Charlton maintained their perfect start to the Championship season with a 2-1 victory at West Ham in a pulsating London derby to pile pressure on Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell put Charlton 2-0 ahead before Joel Piroe, signed on loan from Leeds, marked his first appearance for the east Londoners with a goal that set up a frantic finish.
Taty Castellanos then missed a stoppage-time penalty for the hosts that would have salvaged a point.
The Hammers handed debuts to Piroe and Arne Engels, but the pre-season promotion favourites were unable to force goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, put straight into the Charlton side after joining on a season-long loan from Wrexham on Thursday, into a strenuous save in the opening 45 minutes.
The south-east Londoners took the lead in the seventh minute. Sonny Carey’s long throw was controlled on the chest by Jones with the Addicks captain producing an overhead finish past Mads Hermansen.
Winger Manor Solomon’s goal-bound shot from the edge of the box was headed out for a corner by Addicks centre-back Billy Koumetio.
It could have got worse for West Ham with Miles Leaburn clipping the crossbar in the 19th minute. The counter was sparked by Campbell dispossessing Kyle Walkers-Peter.
Carey was then unable to beat Hermansen at the keeper’s near post when the better option looked to be sliding Campbell in on the left of the penalty area.
West Ham striker Castellanos met Ollie Scarles’ left-wing cross with a first-time header in first-half stoppage time but it was straight at Okonkwo.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Taty Castellanos missed a last-minute penalty to deny West Ham a point against Charlton Athletic.
Charlton doubled their advantage in the 56th minute. Konstantinos Mavropanos lost possession under pressure from Leaburn and Campbell finished clinically across Hermansen and into the bottom right corner of the net.
Okonkwo was finally called into serious action on the hour mark with a one-handed save to keep out Piroe’s shot from the edge of the penalty area. Castellanos headed just wide of the post from another quality Scarles delivery.
West Ham ramped up the pressure and Piroe, who moments earlier had failed to convert a close-range header, slammed the ball home in the 74th minute after Okonkwo had initially parried a shot by Castellanos.
The Charlton keeper then produced a tremendous tip over to frustrate Hammers substitute Divine Mukasa, who joined on loan from Manchester City earlier this week.
Joe Rankin-Costello had the chance to add a third for the visitors but Hermansen was able to keep out the effort with his legs.
West Ham were given a lifeline in stoppage time when referee Andrew Kitchen penalised Conor Coventry for handball, but Castellanos’ spot-kick hit the base of the right post.
The managers
West Ham’s Nuno:
“We trust Taty to take the penalties. I don’t know (if he will take the next one), we will have to decide.
“We started badly again. We got punished from a situation where we know Charlton create problems. It became much harder but we still created a lot of situations but were not accurate enough in the boxes. Football is this – to be accurate in the offensive box and we have to defend much better.
“We had a lot of possession and tried to break them, which is not easy. We should have finished better.
“Of course, I feel under pressure. West Ham is pressure every day – it is a big club. You see that with 62,000 fans in the stands and we let them down. This is the more disappointing feeling.
“The boys tried until the end. We are going to repeat, repeat and repeat in training, in the final third, to create situations that allow us to score. We will keep the belief and the process.”
Charlton’s Nathan Jones:
“We can’t get carried away because this is the norm now. It isn’t a cup game or a one-off match – this is the league.
“We had to be very organised and good tactically. First half we were excellent, countered really well and probably could have created a little more with better decisions in the final third. But I’m so proud how they have gone about their work and defended the box.
“Do we demand from Lloyd Jones to score more goals? Yeah, because in both boxes he is one of, if not the best, for first contacts in the Championship.
“And that is exactly what we want from Tyreece and what we work on. We have been demanding those outcomes when he gets into those positions.
“Arthur Okonkwo was outstanding. It’s wonderful to work with him. He has shown real desire to join the football club.”
