Watford 1-1 Charlton Athletic: Hornets and Valiants Share the Points at the Vic

Match Details

• Competition: SkyBet Championship
• Date: Monday 7th April 2026 (Easter Monday)
• Venue: Vicarage Road, Watford
• Final Score: Watford 1 - 1 Charlton Athletic
• Crowd: 19,961
• Referee: Andrew Kitchen (4th Official: Andrew Humphries)

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	Watford	Charlton Athletic
Score	1	1
Half Time	0	0
Full Time (90+17)	1	1
Goalscorers	Irankunda 74'	Godden 62'
Formation	4-4-2	3-4-2-1
Yellow Cards	Mendy 34'	Docherty 33', Clarke 38'
Red Cards	-	-
Substitutions	Nabizada 63' (Kjerrumgaard), Baah 72' (Petris), Ince 81' (Irankunda), Semedo 81' (Doumbia)	Rankin-Costello 61' (Chambers), Godden 61' (Carey), Fevrier 81' (Dykes), Gillesphey 90+9' (Coady)
Subs Unused	Marriott (G), Bove, Ekwah, Mendy (F), Mullins	Brooks (G), Coventry, Berry, Kelman, Knibbs

The Story of the Match

WATFORD and Charlton Athletic had to settle for a 1-1 draw in the local derby at Vicarage Road as fans basked in the April Bank Holiday Monday sunshine.

Charlton Athletic opened the scoring thanks to Matty Godden who scored with his first touch of the game having just come on in the 61st as a substitute thanks to a right footed shot from the centre of the penalty area into the bottom left of the Hornets net in the 62nd minute.

But Watford equalised after a lovely assist by captain impressive Imran Louza, who put Nestory Irankunda the Australian international through on goal and the Watford speed merchant hit his right-footed shot beat Will Mannion to make it 1-1 in the 74th minute as the Golden Boys fans in front of 19,961 fans went wild with joy.

Prior to the decisive goal, it was a real end of season affair with both sides having little to play for other than pride as neither were pushing for promotion or looking over their shoulder at relegation. They will both be in the SkyBet Championship in 2026-27.

Having been unbeaten in seven league games against Charlton Athletic between 2006 and 2012 (won three, drawn four), Watford had now lost four of their last seven against the Addicks (won one, drawn two after this match). Following their 1-0 win back in August, Charlton Athletic were looking to complete the league double over Watford for the first time since 1995-96. Watford had alternated between not scoring (four) and scoring (three) in their last seven home league games but drew 0-0 with Leicester City last time out.

Coming into the game, Charlton Athletic were unbeaten in their last five away league games (won two, drawn three), having been winless in their previous nine on the road (drawn three, lost six). Charlton Athletic are unbeaten in their last 14 league games played on Easter Monday (won eleven, drawn three) since a 2-1 loss at Liverpool in April 2003.

Watford came into the match off the back of a slightly better run with two wins against Wrexham (home) 3-1 and Bristol City (away) 2-1, two draws against Leicester City (home) 0-0 and Sheffield Wednesday (away) 1-1 and two defeats to Stoke City (away) 1-3 and Queens Park Rangers (away) 1-2 last time out on Good Friday.

Meanwhile, Charlton Athletic came into the match off the back of two wins against Middlesbrough (away) 1-0 and Birmingham City (home) 1-0, one draw against Oxford United (away) 1-1 and three defeats against Wrexham (home) 0-1, Norwich City (home) 0-1 and Bristol City (home) last time out on Good Friday 1-2 in Roy Hodgson's first match back at Ashton Gate.

Watford started the match in 10th position on 56 points as Norwich City had moved up a place having beaten Millwall earlier in the day to go above them with Charlton Athletic 18th spot on 48 points.

Watford manager Ed Still started with a 4-4-2 formation with Egil Selvik in goal, then a back four of Jeremy Petris, Mattie Pollock, Kevin Keben, and Saba Goglichidze and then a four-man midfield of Nestory Irankunda, captain Imran Louza, Nampalys Mendy, and Giorgi Chakvetadze with Luca Kjerrumgaard and Mamadou Doumbia up front. Watford made two changes from Friday with Nampalys Mendy and Mamadou Doumbia coming in for Pierre Ekwah and Edoardo Bove.

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones started with a 3-4-2-1 formation with Will Mannion in goal, then a back three of Kayne Ramsay, Lloyd Jones, and Amari Bell then a four-man midfield of Harry Clarke, Conor Coady, captain Greg Docherty, and Luke Chambers with Sonny Carey and Tyreece Campbell playing behind loan striker Lyndon Dykes. Charlton Athletic made two changes from Friday with Conor Coady and Tyreece Campbell coming in for Conor Coventry and Charlie Kelman.

Watford kicked off the first half defending the Rookery End of the stadium. Charlton Athletic started well and with the first attack Tyreece Campbell crossed to the back post, but Lloyd Jones headed high over the cross bar in the second minute. Watford came back strongly with Will Mannion tipping a Nestory Irankunda left foot shot from outside the penalty area, away for a corner in the third minute.

Imran Louza saw a left-footed volley from inside the penalty area blocked by Lloyd Jones in the 12th minute. In the 15th minute Tyreece Campbell crossed into the penalty area but Sonny Carey's left-footed effort went wide of the target. Campbell was causing all sorts of problems for Jeremy Petris as the visitors looked particularly good when attacking down the left flank.

