Leicester 3-0 Charlton: You Can't Win Them All...

Today was never going to be easy. Following the greatest weekend of Powell's tenure at Charlton, we were tasked with forgetting about the delirium of the FA Cup and focussing on an away trip to the league's runaway leaders. With the fatigue evident both physically and mentally, the result was no surprise. That said, a couple of the deficiencies that Powell has done so well to disguise of late made themselves known again. Yann Kermorgant scoring a hat-trick for Bournemouth was an apt if heartbreaking demonstration of that.

Powell's success at Charlton has come from his ability to get every ounce of quality and effort out of every single player at his disposal. It's resulted in some of the most unlikely victories we've ever seen, often at times when we've hit our lowest ebb. Unfortunately, overcoming Leicester after the exhaustion of last weekend was too tough an ask.

Wiggins started in place of Fox as the only change from the victory at Sheffield Wednesday, but by the end of the game his fitness level showed that the exertions of last week had taken their toll. He wasn't fully fit. But by the end of the game, he wasn't the only player showing they were knackered.

Leicester were clearly a very good side, with quality running all the way from defence to attack. On nine minutes, they demonstrated this in the most devastating way possible, by opening the scoring. The ball broke forward for Leicester, with Richard Wood putting in a clumsy but robust challenge. The ball bounced kindly for Nugent, who did well to beat Wiggins and find Vardy in the box. He shaped to shoot before cutting back and firing his shot past the helpless Hamer.

The goal didn't kill the game, but it flattened it. Leicester were very comfortable on the ball, occasionally taking it forward and creating chances in dangerous areas. Charlton looked tired already, with hopeful passes to the wide outlets almost always unsuccessful. Given we are forced to make things happen going forward, and can't rely on  an incosive passing game to open teams up, hopeful balls forward tended to be the order of the day. It meant Charlton struggled to get in the game for most of the half, as when they finally stole possession it was quickly lost again.

Ajdarević dropped deep just to get himself in the game, but with only Church to aim at it was a forlorn task. He had a pot shot from 35-yards in frustration, which was close but Schmeichel could comfortably watch it sail over the bar.

Leicester opened up Charlton with ease during the second half. Morrison had been forced off injured early in the game, meaning Wood and Dervite played alongside each other for the first time. They were pulled open a number of times by the strike duo of Nugent and Vardy. Hamer made a great save from close range before the rebound fell to Drinkwater to smash home. Two minutes into the half and the result was all but sealed.

Hughes replaced Cousins, who looked like he'd picked up a knock, whilst Marcus Tudgay came on for Ajdarević. Although he'd struggled to get into the game, he was the one creative outlet we had, so taking him off seemed odd.

Despite the substitutions, the game didn't change course. Wiggins must've been unfit because the left wing was more exposed than usual, allowing De Laet a free reign. Nugent took the ball from 40 yards out and ran pretty much a straight line before firing home into the far corner from the edge of the area.

The midfield pair of Jackson and Poyet looked tired, pulled out of position by the variety of attacking threats they had to cope with. Leicester could easily have scored a couple more, but the excellent reflexes of Ben Hamer prevented them from doing so. He was our best player on the pitch, probably by quite some distance. /Wood had a poor game, as did Wiggins although he didn't look fit at all. Harriott was often giving the ball away, frustratingly doing so after a couple of promising openings had been carved.

The game died, with both sets of fans seeming to accept that it had been inevitable since before kick-off. Leicester saw the ninety minutes out with ease, and walked off deserving winners.

Jackson walked over to thank the travelling support, who hadn't shown any anger towards their side all game. Poyet raised both hands in an apologetic gesture. He's got nothing to be ashamed of when he has to play against a team of Leicester's quality.

Powell applauded too, receiving a generous ovation from the home fans as well as the away end. He's a great man, but was unfortunately not able to muster another logic-defying victory with his side today.

The first problem was that even early in the game we were visibly tired. We don't have a big squad as it is, but crucially there isn't much strength in the little depth we do have. You could perhaps sense a touch of an FA Cup hangover about us. It's hard to pick yourself up for a game you've no expectation of winning, especially with Wembley on the line next weekend.

Secondly, conceding early stuffed our usual game plan, which is to hold firm, play on their frustration and nick a goal. Heads didn't go down, but Leicester gained a strong foothold so early in the game, which proved to be decisive.  Equally, our limited quality going forward meant we struggled badly trying to get ourselves back into the game.

I'll make no secret of the fact that I'm a huge Yann Kermorgant fan. He meant a great deal to a huge number of fans at this football club, not to mention the things he achieved on the pitch. Whilst the result probably wouldn't have been much different, it was clear today just how much Yann was missed. We had no aerial outlet. We'd lost that advanced playmaker role which he did so well. We had nobody capable of holding the ball up. Yann didn't do all of these things in every game he played in, but he was often capable of them. We've lost a dynamic forward - our best player - without adequately replacing him. It may come to hurt us in future when struggling to break a team down. We no longer have that quality player behind the main striker to make things happen. Roland took a huge risk in selling him - one that I think a club in our position should never be taking. Seeing him score a hat-trick in another match when you are desperately crying out for someone like him to change the game felt really tough to take. I hope his absence doesn't hurt our finishing position as much as it's hurts our hearts.

Ajdarević has a similar set of skills to Kermorgant on the floor, but doesn't have that physical presence which Yann used so well. Ajdarević will undoubtedly play an important role throughout the rest of the season as one of our few creative players, but today he got very isolated. That was in part down to the excellent pressing game of Leicester which didn't allow him any time on the ball, but also because we played to many hopeful balls in his vague direction. We didn't manage to emulate Monday night when he was able to exploit space going forward and create opportunities. Leicester didn't have a Miguel Llera playing...

Morrison is a key player for us at the back, the rock at the heart of defence. Losing him would disrupt the defensive partnerships he's built. Wood and Dervite looked shaky together, though admittedly this was against the league's strongest side.

Wilson has done a fantastic job at right back, but we are really missing Chris Solly. His absence prevents Wilson from playing that midfield role he's had a lot of success in. Cousins tried his best but didn't get going. Harriott was too sporadic, unreliable on the ball and rarely of use in defence. Jackson looked very leggy, which he's sometimes prone to do.

Hopefully Hamer is fit enough to stay in the side for the rest of the season. Not only is he our best shot-stopper but also very confident on crosses and distribution. He made an excellent strong clearing punch from a dangerous corner in the second half.

Powell must make use of the extra day of rest this week before another run of games following the Sheffield United match. He'll undoubtedly lift his side once again. Despite the deficiencies which were evident today, he's done a fantastic job against the weaker sides in the division of setting us up in positions where we can win games. Individual errors have at times cost us points, but we've rarely been stuffed. That competitive spirit and team unity will become so important in the coming weeks. Powell is the master of extracting the maximum from his side. We don't have a strong squad by any means, but we've got a strong will, a togetherness. Leicester away was never a game we expected to win. We'll learn from mistakes and continue to plug away at our Championship campaign.

Open criticism at this point of the players would be unhelpful. They were tired today. Would you give up the last two results just so we could've lost to the leaders by a narrower margin? No. That's not to say we weren't without faults, but tiredness and fatigue exacerbates errors. We weren't quite at the races today. It happens sometimes. Powell isn't a man who'll let it happen again. We won't have to travel to the league champions again, either, so that'll help.

