Exeter City 0-1 Charlton

A fluke goal from Danny Green early in the second half proved to be the difference between the sides in a tight game in Devon.

Victory for the Addicks extended their unbeaten run in 2012 and a fourth successive clean sheet means they now haven’t conceded a goal in over seven hours of league football.

The opening was a very tight affair and the first chance of note fell to the hosts.

Exeter striker Jake Taylor fed fellow front man John O’Flynn who raced clear, only to be foiled on the edge of the box by the covering Rhoys Wiggins.

Almost immediately Charlton responded, former Grecian Matt Taylor saw an overhead kick cleared off the line after Exeter failed to properly clear a Danny Green long throw.

It took until the 15th minute for either keeper to be called into action. A cross from the left by Scott Golbourne was met by the head of O’Flynn but he headed straight at Hamer.

Both sides were cancelling each other out and it took until the half hour mark for another chance to arrive. Yann Kermorgant challenged Exeter keeper Artur Krysiak after Johnnie Jackson whipped in a free-kick from the left hand side.

The keeper fumbled the delivery but the City back line managed to scramble to ball to safety.

Ten minutes from half-time Bradley Wright-Phillips found himself in space down the right channel following a low pass from Chris Solly.

His cross found Jackson six yards out, but he could only stab the ball straight at Krysiak. Exeter’s next chance came from a casual square ball from Yann Kermorgant after a good spell of possession for the Addicks but as ex-Charlton trialist James Dunne was released on the left hand side, he hit over hit his cross out for a goal kick.

From the resulting goal kick Rhoys Wiggins managed to wriggle his way down the left wing and win his side a corner. A shot taken corner eventually found its way to Kermorgant who squared for Bradley Pritchard, but the midfielder could only blaze over from 18 yards.

The final chance of the half fell to the hosts and it was Exeter’s left hand side which caused the problems again.

A delightful deep cross from Golbourne seemed destined to meet the head of O’Flynn only for a combination of Michael Morrison and Wiggins to flick the ball away to safety. David Noble drove a stinging drive straight at Ben Hamer at the start of the second half after a poor clearance from the Charlton keeper.

Charlton almost made the breakthrough on 50 minutes.

A superb flick of from Kermorgant seemed to have put Wright-Phillips in on goal but an excellent last-ditch tackle from Danny Coles denied the striker just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Three minutes later Kermorgant headed the ball down to Danny Hollands, who squared to Jackson.

One drop of the shoulder was enough to beat the Exeter full back and Hollands fizzed the ball across the box, with both Wright-Phillips and Kermorgant anticipating the cut-back.

The game’s decisive moment arrived 10 minutes into the second half as Danny Green played a tidy one-two with the heavily involved Kermorgant.

Green had the pace to hold off Grecians defender Troy Archibald-Henville before delivering a cross which appeared to cross the line before Exeter keeper Krysiak palmed it against his own post and into his own net.

City boss Paul Tisdale responded straight away by introducing two new front men, Richard Logan and another former Charlton trialist Guillem Bauza entered the fray in place of Duffy and O’Flynn.

The change saw a change in formation as well as personnel for the Grecians who swapped their favoured 3-5-2 formation for a more attacking 4-3-3 one.

But Charlton almost doubled their lead just after the hour when a left footed Wright-Phillips cross was met by the head of the all action Kermorgant.

His bullet header, which had the Addicks bench and all 828 travelling fans up on their feet, went inches wide of the near post. Exeter made their final substitution with 20 minutes remaining as Daniel Nardiello, the man who saw red at the Valley earlier this season, came on to replace Jake Taylor.

But it was another sub Bauza who came the closet for Exeter.

He was clearly eager to prove a point to the club who rejected him two summers ago, after an unsuccessful trial.

Bauza saw a header tipped wide by Hamer as the second half reached its halfway point.

From the resulting corner Kermorgant threw himself at the ball to expertly head clear.

Three minutes later Bauza was causing problems again after fellow substitute Richard Logan headed down and Bauza found himself with the whole goal to aim at, but he could only fire straight at Hamer.

The resulting rebound fell to the feet of Logan six yards out but he blazed over when it seemed easier to score.

Luckily for him the assistant referee had his flag raised for offside.

Wright-Phillips left the field of play to a chorus of boos from the home fans due to his Plymouth connections with 19 minutes to play.

His replacement was Leon Clarke, who was looking to add to two goals in midweek against Margate in the Kent Senior Cup.

As the game entered the final 10 minutes Hollands was booked for a tackle from behind on Bauza.

Dale Stephens was introduced for his first appearance since Charlton’s defeat at Stevenage in October in place of goal scorer Green. Three minutes from time Solly conceded a foul in a dangerous position on the left hand side of the box.

With everyone anticipating a whipped cross, Noble cut the ball back to Scot Bennett whose scuffed shot found its way to the offside Bauza.

Danny Haynes came on for the ever willing Pritchard as the clock struck 90 and the Addicks held out in three minutes of stoppage time to record another priceless victory.

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Hamer, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins, Solly, Jackson, Green (Stephens 82), Pritchard (Haynes 89), Hollands, Wright-Phillips (Clarke 71), Kermorgant. Subs not used: Sullivan, Cort. Att: 5,439 (828 Charlton).