Charlton Athletic travel to lower-league opposition in Gillingham this weekend for the second round of the FA Cup.
The visitors enter the tie as slight favourites, though their opponents will fancy their chances at causing an upset. League One Charlton required a replay to reach this stage of the competition, with Isthmian League side Cray Valley scoring a second-half equaliser to draw 1-1. However, the Addicks comfortably put them aside in the return fixture with a brace from Alfie May helping them to a 6-1 away victory. Gillingham also played inferior opposition, dispatching of National League North club Hereford by two goals to nil.
Neil Harris’ Gillingham side have made a strong start to the campaign, currently occupying the last playoff spot in League Two. Their 31 points have come from 10 wins and one draw, meaning they have lost nine of their first 20 games. They will hope to remain in the hunt for the playoff positions, as they look to make a return to the third tier of English Football following their relegation in 2022. Similarly, Charlton will want to make a return to the Championship, four seasons after their last season in the division. They sit in 10th place, seven points behind sixth, so a good run of form could put them firmly in the mix.
Both sides will be coming into this fixture fresh from victories. Charlton came from behind to beat bottom-of-the-table Cheltenham thanks to two penalties from Alfie May, whilst Gillingham beat fellow playoff hopefuls AFC Wimbledon 1-0. Conor Masterson scored an 85th-minute winner. However, if they want to remain in the playoff race they will have to improve the inconsistencies of their results. They have failed to win back to back games in all competitions since mid-September, and have won two and lost two of their last four. The two defeats were against automatic promotion candidates Wrexham and struggling Tranmere. Charlton will be looking to do the same, having won just one league game in their previous five before their win in midweek.
The visitors are hoping to avoid falling at the second hurdle of the FA Cup like they did last year. After progressing from the first round with victory over Coalville Town, they fell to defeat in a replay against Stockport County in the following stage of the competition. Gillingham, in contrast, went a step further, narrowly losing to Premier League side Leicester.
If they want to provide an upset this weekend, the Gills will need someone to step up in the forward areas. They have scored just 19 goals in League Two, which is the lowest in the entire division. Loanee Connor Mahoney is their top scorer with four goals. Their opponents have a dangerous frontman they will have to contend with, Alfie May, who has scored 17 goals in 22 games so far.
The two sides have met 39 times before, with Charlton winning 18. Since 2010, this fixture has been played out 12 times, the most recent being a Football League Trophy tie in August 2022, in which the Addicks won 3-0.
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