Only Yeovil of the bottom six picked up a point today, which is positive. Although it hurt, Kermorgant's hat-trick has done us a big favour by demoralising Doncaster. Yann will be happy to have helped us out - he never wanted to leave. We need to make our extra games count, especially at home. There are bigger games to come.

We've a chance to make something special happen next Sunday. After two of the best wins we've achieved in recent years in one weekend, sometimes you have to just accept that you can't win them all.

Birmingham City 0-1 Charlton Athletic: Addicks pull together to earn deserved win

Whilst the game won't go down in history as a classic, the Addicks produced a whole-hearted and determined team performance to overcome a lacklustre Birmingham. A memorable away day. 

Pre-amble:

My trip to St Andrews was an eagerly anticipated one. Looking forward to visiting Birmingham is not a feeling many people in history have experienced,but it promised to be a competitive game. Not only that, but I'd managed to take advantage of having a friend at uni close by, so I could blag some accommodation for the night. Lovely stuff.

The lengthy early morning journey took me on a winding route across the Midlands. From Cambridge to Peterborough, Leicester and Nuneaton, before arriving into Birmingham at 10:40. Far too early. Fortunately though I'd planned on a quick detour to Leamington Spa to drop off my overnight bag and pick up the rented Charlton. Plenty of nostalgic away-day discussion,as is always required on your first trip to a new ground. Given the length of time that I'd been waiting for the day to arrive, I was getting a bit excited.

At Birmingham New Street we spotted a Palace scarf. Of course, West Brom away. They understandably didn't look thrilled at the prospect of watching their side. We ignored them and made for St Andrews.

Thanks to some dodgy initial map reading, we took a detour through what appeared to be an almost entirely abandoned area of Birmingham. The city is a very odd place. It doesn't quite seem to work properly. But after some calculated guesses we stumbled upon the steady stream of fans heading to the game.

As the ground finally came into view, I spotted an inspirational figure. Headphones Norm! He's got something of a cult status, with his skunk hat and attachment to a radio to listen to the scores. Surely this was a good sign...

St Andrews itself was quite a pleasant ground. We'd been allocated one half of the end stand, and were in good voice as kick-off approached. The only downside was that our drum seemed to have been denied entry. The Charlton squad got a rousing reception as they made their way down the tunnel after their warm-ups. Come On You Reds.

St Andrews at kick-off, before the rain arrived

The Game:

Neither Richard Wood nor Yann Kermorgant had recovered from the injuries sustained six days earlier against Wigan, so Dorian Dervite and Johnnie Jackson came into the side as replacements. Jackson had been given the role of support striker playing behind Church, but ended up playing more as a midfielder. Cameron Stewart started on the left, with Pritchard retaining his position on the right despite some recent criticism. Cousins and Stephens remained as the central midfield duo, whilst Wilson, Wiggins, Morrison and Hamer completed the team-sheet. Three games without conceding a goal, but given the lack of a Kermorgant on the pitch, creating chances and playing incisive attacking football was going to prove tricky.

The first half began with numerous exchanges of possession, as both sides struggled to keep hold of the ball. Particularly problematic for the Addicks was the lack of an outlet to target up front. A number of hasty long balls were aimed at Church after the midfield struggled to advance up the pitch.

Birmingham were unfortunate not to go in front. Chris Burke had space on the right byline after Charlton failed to clear, and after what looked like a mis-hit cross, Hamer fumbled the catch under pressure from an attacker. The rebound was headed in, but the referee had awarded a free-kick for a foul on the keeper. Soft.

Neither side dominated, but Charlton improved as the half went on, stringing some nice passes together and advancing up the pitch. Most of the longer balls were ineffective and easily dealt with, but the Addicks did manage to fashion a few chances thanks to nervy defensive errors, as well as some good play. A defensive slip saw Church free in space, setting up Jackson who fired wide, and a deflected cross bounced kindly for Jackson again, but he couldn't get enough on his stabbed header and it was well saved by ex-Addick Darren Randolph. Church almost had room to fire a shot from inside the area but was challenged by Burn just before he could pull the trigger. Jackson had a free kick on the left side of the D but hit it comfortably over the bar. Stephens saw the ball aimed towards him inside the box, but he got underneath his volleyed effort and undercut the ball, which spun comfortably for Randolph to save.

Shortly before half time, the danger of the lanky Zigic was made clear. Charlton were having to make a lot of passes, patiently awaiting an opening - Birmingham hoofed a goal kick straight at Zigic, who won the ball and nodded it to Lee Novak. His shot was heading for the bottom right hand corner, but Hamer dived at full stretch to make an excellent save. It was a vital stop.

Few other notable events to report, apart from one magnificent utterance: Having only lost a header, one Addick just growled the words "Fuck off Zigic!" The randomness of it made me laugh, especially given the fairly tame crime committed by the big man. He's not actually that skillful in the air, but just an enormous lump. If Birmingham kept aiming at him, a chance was bound to fall their way. That said, Lee Clark's tactics had been questionable at best. Aside from releasing the dangerous Chris Burke down the right wing on a couple of occasions, there was no coherent game plan.

Charlton had been solid, creating the odd chance and winning most of the aerial balls aimed at Zigic. Pritchard struggled, his touch seeming a little heavy, the usual spark to his play missing. Some called for a sub, but Powell kept faith in his men and returned the same eleven to the pitch for the second half. Jackson and Church were having to work really hard, but their pressuring of the defenders was leading to regular errors.

When that golden opportunity to score presented itself, Charlton had to grab it.

Birmingham were caught high up the pitch, presenting Church with a chance to run at the lone remaining defender. He almost made it past, but was shepherded wide by Bartley after struggling to get the ball out from under his feet.

Charlton attacked again. The lively Cameron Stewart cut in off the left wing and looked to shot low towards the near post. Randolph saved the shot, but only managed to parry it back into the danger area, where Jackson was advancing. The close-range effort was blocked by Randolph, the ball rebounding off a defender across the face of goal towards a wide open Dale Stephens. He coolly side-footed home. GET IN THERE!

Stephens and Jackson celebrate 

The away end erupted. The players flooded over to celebrate. Renditions of all the usual songs followed. The breakthrough was deserved based on the way Charlton had grown into the game.

Despite the goal I still felt that the sheer unpredictability of where the ball falls after a long hoof aimed at Zigic meant there was a chance Birmingham could score, no matter how poor their play had been up to this point. The fears almost became reality when Zigic almost got a shot off, only to be denied by a Morrison challenge. Soon after, Hamer was rounded but Adyemi's effort was cleared off the line. Morrison again the saviour.

Birmingham seemed to have an element of coherence about their approach following the goal, but even their long ball game was disorganised, with Zigic often isolated. Charlton managed to settle the game after the initial panic, and should have had a penalty. Wilson had broken towards the box after some good counter-attacking play, and he was clearly tripped by the defender. Once again the referee baffled us by giving nothing. He was hopeless all day.

The Addicks were able to take advantage of Clark committing more men forward, counter-attacking effectively. Church continued to charge around, even despite a brief injury worry when he was caught in the build up to the earlier goal. He had a chance to shoot after Stewart set him up 10 yards out, but didn't quite have the time to get his effort off cleanly. Church burst down the right, only to find he had insufficient support with him. Soon after, he chased down the ball near the byline, stealing the ball off Caddis and winning a corner. A vigorous and fully deserved rendition of "SIIIIIMON CHURCH! SIMON CHURCH!" followed.

