Charlton 1 Walsall 0
Battling Walsall slipped to a valiant defeat at leaders Charlton – but maintained their vital four point lead over the drop zone.
Battling Walsall slipped to a valiant defeat at leaders Charlton – but maintained their vital four point lead over the drop zone.
Dany N'Guessan cashed in on David Grof's error to net a 35th minute winner despite the Saddlers' impressive fight as the Addicks closed in on the title.
But Wycombe's crashed to a 4-0 thumping at Chesterfield to keep the Chairboys in the last League One relegation spot and four points behind Dean Smith's men with four games to go.
The Saddlers were unchanged from their 3-2 weekend win over Chesterfield while the Addicks were without Danny Hollands and Scott Wagstaff – sent off in their 1-0 win at Oldham on Saturday.
Lee Cook was dropped by the leaders with Bradley Wright-Phillips, Bradley Pritchard and Johnnie Jackson all returning.
And the hosts started sharply as Grof foiled N'Guessan inside 40 seconds before Jackson flashed a header wide two minutes later.
The Addicks knew victory would put them on the brink of promotion and pinned the Saddlers back but Walsall rode out the early storm to settle.
Jon Macken was denied by Michael Morrison's block and Ben Hamer tipped over Alex Nicholls' blistering rising drive after 10 minutes.
Charlton were ruffled with Nicholls exploiting the hosts' hesitancy on the right and Sam Mantom and Florent Cuvelier tenacious.
Grof had to tip over Jackson's rising drive on 25 minutes but the Saddlers began to boss the play and Andy Butler nodded Emmanuel Ledesma's corner wide soon after.
The Addicks had threatened from set pieces though and they found the breakthrough on 35 minutes when Grof came – and missed –Jackson's delivery and N'Guessan nodded in.
Charlton rediscovered their swagger and N'Guessan and Kermorgant fired half chances over before Wright-Phillips dragged a shot wide when well-placed 10 minutes after the re-start.
The Saddlers were holding their own with the Addicks shaky at the back and Hamer and Morrison collided to highlight their frailties.
Free kicks from Cuvelier and Ledesma came to nothing for Walsall but, uninhibited by the deficit, they kept pressing.
Lee Beevers' fine finish was disallowed for offside – with the flag going up long before the right back scored – but it highlighted the Saddlers' confidence.
Grof beat Kermorgant's drive away in a rare Charlton raid and Ledesma's injury-time drive was saved by Hamer as the leaders held on.
