Charlton extended their winning run to seven straight league wins thanks to a
superb hat-trick from hot-shot striker Andy Hunt.
Hunt grabbed a hat-trick in the home match against County and this was his
third treble of the season in all.
The free-scoring forward took his season's tally to 17 when blasting home a
left-foot volley from the edge of the box for his first goal on 41 minutes, then
glancing a header past the stranded County keeper Ian Gray and then whipping
home a shot from 12 yards just two minutes from time.
Certainly Stockport will feel they should have had a share of the points after
taking a 25th-minute lead through a side-footed goal from French forward Karim
Fradin and then having several efforts either saved by the sparkling Dean Kiely
or blasted wide.
Hunt's two late first-half goals ensured Charlton led 2-1 at the break but .
in the second half Rob Matthews, Kevin Cooper and Sean Connelly should all have
done better with chances that fell their way.
And Ian Gray performed heroics in the County goal to stop Shaun Newton and
Hunt at the other end.
But two absolutely fantastic saves from Kiely in the last five minutes denied
Jon Daley and Cooper the equaliser that they desperately sought before Hunt
finally killed off that Stockport challenge.
It was only Stockport's second home defeat of the season and Andy Kilner's
policy of packing the midfield almost paid dividends. But Charlton have the look
of a championship side with raiding wingers John Robinson and the
ever-industrious Newton providing plenty of options for the deadly Hunt and
Martin Pringle to capitalise.
Kiely was their hero on the day but as ever Hunt was the man who provided that
vital cutting edge.
Teams
Stockport: Gray, Connelly, Flynn, Bennett, Nicholson, Cooper,
Gannon, Dinning (Daley 82), Mathews (Allen 67), Wilbraham,Fradin.
Subs Not Used: Byrne, Woodthorpe, Glennon.
Booked: Bennett.
Goals: Fradin 25.
Charlton: Kiely, Barness, Powell, Rufus, Stuart, Newton, Hunt,
Brown, Robinson (Salako 82), Pringle (Svensson 68), Todd.
Subs Not Used: Ilic, Parker, Konchesky.
Booked: Stuart, Todd.
Goals: Hunt 41, 45, 88.
Att: 8,185
Ref: T Parkes (Birmingham).
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