Powell had kept the same men on the pitch, and as the last ten minutes approached, the home side were still struggling to create meaningful chances. However,that feared ricochet following a long ball materialised. Lovenkrands was free 10 yards out, the ball finding its way to him. All he could do was blaze over. Don't panic...

Jackson was withdrawn, but not before he'd been on a 50-yard lung-busting run to force the ball back to Randolph. The retuning skipper's efforts were heartily appreciated by the 855 travelling supporters. Jordan Cook came on to lead the line. Birmingham continued to hoof it long, but their further efforts were repelled.

The whistle went. Game over! A win for the mighty Addicks!

A glorious result, even if it was against a Birmingham side who were largely woeful. That doesn't matter when you've won away from home. The joy is there.

A chorus of "Since I Was Young" boomed out as the players drifted over to show their appreciation. Jackson led the applause, being the superb captain and clubman he is. The chorus kept going. Each and every player was heralded as a hero, and rightly so. The job was done, and everyone was thrilled with the result. Finally the song came to a close, but only because the players had cleared the way for Chris Powell to salute the fans. He really does love this club, and we all love him. He made for the tunnel looking extremely proud and thankful of the support. There was time for two of his tunnel jumps, too. The man is a god amongst men.

I love this club.

The players thank the jubilant away following

Analysis:

Charlton were excellent, but it needs to be pointed out just how poor the home side were. There was no coherent game plan. The midfield pair were largely absent in their influence. Particularly striking was just how badly they coped defensively. Under the high ball there was no conviction. Hopeful balls forward were put out for a throw, instead of being controlled, recycled or given to the keeper. They dithered on the ball occasionally, and lacked the composure to emulate the controlling display of the Addicks' centre back pairing. Morrison and Dervite won most of the aerial contests, controlled the pace of the game with some calm passing, and waited for the right moment to kick the ball long. Wiggins and Wilson were also excellent, contrasting with the Birmingham defence by keeping the ball in play and looking to go forward. Wilson should've had a penalty, whilst Wiggins assisted Stewart well down the left. I've been really impressed with Wilson lately,and he again demonstrated today why he's a valuable member of the side. Solly is missed, mainly because it prevents Wilson playing the more advanced midfield role.

Simon Church, My Lord. It was a heroic effort from him all day, as his isolated role required heart, stamina and bursts of energy. He had plenty of that. It was no accident that his name was chanted the most. He's really developing as a player this season. A fully deserved man-of-the-match reward is on its way in the post.

Jackson's return was long overdue, and his role today required him to be fully fit. He assisted Church in attack, but as the game went on, the bulk of his work was done in midfield. He showed real heart in chasing down the ball late on. It really was Johnnie Jackson running down the wing, at that point. The leadership value he brings to the side cannot be overstated. Well played skip.

Stephens and Cousins again had good games, the former passing the ball well and taking his chance to score, the latter tidying up in the deeper role. He might not play eye-catching football, but Cousins is another who has developed since coming into the side.

Pritchard was far better in the second half. His confidence was lacking in the first half, but Powell kept faith in him and was rewarded with a stronger performance. He's attracted much criticism lately, and whilst I admit he does make errors going forward, the defensive job he does is important. He showed his value in that regard after half time. The narrowness in defence is a reason we aren't often overrun centrally, and Pritchard is important in that regard.

Despite the absence of Kermorgant for both games, that's two away wins in a row. I can't help but think that Yann would've torn Birmingham apart today, such was the space available. He is definitely missed in attack, but the past run of results has been made possible by the defence. Around seven and a half hours without conceding is a phenomenal effort. Chris Powell deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround, but so do the defenders themselves, as well as Ben Hamer. Morrison is really leading the back line well, and although Wood was missing after some excellent performances, Dervite came in and did a fantastic job as well. The role of Cousins in front of the back four has also helped, as there's less exposure to onrushing midfielders thanks to the protection he offers.

17th in the table is by no means a relaxing position, but all the positive signs are there. With Yann back we will be a stronger side in attack, but no weaker in defence given his aerial ability. Powell has had to cope with a complete absence of investment, but he has stitched together a side and given them the confidence to win matches. Every time we suffer a bad run, he turns things around. Powell's value to this club is enormous. Each and every fan let him know as much after full time.

Any away win is special. Birmingham were poor, but Charlton were far better in the second half and deservedly took the three points.

Post-game:

Despite the driving rain and chilling wind, the walk back to the station was a happy one. I could've walked all the way home after a day like that. A Birmingham fan kindly offered us congratulations. Wolves fans provided interesting conversation on the train to Leamington. And I had to suppress a chuckle whenever I spotted a Palace fan.

A lovely portion of pie and chips (proper food) was consumed and we settled down at my night's accommodation to watch Match of the Day, and later the 20-seconds we were afforded on the Football League Show. We worked out that Steve Claridge had played for 23 different clubs in his lengthy career, and much laughter ensued when Manish introduced Birmingham as "One of your old clubs, Steve." Further laughter was had at the idea of Claridge not celebrating a goal against his former club - he'd never be able to celebrate at all.

It was a thoroughly entertaining trip. I always enjoy visiting a new ground. The sense of adventure, combined with seeing your beloved team play, makes it fantastic. A win makes it even better.

The lengthy Sunday return journey has allowed me to type all this up, and despite the near-four hour time I'm sitting on these bloody trains, I'm quite content. Reliving the game is a great way to pass the time. Dreaming of what the future holds is part of it too. The camaraderie, the loyalty through good times and bad, the anticipation, and of course the raw passion of the match itself - that's what football is all about. Enduring the bad times means enjoyment of the good is far more satisfying. A fantastic weekend.

--

Looking back, this was the first time I'd seen us win (in the league) this season. I missed the Leicester home game and couldn't make Blackburn. Don't usually have to wait until November to witness that moment! 

Great video of the Charlton goal, and ensuing celebration of the players and the entire away end.

Also, this is a fantastic watch: The away end after the final whistle. 

Late fight-back not enough after Addicks Lynched by wonder strike.

A cold Tuesday night game away to Northern opposition never tends to end well for Charlton, and that proved the case once again as a Joel Lynch wonder strike left the Addicks with too much to do to salvage a point.

277 hardy souls, plus myself made the journey Up North for the second game at the John Smith Stadium already this season, following the 3-2 Capital One Cup defeat in August. This time, it was cold.

When the team news finally arrived, the fears of an absent Kermorgant were confirmed. Marvin Sordell was the only change after Saturday's draw at Watford, meaning the 3-5-2 formation would be retained. It also meant that Chris Solly still hadn't recovered from his knee problem. The main concern was that the midfield would struggle to link up with the forwards, given how instrumental Yann is in the air as well as on the ground. Huddersfield had James Vaughan up front, as well as the pacy Sean Scannell out wide, playing a similar formation to ours.

