all three points. The match began on a hopeful note for Charlton.
Early in the game Billy Koumetio missed a header from a Sonny Carey corner, but the Addicks continued to press. Karlan Grant, celebrating his 100th appearance after re‑joining the club over the summer, took a shot that struck Jacob Widell Zetterstrom’s outstretched hand before setting up a chance for Carey. Unfortunately for the home side, the attacking midfielder mishit the ball in the 16th minute, squandering a promising opportunity.
Derby then enjoyed a period of possession, culminating in Szmodics’ goal. The forward had initially been denied by Charlton goalkeeper Will Mannion, who saved a low Joe Ward cross, but a second attempt saw Szmodics finish cleanly inside the box after a pass from Morris.
The Rams held the advantage until halftime, when Charlton’s defence began to test them. Danny McNamara’s effort was blocked by a sliding tackle from Taylor, and Campbell’s near‑post attempt was thwarted by Zetterstrom, who used his legs to push the ball away. Controversy flared when Charlton’s Sonny Carey went down after a challenge from Lewis Travis, prompting a heated appeal for a penalty that referee Ben Speedie dismissed. In the second half, Szmodics appeared to be hampered by a minor injury sustained during the warm‑up and was forced off in the 54th minute, making way for new signing Alex Mowatt.
Charlton equalised in the 61st minute through centre‑back Lloyd Jones, who captained the side in Greg Docherty’s absence. Jones rose above the defence to meet a dinked cross from Grant on the left side of the penalty area and headed home, restoring parity. Shortly after, Mannion, who had seemed nervous under the barrage of crosses, stretched fully to deny Oscar Fraulo’s 20‑yard effort, the ball ricocheting off his left upright. The decisive moment arrived when Campbell, operating as Charlton’s most threatening outlet, struck a superb left‑footed shot that slipped past the Derby keeper and into the net, putting the south‑London club ahead for the first time that afternoon.
The 22‑year‑old’s goal marked his second of the season, an improvement on the single tally he managed in the previous campaign. Eight minutes of stoppage time were added, during which Derby pressed for an equaliser. However, Charlton’s defence held firm; Morris cleared a Max Johnston cross straight to Mannion, who retained possession and helped see out the match. Post‑match, Charlton manager Nathan Jones expressed his satisfaction: "I'm really pleased – the result is everything and we've integrated a lot of new signings.
We had a captain’s goal where he gets in the box and scores a great header. With TC, he gets into those positions all the time and is a threat one‑on‑one. We just want the outcomes from him. Last week he had a similar chance, hit the bar with a rasp, then cut inside and hit the corner to score against Cheltenham in the EFL Cup.
We are in advanced negotiations with him and hope to finalize that soon. There are 45 more games. Last season we had a strong start after promotion, but injuries exposed a lack of depth.
This season we have built a squad that can cope better." Derby’s boss John Eustace was less upbeat: "I'm really disappointed to lose. I didn’t think there was much in the game. We limited Charlton to no chances, really, so the two goals we conceded were sloppy defensively.
If we want points we must improve. We failed to stop the cross and defend it properly – it’s too easy for the lad to get a header. The second goal came from a good position in our area but we lacked defensive structure behind the ball. Communication broke down.
This is the first time the team has played together; some legs are tired. Craig Forsyth, at 37, is doing terrific at centre‑half. The effort and attitude of the group were sensational, as always. Sammie had a slight tweak in the warm‑up, so it was a big ask for him to start.
He’s a top player at this level and took his goal well; we hope he isn’t out for long." Overall, the fixture highlighted Charlton’s resilience and the impact of their recent signings, while Derby will need to address defensive lapses and squad cohesion if they hope to bounce back in the upcoming fixtures.