Cambridge United 0-1 Charlton Athletic match report: Tyreece Campbell scores only goal at Abbey Stadium to move U’s another step closer towards League One relegation

Cambridge United took another step towards League One relegation this afternoon with a 1-0 defeat at home to Charlton Athletic.

While it was a display full of effort and endeavour from the U’s, not for the first time this season they did not have the required quality to break-down a well organised visiting outfit that look set to end the campaign in the play-offs.

But while Charlton will be dreaming of Wembley and Championship football, for Cambridge they are now surely preparing for life in League Two. With a gap to safety of seven points and only four fixtures remaining, their fate is likely to be sealed over the Easter weekend.

After a relatively uninspiring start to proceedings that was dominated by both sides going direct, the visitors broke the deadlock with their first effort of note in the 14th minute.

Josh Edwards’ driven pass from the left-back position set Tyreece Campbell away down the flank and after cutting inside James Gibbons, he fired a low shot across Cambridge goalkeeper Jack Stevens and inside the far post for a fourth goal in his last three appearances.

The duel between Gibbons and Campbell became a running theme throughout the first half and it spilled over in the 19th minute. Seemingly irked by what he perceived to be a late challenge by the U’s defender, Campbell retaliated with a two-handed push around the neck area. Gibbons instantly went down, but the Charlton man escaped with only a yellow card.

The two went head-to-head again with 26 minutes on the clock as Campbell once again got the better of his marker, only this time Stevens got down well to make the save.

Two minutes later a full stretch Stevens could only watch as Charlton’s leading scorer Matty Godden unleashed a dipping effort from the edge of the box. Thankfully for Stevens and Cambridge, the ball cannoned against the upright and bounced away to safety.

The hosts, meanwhile, were struggling to carve out anything significant of note. They came closest to scoring before the break when James Brophy’s driven cross in the 43rd minute was almost turned into his own net by Charlton defender Edwards.

To Cambridge’s credit, they started the second half on the front foot. An off-balance Scott Malone dragged his effort wide of the near post, while in the 57th minute Kell Watts fired wide from close range after Ben Stevenson’s deep free-kick had dropped kindly for the centre-back.

But after those initial flurries the remainder of the second half was largely a comfortable affair for Charlton, who in the main kept Cambridge at arm’s length. There was a couple of late chances for an equalising goal, but Dom Ballard dragged a left footed shot wide from just inside the box and Stevenson lifted his attempt from eight yards out over the crossbar.

Cambridge United: Stevens, Gibbons (Andrew 74’), Watts, Morrison, Malone (Kachunga 65’), Bennett, Stevenson, Brophy (Njoku 88’), Stokes, Loft (Kaikai 74’), Ballard

Charlton Athletic: Mannion, Edwards, Gillesphey, McIntyre, Ramsay, Coventry, Docherty, Berry (Anderson 58’), Campbell (Aneke 58’), Small (Watson 74’), Godden (Mbick 88’)

Attendance: 6,707 (1,034 Charlton)