Match Action:

Early on, Charlton struggled to maintain possession, with loose passes often drifting to the opposition. Huddersfield looked to play diagonal balls for their pace-men in the empty full back channels, which was limited in its success by some good one-on-one defending by the back three, with support from the midfield. We also had to avert danger on occasion when Huddersfield broke centrally, and ran at our penalty area. They were largely restricted, but Dervite, and in particular Morrison, were forced to make a number of crucial defensive headers from well placed crosses. Despite the Terriers' threats, Hamer was largely untroubled.

The away side grew into the game, as the composed midfield started to influence the rest of the side. Stephens looked especially confident, often shrugging off an opponent and spreading the play. Pritchard was energetic as always, but couldn't quite form a cohesive link with either Sordell or Church to create anything meaningful. The times we threatened most were when Jackson and Wiggins overlapped down the left, harking back to those glorious League One days.

Huddersfield found it easier to threaten on the break as they had the best striker on show. Vaughan was looking to play on the last man's shoulder and latch onto the diagonal passes. He looked to have beaten his man just after the half hour, but Dervite, in trying to battle and slow his man down, stumbled and brought both to ground. The home fans wanted a red, but as the ball was heading towards the corner flag, and Dervite had been clumsy instead of cynical, it was only a yellow. Church got a crucial flick on Hammill's free kick to prevent the need for Hamer to make a save. Before the resulting set play, Jackson toured the penalty area, attempting to lift his men. They needed a spark to get them going.

Late in the half, Charlton had their first genuine chance of the game. More good play down the left flank saw Wiggins cut the ball back to Church, who headed downwards towards goal, but lacked the power from that distance to beat Smithies, who saved it fairly comfortably.

Stoppage time arrived, and just as the interval approached, Huddersfield struck a significant blow to Charlton's chances. Another cross to the far post this time eluded Morrison, who was just cleared by the ball, and found Vaughan at the back post. He had risen to flick the ball into the top corner with a gently nodded finish. It was tough to take so close to the half time whistle.

We'd been the weaker side but the home team were hardly running us ragged. Powell faced a tough team talk to revitalise his players. The main issue was that the long ball forward was being won comfortably by the defenders, often uncontested. Yann's absence was telling in that area, leaving the Addicks bereft of incision in and around the box. Sordell cut a forlorn figure, often attempting to beat players and make passes, but losing the ball. His work rate flagged as well, leaving little for the travelling fans to feel optimistic about. His waywardness became even more evident shortly after half time. Stephens and Jackson interlinked well before curling a ball to Sordell on the edge of the area. It looked like he had time to take the ball down and move into a better shooting position, but he attempted a first time volley. It sailed hopelessly into the away end.

Simon Church had also failed to make an impact on the game, and when his chance arose, he blew it. He had his first opportunity to break into the box unchallenged. He flicked the ball past the defender, but instead of chasing it to shoot, he decided to go to ground. With no contact, it was a deserved booking for diving, but what was more frustrating was that he'd been waiting 45 minutes for an opening, but refused to take it when it arrived.

Huddersfield continued to probe going forward, with a long ball down the left channel releasing Vaughan towards Hamer's goal. Dervite did well to block his route to goal, but Vaughan cut inside and shaped to shoot. Dervite threw himself in front of the ball and made a superb block, keeping Addicks hopes alive.

Powell made a positive move by calling on Callum Harriott and the newly signed Cameron Stewart to join the action, but before they could, Huddersfield doubled their lead.

"2-0 would be the nail in our coffin", I muttered. The ball was passed out left to Joel Lynch, who from 35 yards out, struck a devastating shot at goal. Hamer stared, jumped, flapped and fell, powerless to intervene as the ball dipped onto the underside of the crossbar and crashed into the back of the net. Heads dropped. I was mortified, given my incredible, accidental foresight. We'd defended the box well for the whole half, but how often do strikes like that go in? I really can't (and won't) blame any of our players.

Charlton were left with a huge task to salvage something from the game, but valiantly persevered. Stewart replaced Wood, who had been solid if unspectacular, and a little unsure at times. Harriott replaced Sordell, who'd had a night to forget. He'd continued to lose possession, and was on a completely different wavelength to the midfielders looking to play him the ball. His final act had been to inadvertently block a Jackson shot at goal. It was probably curving wide, but it rather summed up his evening. The formation became a 4-3-3, with Stewart out left.

The changes had the desired effect, with a new vigour and spark going forward. Stewart looked a handful on the left, often throwing a step over to deceive his opponent. Harriott too looked hungry for the ball.

Almost out of nowhere, we found that elusive goal. Stewart again looked to beat his man out wide by cutting inside. He glanced up at goal, before firing a powerful dipping strike towards the top corner. It crashed into the underside of the bar, and landed in the back of the net with alarming similarity to Lynch's strike. Get in.

The hope of salvaging a draw was suddenly back. We continued to press, facilitated by an almost Charlton-esque display of defensive sitting-back from Huddersfield. Pigott replaced Jackson, who was somewhat unfortunate to be withdrawn, and the Addicks continued to create openings. Most balls into the box were headed away to the awaiting Addicks on the edge of the area. Stephens came closest, firing two shots towards goal, the second of which appeared to strike a raised arm in the box. Desperate appeals from the away fans were in vain, as the referee waved away the protests. Hamer came up for the corner, but it sadly came to nothing. Full time arrived, and the hopes of the Addicks of stealing a point were finally deflated.

Charlton's players came over to applaud the travelling fans. Jackson in particular showed true gratitude to us for our support. Given the small number that had travelled, it was a struggle to make ourselves heard, but the late surge really lifted the away support, and we almost had a point to celebrate. Alas, it was not to be.

Match analysis:

Fearing a bout of criticism for the performance from many who weren't present, I should emphasise that it was just 'one of those nights'. Our main problem was the absence of Kermorgant. He really is our most important attacking player, perhaps even the most vital altogether. He is the link between midfield and attack that makes the 3-5-2 system work. Without his authority in the air, and the creativity on the floor, we looked toothless in attack. It was only when Powell added Stewart and Harriott that we looked a potent threat. Perhaps, in hindsight, Powell might have gone for a different formation, but his initial aim seemed to be solidity at the back, which worked well enough all game, but wasn't helped by the absence of ball retention up front. The second goal was the killer blow. It came out of nowhere and gave the Addicks too much to do.

 Sordell, as I've said above, was ineffectual at best. Church struggled to make an impact given the lack of service, as well as having to adapt his role to play behind Sordell. Wilson's passing was initially wayward, but he grew into the game.

 There were plenty of positives. The midfield trio really looked cohesive, as the system gives them the space to play through the opposition. Stephens was good on the ball, whilst Jackson roamed out left on occasion to link up with Wiggins. Morrison looked back to his best, winning vital headers in the box. Dervite was superbly calm on the ball, making good decisions, as well as that crucial block in the second half. Wiggins threatened to overlap, especially when Stewart came on. The Hull loanee was confident in his technical ability, and produced a stunning debut goal to spark a revival. Harriott didn't quite have the same impact, but he won the ball and put a lot more effort in than Sordell.

I should also emphasise Jackson's leadership role. He was visibly trying to lift his men, clearly unimpressed by the performance. We needed him to take charge, not through a lack of interest but more a lack of concentration and composure. He adds unseen value to the side in this regard, whilst still being worth his place as a footballer alone. Sadly the result didn't come, but Jackson looked like a man who won't just let performances like this become a regular occurrence.