Watford's Nestory Irankunda on a fast counterattack saw a right footed shot from just inside the penalty area tipped away by Will Mannion at full stretch for another corner in the 22nd minute. Watford continued to press for the opening goal, and Mattie Pollock saw a close-range header blocked by Lloyd Jones in the 23rd minute.

Charlton Athletic were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position in the 32nd minute after Campbell was fouled but it came to nothing. Greg Docherty the Charlton Athletic captain was yellow carded in the 33rd minute for a heavy challenge.

Charlton Athletic had another free kick in a dangerous position in the 34th minute after Nampalys Mendy had fouled. Charlton Athletic went close from the free kick as Docherty headed against the post in the 35th minute.

Harry Clarke was yellow carded for a bad foul in the 38th minute and from the free kick taken by Imran Louza Watford scored but the goal was adjudged to be offside due to Saba Goglichidze straying out beyond the visitors back line.

Watford corner in the 41st minute taken by Imran Louza to the near post was poor and headed out by Sonny Carey. The teams went in level at half time at goal less.

Charlton Athletic kicked off the second half. Neither side made any substitutions during the interval. Watford started the second half with Giorgi Chakvetadze shooting left footed on target after cutting in from the left flank, but his effort was saved comfortably by Will Mannion in the 47th minute.

Nathan Jones the Charlton Athletic boss made a double substitution with Luke Chambers and Sonny Carey replaced by Joe Rankin-Costello and Matty Godden in the 60th minute.

There was an immediate response for the visitors as Matty Godden opened the scoring with his first touch of the game with a right footed shot from the centre of the penalty area into the bottom left of the Hornets net in the 62nd minute as Charlton Athletic went 1-0 up in front of the Charlton Athletic fans in the Vicarage Road Stand. Watford manager Ed Still replaced Luca Kjerrumgaard with Amin Nabizaba in the 61st minute.

Watford brought on Kwadwo Baah for Jeremy Petris in the 72nd and a couple of minutes later Watford were level after a lovely assist by captain Imran Louza put Nestory Irankunda the Australian international in on goal and his right-footed shot beat Will Mannion to make it 1-1 in the 74th minute.

Charlton Athletic replaced Lyndon Dykes with Jayden Fevrier in the 81st minute as the Scottish international had a fruitless afternoon. Watford brought on Tom Ince and Vivaldo Semedo for Nestory Irankunda and Mamadou Doumbia in the 81st minute.

There was 6 minutes of added time at the end of the game but that was delayed due to an injury to Charlton Athletic Conor Coady who was stretched off and replaced by Macaulay Gillesphey in the 90th+9 after a nine-minute stoppage for medical attention to Coady.

Vivaldo Semedo saw a left footed effort go wide of the post in the 90th+10 minute. Charlton corner in 90th+13 minutes came to nothing as the visitors used delaying tactics to restart the match so both teams had to settle for a 1-1 draw after 17 minutes of added time.

Timeline of Key Events

• 2' - Lloyd Jones heads Campbell's cross over the bar
• 3' - Mannion tips Irankunda's left-footed shot away for a corner
• 12' - Louza's volley blocked by Lloyd Jones
• 15' - Carey's left-footed effort goes wide from Campbell's cross
• 22' - Mannion saves Irankunda's right-footed shot at full stretch
• 23' - Pollock's close-range header blocked by Lloyd Jones
• 33' - Yellow card - Docherty (Charlton Athletic) for heavy challenge
• 34' - Yellow card - Mendy (Watford) for foul
• 35' - Docherty heads free kick against the post
• 38' - Yellow card - Clarke (Charlton Athletic) for bad foul
• 38' - Watford goal disallowed for offside (Goglichidze)
• HT - Watford 0 - 0 Charlton Athletic (1 minute added time)
• 47' - Chakvetadze's left-footed effort saved by Mannion
• 61' - Sub: Nabizada on for Kjerrumgaard (Watford)
• 61' - Sub: Rankin-Costello on for Chambers, Godden on for Carey (Charlton Athletic)
• 62' - GOAL - Godden (Charlton Athletic) 0-1 - right-footed shot from centre of penalty area into bottom left corner
• 72' - Sub: Baah on for Petris (Watford)
• 74' - GOAL - Irankunda (Watford) 1-1 - right-footed shot after Louza assist
• 81' - Sub: Fevrier on for Dykes (Charlton Athletic)
• 81' - Sub: Ince on for Irankunda, Semedo on for Doumbia (Watford)
• 90+9' - Sub: Gillesphey on for Coady (Charlton Athletic) after injury stoppage
• 90+10' - Semedo's left-footed effort goes wide
• FT - Watford 1 - 1 Charlton Athletic (17 minutes added time)

Author's Standout Players

• Nestory Irankunda (Watford) - The Australian international was a constant threat with his pace, forcing saves from Mannion and scoring the equaliser
• Imran Louza (Watford) - The captain ran the midfield and provided the crucial assist for the equaliser with a lovely through ball
• Tyreece Campbell (Charlton Athletic) - Caused problems down the left flank throughout, creating chances and winning free kicks
• Matty Godden (Charlton Athletic) - Scored with his first touch after coming on as substitute to put the visitors ahead
• Lloyd Jones (Charlton Athletic) - Dominant at the back with crucial blocks on Louza's volley and Pollock's header