Norwich scrape past Charlton thanks to late Milot Rashica goal

Results count for everything in the FA Cup and Milot Rashica’s first goal in English football meant Norwich City have secured their berth in round four. But the Kosovo international's tap-in was Norwich's only touch of Premier League quality.

Mid-table in League One, Charlton Athletic dominated their top tier visitors for the bulk of an enthralling encounter. They were even pressing at the end of a 51-minute second period when Ben Purrington’s header cannoned off the bar.

“I’m disappointed and frustrated,” admitted Johnnie Jackson, Charlton’s rookie manager. “We dominated that game and my players should feel empowered. We matched them and more, but the fact we didn’t turn our dominance into goals is our fault. We’ll have to look at that.”

Norwich head coach Dean Smith has more pressing concerns than the FA Cup, but to his credit, he picked his starting XI to progress, although Billy Gilmour was out with an ankle sprain picked up during training on Saturday. Like Smith, Jackson made four changes. Like Smith, he had little to lose.

All puppy-like optimism, Charlton spent the first 70 minutes on the front foot. Elliot Lee dominated midfield where Norwich lacked a strongman, Diallang Jaiyesimi soon got the measure of Dimitris Giannoulis and Jonathan Leko’s physicality was never to Ozan Kabak’s liking.

Charlton created a hatful of first-half opportunities, but the interval came and went without Norwich mounting an attack worthy of the concept.

Smith made three changes at the break. Teemu Pukki gave them an attacking option, Rashica offered midfield guile and Brandon Williams looked to fill the chasm at left back.

“I was annoyed after the first half,” admitted Smith. “We’d gotten ourselves embroiled in a scrap and we can’t play like that. It wasn’t pretty but a victory and breaking the cycle of defeats will do us the world of good.”

Charlton were unchanged in both personnel and intent until the 70th minute, but Norwich were more eager to scrap, the more the game progressed and they stumbled to victory in the 80^th minute. Outpacing Chris Gunter, Pukki charged down City’s left at pace, cut in and crossed for Rashica, running in unseen behind Sean Clare, to tap in.

Charlton were briefly broken, Stephen Henderson saved well from Pierre Lees-Melou and Max Aarons, but there was still time for Purrington’s late heartbreak. For the home side, a question of what should have been. For the visitors, the very definition of smash’n’grab.

Match details

Charlton: (3-4-1-2) Henderson 6, Clare 6 Pearce 6 Inniss 6, Jaiyesimi 7 Gilbey7 Dobson 7 Purrington 6, Lee 7, Leko 7 Burstow 6

Subs: Davison (Burstow, 70), Gunter (Inniss, 70), Blackett-Taylor (Jaiyesimi, 70), Gilbey (Kirk, 87)

Not used: MacGillivray (g), Morgan, Matthews, Watson, Souare

Booked: Inniss, Purrington, Dobson, Gilbey

Norwich (4-2-3-1): Krul 7, Giannoulis 4 Kabak 4 Hanley 7 Byram 6, McLean 6 Sorensen 5, Tzolis 4 Lees-Melou 6 Dowell 4, Sargent 4

Subs: Pukki 7 (Tzolis, h-t), Williams 5 (Giannoulis, h-t), Rashica 6(Dowell h-t), Aarons (Byram, 72), Idah (Sargent, 85)

Not used: Gunn(g), Gibson, Placheta, Gibbs

Booked: Hanley, Pukki, Sorensen

Attendance: 13,825

Referee: J. Smith (Bedfordshire)