Huddersfield were probably good value for their win. Whilst they created little in the second half, they were more composed and clinical on the ball throughout the game. James Vaughan was a fantastic addition, and he proved his worth with his goal. But it was Lynch's strike that effectively won the game. It really was an unstoppable effort. Sometimes you just have to accept those as an opposition and move on.

Millwall winning makes Saturday a little more worrying. Charlton need Kermorgant fit, as there was a big Yann-sized hole in our side tonight. Without him, I'm far less confident in our ability to produce goals. Powell would be better off playing Stewart and Harriott if Yann is out, as they have a certain spark about them. Not the best start to the season, but the positives are there. We just have to be patient.

On a cold Tuesday night, up north, Charlton lost. It's happened before, and it'll happen again. We just need to keep the faith and back the players. We've been here before, so there's no need for panic. Unless we lose Yann...

Italian Job: Watford 1-1 Charlton Athletic

Charlton travelled to Italy hoping to steal three points, just as they had done in January after that 4-3 epic. The similarities to the classic 1969 film were stark as the game drew to a close - a group of English players turn up and attempt to get the better of the Italians, but whilst all had gone to plan initially, they were left feeling uncertain during a cliff-hanging finale...

Early Moan: 

I spent most of the afternoon muttering about the way Watford have transformed themselves into an Italian feeder club. Just Troy Deeney and Lewis McGugan in the starting line-up were English, with an almost endless stream of Italian (as well as the odd Spanish) names filling the rest of the team-sheet. Since the changes under Zola, I've always looked at it as a sort of betrayal of English football - the abandoning of the combination of signed players built around a core of local players produced by the academy. But Watford have just shipped in a shed-load of foreign stars thanks to a dubious rule change regarding foreign ownership and the loan system. This summer that ruling was changed, but all the Pozzo family did was transfer their players from one of their clubs to another, meaning the Italian influence is still incredibly strong. Of course, Zola still has done a good job to get his squad playing fluid football, but the disproportionate resources available to him compared to most manages really does make a mockery of things. This, of course, heightens the desire to win, or at least defy them on their quest to reach Serie A-- sorry, the Premier League.

The Match:

Chris Powell stuck with his 3-5-2 formation that had served him well against Leicester two weeks previous. Solly was again absent through injury, whilst Richard Wood came in to make his league debut in place of Leon Cort, who is out for around four weeks according to press reports. Kermorgant started up front with Church, ahead of the central midfield trio of Pritchard, Jackson and Stephens. 

Watford started off the better team, but to say it was one-way traffic would be unfair. Stephens was booked very early, after being caught in possession and cynically pulling back his opponent, preventing a counter-attack. Obviously Watford possess a lot of talent, and they put it to good effect with Deeney through the centre playing good passing football with the two outside forwards Forestieri and Fabbrini. A couple of times there were shots from an angle but the attempts to curl them inside the far post were unsuccessful. Charlton were doing a good job of showing the attackers wide, and preventing them from turning inside and having a shot from central areas. As the half progressed, Charlton grew. A clever free-kick saw Kermorgant loop round at the back post, heading across goal. Another header found Wood, and the ball was bundled into the net, but the offside flag was up. Kermorgant was often looking for a flick on to release Church, eventually this created a chance which saw Church bursting through 30 yards from goal, only to be scythed down outside the area. A booking resulted. From the free-kick, Jackson's effort was deflected for a corner.

Another magical piece of play from Yann came close to half time. A diagonal ball was played too him on the right hand side inside the box. He controlled, and then leapt to perform a mid-air scissor kick similar to that which he scored against Hartlepool in 2012. The ball cut back to Church who was unable to fully adjust and tamely skewed the ball to Almunia. Half time arrived, with the scores level. 

From the kick off, Charlton immediately worked the ball down the right hand side. Wilson passed inside to Kermrogant, who flicked it round the corner to Pritchard. He chipped the ball into the area where Wilson had continued his run, only for Belkalem to lunge in and catch Wilson, forcing him to ground. It was a clear foul and the linesman flagged for a penalty. 

Kermorgant immediately had the look of a man determined to take the spot-kick, and score it. He placed the ball down, took a few steps back and turned to face Almunia. Whilst he took his short run-up, his eyes were fixated on the Spanish goalkeeper, up until the moment he reached the ball. His powerful side-footed effort soared into the roof of the net, putting the Addicks one-up. It was a glorious strike. The power, accuracy and conviction in it was sublime. The perfect penalty, and joy in the away end.

Soon after the goal, Hamer was at full stretch to deny a powerful strike by Deeney. Soon after, McGugan fired wide from a great position. A couple of scares for Charlton, followed soon after by Kermorgant going down clutching his ankle. Often he goes to ground but hauls himself up (after treatment, of course) to carry on battling away, and whilst he did so again today, he was clearly struggling. After another five minutes, he went down again, which was a sign his afternoon was over. He was replaced by Pigott, who would have a tough job emulating the all-round performance that Kermorgant had produced.

The frantic half continued. Stephens had a dipping shot from distance saved by Almunia. Deeney almost scored at the other end soon after, his effort flying just wide of the far post. Anya had come on for Watford, and his pace at right-wing-back was a constant menace for Charlton to deal with. A break on that side resulted in Fabbrini forcing Hamer into another good save, but his rebound only fell as far as Pudil, who was able to slot coolly home and level the scores.

At this point, the momentum was all with Watford. For all my petty moaning about the make-up of their side, they played some very incisive, free-flowing, and menacing attacking football. Clinical passing across the box before looking to slot in one of the forwards meant that Charlton had to commit nine to defence, and the clearances were going straight back to Watford to set up another attack. We did extremely well not to concede again, as our defensive shape and commitment was severely tested by the flair and skill of Watford. Anya down the right wing was particularly frightening, using his speed to get to the by-line. Thankfully, the scores remained level.

Having bravely weathered the storm, Charlton had two threatening attacks in the final ten minutes. A cross from the left by Pigott was on its way to Church at the back post, but it was cleared for a corner by a sliding defender. Soon after, a Wiggins cross found Jackson free at the back-post, but his right footed effort was sliced well wide. It was the best, and last, chance we were going to get. 

Once again the busy defensive efforts were renewed. McGugan fired over once again, and an incredible run from Anya set up Deeney, who spurned a great chance to win the game. A desperate cry for a penalty went up, after a ricochet looked to have bounced up into the body of Dervite. Nothing given, and rightly so, given how it was impossible to react to the deflection. Charlton fans were in all sorts of pain, but it was soon over, as the referee blew for full time. A very determined effort saw the Charlton boys return home with a point. 

Watford's fans were irate with the referee, who refused to buy the attempts to win cheap fouls. He was consistent and sensible in the decisions he made throughout the game, despite heavy pressure from the home fans as well as the Watford players. You can't have things your own way all the time...

Performance Analysis:

Charlton were excellent as a team today - the formation requires a lot of energy from the central midfielders as well as the two wing backs, and although we seemed to tire substantially towards the end, it was a really determined effort from the whole side. 

Wood was a particular favourite of mine. He took a ball square in the face early on, but shrugged it off without flinching. He was as solid as his name suggests, making up for a lack of pace with good positioning and reliable tackling. Morrison and Dervite too coped well with the attacking threat of Watford.

Wilson had an excellent game, threatening well down the right and passing with conviction. Wiggins too was good, although Anya gave him real trouble late on. Pritchard ran everywhere once again, and linked well in midfield with Jackson and Stephens. The formation means the trio do not have to play as a line, so they were able to create triangles and link up going forward, further assisted by Kermorgant when he dropped back.

Yann had one of his Gallic Genius days. He won headers, dropped back to hold the ball up and spread the play, as well as show what a superb technique he has. Although Pigott showed good promise, he lacked the nous that Yann has, particularly in terms of when to use his strength. Pigott created a good chance, and held the ball up well, but Kermorgant showed all the attributes today, and rounded it off with a perfect penalty. It hit the roof of the net before the back, such was the precision with which is was struck.

Church ran tirelessly up front, and looked to have developed an understanding with Kermorgant, who was always looking to feed him the ball. Though sometimes it was out of reach, Church forced an opening in the first half but was brought down. His incident at the far end looked dubious, and if true that he swung a couple of punches at the defender who was holding him, he was lucky to escape with a yellow. That said, he looks a threat and will undoubtedly score goals with the service this side is providing. 

Hamer was very good today. His kicking was good, setting up Wilson a couple of times to attack down the right, but he also made a couple of excellent saves to deny Watford. Often he is criticised but today he really did help us on our way to earning that point. 

Final Thoughts:

A point was well-earned, and well deserved. Watford clearly feel aggrieved, but it certainly was not the case of the opposition parking the bus and stealing a point. 

Chris Powell spoke highly of his players, praising the efforts they all put in. "I felt my players, to a man, worked hard for that point. “They showed a lot of energy and quality at times and when they had to dig in when we were under pressure they came through. Watford were in the ascendancy and our players showed a lot of character, and a lot of passion and desire for each other to get something for the game." He does have this wonderful ability to motivate his side, the value of which was shown today. A dogged team effort which deserved a point, at least.

The formation we are playing at the minute is a good one with the players we have. One particular aspect which stands out is that the two wing-backs retain width at all times, meaning the midfield becomes slightly more stretched and space develops for the central trio to work in. It also means that play can be switched from one side to the other hastily, without the need for the flat lines of four to shift over. We passed the ball very well today, particularly when on the counter-attack, and retained possession much of the time too. Whilst Watford tested the central defenders, they largely stood up to the threat well. On another day, a couple of those shots might have gone in, but few teams rival Watford in terms of attacking potency. With a little more control in midfield, we would look very solid indeed. All credit to Powell for having the confidence to try out new tactics. Taking four points off Leicester and Watford is a great achievement. 

On to the next game - Huddersfield may be a struggle if Kermorgant is absent with injury. Apparently he only has bruising, but that may keep him out of Tuesday's away game. He is a vital component in this side, as he provides a key link between the midfield and Church, plus he is a great aerial threat, particularly when deployed at set-pieces. Also, we seem to have a knack of raising ourselves for the big games, so hopefully there is no hangover on Tuesday night, and we can continue to play some of the impressive, incisive football on show today. 

Our away form last season was excellent, and the signs today show that there is no reason for that to change any time soon. I'll be there at Huddersfield, getting right behind the boys and hoping for a good result.

Today, we might not have come away from Italy with a haul of gold, but a point will do just fine. 

Charlton A-A Doncaster: Floodgates Open In More Ways Than One

Where on earth do you start?

One of the most eventful afternoons at the Valley in years, yet it all ends without a result. 

Weather: A rain soaked pitch was set to make the game interesting following a significant amount of rain that had fallen. Heavy showers circled overhead, ready to drench the pitch and create scenes very similar to those seen against Hull last August.

Team Selection: Jordan Cousins earned a starting position after his impressive second half performance at Barnsley, whilst Leon Cort came in for Dervite who had been off colour in the same game. This meant a chance for the home crowd to see how Kermorgant and Church coped up front, as well as how Cousins and Gower got on centrally.

The first half of the first half: 

Almost immediately Charlton found themselves a goal down. Doncaster won a throw on the right, but Charlton weren't happy with the roll of the ball on a clearly wet surface. Wiggins and Morrison protested, but the throw was quickly taken, crossed into the box unchallenged and Keegan rose to head home. Not your ideal start.

Charlton looked very encouraging going forward. Harriott used his trickery to set up a shooting chance. Kermorgant was excellent with the ball at his feet, holding it up, passing back into the midfield to allow the ball to be spread wide. Pritchard could easily have levelled things up. A ball to the back post was volleyed to the near post but was denied by a fine Turnbull save. 

After some more panicked defending from Charlton, the ball ended up rolling across the goalmouth. It stopped rolling very quickly. Morrison panicked despite Hamer calling for it, poised to throw himself to the ground. The hacked clearance fell to Doncaster, and after a pass over the top to what looked like an offside player, a squared cross from the byline was tapped in by Brown. 

Back to the other end, where Kermorgant played a sumptuous, skillful left footed ball on the turn that bisected the defence and allowed Harriott a shot. Again, the near post effort was well saved.

Soon after, the third. More set piece problems defensively and a goal line clearance was required. The volley landed square in the face of Brown six yards from goal, and ricocheted straight into the net. You'd be harsh to blame anyone for that as it was a freak goal. 

By this stage much was being made of the increasingly waterlogged surface, with cries of rage from the crowd whenever a ball was stopping in a puddle. The East Stand side of the pitch was particularly unpredictable, with firm passes stopping dead and bounces proving impossible to predict. A heavy shower after about 15 minutes had soaked the surface, and the Charlton players continued their protestations. Naturally, the home fans were delighted following the decision of the referee to suspend the match with 27 minutes gone. It was more like water polo than football, such was the amount of water on the pitch. Players had been kicking up huge volumes of water as they ran, tried to turn and all sorts. It was probably the right decision, as the game had become so unpredictable. Despite that, Doncaster were obviously aggrieved, with the scoreline as it was. 

The first half interval:

For about half an hour, the groundstaff heroically attempted to shift water from the pitch with one super-sopper, a few brooms and some pitchforks. It was never going to be enough, but they tried nonetheless. Soon after the players had been ordered off, Paul Dickov sent his side back out on to the field, presumably to pressure the officials into restarting the game. They stood around for a while before running over to the corner and picking up some tools of their own. 

The main areas of concern was the penalty area. When Charlton's substitutes emerged to muck around, Nick Pope made a point of hurling the ball up in the air and letting it land on the floor. Twice it did not bounce off the ground at all. The goalmouth itself was incredibly boggy, even with the soaking device run over it a number of times. The amount of water on the East Stand side was hardly reduced, and there was no sun to dry the pitch out. It was still raining.

But the referee announced the match would restart. A quite bizarre decision, given the lack of a change in conditions. This was particularly clear when play did resume...

The second half of the first half:

Play resumed in identical conditions. The ball continued to be slowed and halted by huge amounts of standing water on the East Stand side. But the referee was seemingly uninterested in making consistent decisions, and allowed the final 18 minutes of the first half to take place. 

Charlton continued to look good going forward. Kermrogant was skillful in the middle, beating a couple of players as well as the puddle that tried to steal the ball from him. A superb cross-field move saw the ball transferred through the midfield and out left to Harriott, who won a corner. Encouraging signs. As half time approached, Charlton pulled a goal back. Some good interplay looked to release the lively Simon Church, who broke the line and slotted past Turnbull into the right corner of the net. The crowd sensed the result was not a formality, and urged their side on.

Things got even better. Kermorgant used his skill once again to beat Keegan, who hauled him down having realised a far superior player had just made him look silly. He had already been booked for kicking the ball away in the first half of the first half, and was thus sent from the field. With 10 against 11, and at 1-3 down, suddenly it looked as if Charlton had a real chance to win the game. 

Doncaster worked another clever set piece, and the ball was fired into the net, but the player responsible had been offside, and this time it was spotted by the linesman.

So at quarter past four, it was half time.

Half Time / Full Time:

The players left the field with all sorts of noises coming from the crowd. Some cheered. Some booed the players. Others directed fury at the ref. Many, including myself, stood silent, wondering what on earth we'd just witnessed. 

Charlton's substitutes again emerged to muck about. This time it seemed to be a game of 'how far can you get the ball towards the goalmouth before it stops in a puddle'. It was clearly very wet. 

What made the decision to restart an odd one was that it was still just as waterlogged as it had been before the stoppage. The protestations of the crowd died down as the game settled, and Charlton were resurgent, but the point still stood - if the referee had taken them off in these conditions, surely he should be consistent and do the same.

No announcement was made, and Doncaster's players returned just after 4:30. Oddly, they approached the opposite end of the field and started to applaud their supporters. At this point it was clear that a decision had been made to abandon the game. An announcement soon followed, along with Charlton themselves emerging. Doncaster's players graciously threw their shirts in to the away end, as a sort of apology for the lack of a completed match. Charlton were applauded but I sense many will still use today's showing to direct much vitriol at the players. 

The game was abandoned, and as far as I can tell, none of the goals stand for anything. The radio has just said that all of the cards from today's game stand. Seems a little odd... 

The abandonment was a shame, in a way, because I felt that the situation as it was suited Charlton. 10 v 11, with a point to prove, attacking the home end. It felt like we'd be able to press for a draw, or even a victory. To look at it from the other angle, we've been handed a 'get out of jail free' card, given the really poor start to the game we had defensively. So I suppose we can't complain.

One of the most eventful afternoons the Valley has seen for many years, with no result at the end of it!

Analysis: Defensive errors take focus away from impressive attacking play.

Whilst the game counted for nothing, obviously much will be said about Charlton's performances. There were definitely some negatives, but sadly I fear a lot of the positives will be lost, or ignored, as frustratingly we have a vocal minority of dissatisfied supporters.

Firstly, the negatives, which do need pointing out. We still appear to be making basic defensive errors. Doncaster attacked very well down the flanks, passing to eliminate the full backs, but this does not account for the goals. Both Wiggins and Morrison switched off from what they should've been doing defensively, and instead started complaining about the throw in, or the state of the pitch. Whatever the issue, they allowed the quick throw to be taken, a cross sent in unchallenged, leaving Solly at the back post out-jumped by Keegan, who scored a good header, but should not have been allowed the space to do so. Hamer is at fault for this as well - the fact that we seem to have too many individuals that moan at the officials instead of focus on what they should be doing themselves. It was certainly at fault for the first goal, and it is fairly embarrassing when it keeps on happening. 

The second and third goals were less down to glaring errors, and more down to a combination of chaotic organisation and bad luck. The second was offside, from where I was sat. Before Doncaster got into that position, however, Charlton had to deal with the ball stopping dead in the goalmouth. Hamer called but Morrison cleared in panicked fashion, which allowed Doncaster to attack once again. The resulting attack produced a goal, but it was partly down to the pitch conditions that it came about. That said, Morrison struggled to organise a defence that still looks far less solid than it has been in the past. 

The third goal was unlucky. Another set piece caused problems, but when you clear the ball off the line you can't legislate for it flying into the face of an opponent. 

The positives. Yes, there were plenty! I thought Jordan Cousins worked exceptionally well in midfield with Mark Gower. Cousins looked controlled on the ball, and despite a couple of difficulties with the pitch, tackled and distributed very well indeed. The same goes for Gower, who looked confident with such a composed partner. Harriott was very lively, and could well have scored. He is definitely worth his starting position as he has that spark that often makes something happen. The ball played to him by Yann (who was also very good in my view) was exquisite, and he was unlucky not to score. Simon Church again made bursting runs into space looking for the ball, and took his goal very well, although sadly it won't be recorded as his second league goal. Solly was good down the right, and Pritchard was solid if unspectacular. 

The attacking play itself was very encouraging. I was impressed by the use of the ball to Yann's feet. It allowed him to draw in the defence, re-distribute the ball back to midfield and then spread the play. As always, he was searching for that canny, clever, killer pass to set up a goalscoring chance, and in Church we may just have found a player on his wavelength. Harriott benefited from this improved distribution from the midfield, as he was released in space down the left a couple of times.

Going forward, we looked very lively, and I am sure we'd have scored more had the game continued. Defensively, we left a lot to be desired. I don't like calling for players to be dropped, as I'm not that sort of reactionary fan, but Morrison did look to be more of a liability than ever today. Whether the midfield is at fault for allowing the opposition to attack our back for too much I'm not sure, but organisationally we were a little chaotic. 

As a team, we could certainly benefit from a bit more individual focus, and less remonstrating with officials. It was not solely the cause of being 3-0 down, but it does make an impact when the opposition is looking to make quick attacks. 

The season ahead: Plenty still to be done, but I'm not too worried. We need a lot of work to be done defensively, but we definitely have the coaches and the players to improve. What really was encouraging was how we attacked, as well as how Cousins looked completely at home playing Championship football. Perhaps some changes are needed at the back, but the front 6 definitely look like a settled, exciting, productive group. 

Leicester next weekend may be a tricky fixture, but we have the ability and the motivation to bounce back and win plenty of games this season. We might have to wait a while, but the results should come. With Chris Powell at the helm, we have a man who can and will motivate this group to produce. It just needs a bit more time.

A crazy day, all for nothing, but we will learn from the mistakes, and take heart from the positives.

Incredible finale rewards superb Addicks performance

Charlton Athletic    2-1    Leeds United
Jackson (47)                      Varney (81)
Obika (90+5)

Jonathan Obika's stoppage time header won the game for the Addicks, sending both the fans and Chris Powell absolutely mad with joy. A competitive game in which Charlton held their own, competed throughout, and deserved their victory.

The same XI that beat Bolton lined up for Charlton against a Leeds side struggling for points, and finally rid of everyone's favourite Colin, Neil Warnock. The game was a vital one for both sides, given they were poised 4 and 5 points above the dreaded drop zone before kick off. Despite the prospect of a cagey affair, Charlton played some of their most fluent football of the season. Leeds, given Warnock had drilled the outfit, were very physical, often pushing off opponents when going for headers. But the home side stood up to the test and created a number of chances throughout.

Leeds started the better side, with a cute backheel opening up the back four, but the shot came to nothing. Further pressure caused pockets of restlessness among the crowd, but the general tone of encouragement could be heard, and fortunes picked up for the home side. The chief outlet of opportunity for Charlton was Yann Kermorgant, so often the talismanic fighter leading the line, fighting for the ball. He won so many headers, but the most impressive aspect was his technical ability in controlling the ball in the air and laying it off. He threatened to release Fuller and Harriott with his sublime play, and although things didn't quite click, the free-flowing nature of Charlton's play once he'd won the ball was a joy to watch. On one occasion, he won the ball, escaped from the challenge, and skilled up a midfielder with a quick left right double tap. On another, he brought down a cross and attempted a mid-air left footed scissor-kick from the edge of the box, which wasn't quite powerful enough and was saved. Quite simply, I bloody love the man.

Two attacks stood out as the best chances hat fell to the home side. From a melee in the box from a set piece, Dervite hit a 12-yard left footed volley low towards the bottom left corner, which was seemingly well saved onto the post, and Michael Morrison spurned a glorious chance, blazing his close range left footer effort over the bar. The other chance was Harriott's, whose attacking skill worked himself some space before he drilled a fearsome shot, which at first, given I was sat directly in line with it, looked like it was flying into the top corner. But the ball swerved late and presumably decapitated an unfortunate Leeds supporter.

Half time was greeted with a welcoming, warm applause for the home side, who had impressed without being rewarded. Fuller was working well up front with Kermorgant, who continually won the ball to kick-start attacks.

Shortly after the break came a decisive moment in the game. Charlton worked the ball down the right, but it was defended, cleared as far as Hughes, 30-yards out. He lined up a shot, hitting it hard and low towards the left corner. It was a great effort, but the ball was blocked. Yet the ball looped to a totally unmarked Jackson, who controlled it, sized up his shot, checked if he was offside, sized the shot up again, and finally fired the ball gloriously home, over Paddy Kenny. The net bulged. Happiness.

I will admit, I thought he was offside. Whether he was from the moment of Hughes' shot, which matters, remains to be seen, but the linesman had an age to raise his flag, but didn't. Jackson seized his opportunity, scoring his 10th goal of the season. His finishing this season has been excellent.

Somewhat understandably, from the 50-odd-th minute when that goal went in, Charlton invested less players in attack, defending with more miners to preserve the lead. Few chances came at the Covered End, but a huge let-off came when Dervite completely missed his kick, allowing Steve Morison clean through on goal. Fortunately his rasping effort clipped the outside of the post and went wide.

The free-flowing attacking play of the first half was shelved as time progressed, replaced by the frantic defending we have grown so familiar with. I meet hasten to criticise Powell, but it did seem too early to call off the assault on the Leeds goal, given how many chances had been created. The change on 75 minutes seemed worse than it actually was. Kerkar was introduced in place of Ricardo Fuller, back to his troublesome best up front, but clearly tiring. You thought immediately that Powell had decided on 4-5-1, but actually Harriott had been sent up front to play ahead of Kermorgant. Still, shortly after the substitution, Leeds scored a somewhat predictable goal. The ball pinged around the box, and with the Addicks unable to decisively clear the ball, substitute Luke Varney shot, which dipped below the bar having taken a deflection off Andy Hughes of all people, landing in the far corner of the net. To be fair to him, he celebrated initially but ceased quickly, respecting the home crowd that had welcomed him on (largely) positively. But 1-1 with little time left in the game. Nerves returned, badly.

Harriott was quickly withdrawn and replaced by Jonathan Obika, who'd had a frustrating time since joining on loan from Spurs. Inexplicably, and somewhat ironically, a small pocket of 'supporters' behind booed him. Sensible.

Charlton reignited their attacking desire, suddenly creating fresh chances. Leeds seemed to have accepted the point, bringing Michael Brown on to kick people in midfield. He was booked inside 30 seconds for a dreadful lunge on Kermorgant. Chances came: Kermorgant headed a Kerkar cross wide. Another cross saw Yann hauled to the ground, as defenders resort to doing given his aerial prowess, with the ball eventually finding its was to Chris Solly, who fired a shot from the edge of the box agonisingly across goal, and wide. Not long after, he had another shot from a similar area, this time slightly closer to the goal, which he really should have scored. It was agony. Obika had worked well down the right and got into a position on the byline to cut the ball back, but the defence cleared up and defied the home side again.

4 additional minutes were declared, but this coincided with an injury to Lee Peltier, and an ensuing substitution, delaying the start of the injury time by about 2 minutes. All hope seemed lost, but Charlton didn't give up. They worked the ball into the left hand corner of the pitch, winning a throw-in. Wiggins flicked the ball to Kerker from the throw, who immediately gave the ball back. Wiggins looked up at his options in the box, before looking down again and swinging across a powerful but perfectly weighted right footed cross. Obika rose to meet the ball, which flicked his head when at maximum height, before slamming into the back of the net, top right corner. A late winner! WHAT A GOAL! 

Pandemonium. 

The whole Valley went absolutely bezerk. Utter joy, everywhere. I haven't celebrated a goal like that for a long time, a solid half-minute of going bonkers. Charlton rarely score late goals, which was why that frustrated feeling of an opportunity lost had crept in come stoppage time. But, as they have done all season, Charlton did not stop fighting, and the result was a testament to the desire to play for the shirt that has typified this season. 

Full time arrived soon after, with a tidal wave of relief and joy spreading across the Valley. You cannot beat late winners. Sublime.

Andy Hughes, being the gentleman and legend that he is, went to the Leeds fans to show his appreciation of them, given his cult hero status at the club. And yet he was still cheering with the Addicks fine, a broad grin on his face. Obika offered a worship gesture to the fans. Hamer came over and did his usual pumped-up celebration. The whole squad were celebrating. The moment lasted a good while as the players gradually made their way off the pitch. 

Last of all to leave, of course, was Chris Powell. I absolutely love the man. He tactically shakes hands with everyone before making sure he's the last off. He applauded the crowd in response to the adulation he was receiving. It was incredible how all the doubts about going defensive had ceased, to be replaced with such a pure feeling of happiness. You could see how much the result meant to him. Previously, his tunnel jump has been reserved, but today, it was sublime. He charged out, leapt into the air, to the roar of the crowd, and stayed out clapping them, as a gloriously noisy chant of "Chrissy Powell's Red Army" rung around the ground. He eventually went back down the tunnel, only to reappear once again. Special moments shared with a great man. His man-management above anything was demonstrated today. Motivating Obika to come on and play well after a frustrating time is a true testament to the greatness of our manager. 

Individual Performances:

Hamer was solid if unspectacular. His goalkick to the opposite side of the field for Wiggins, who set up Harriott's fierce shot, was excellent, and he collected everything that he needed to. Very solid.

Solly probably should've been the man we are all praising for scoring the winner late on, but he was still at his belligerent best, fighting for the ball and often coming out on top. Nothing typified his efforts more than him charging down the goalkeeper in the Leeds penalty area after running 80-yards to try and force a mistake. 

Wiggins was also solid, he struggled to get into the game, but was good in releasing the talented Harriott. But that cross at the end was absolutely sublime. I really like him at left-back.

Morrison was excellent in the air, dealing with pretty much all that was thrown at him. As was Dervite, who was far better than he was in the first half against Bolton, although he was fortunate to get away with that one glaring error that almost allowed Leeds to score.

Pritchard was at his energetic best, although I reckon he gets too excited when in the opposition penalty box, hence the lack of end product. He won headers and put in some good balls, despite at times struggling for control. His work rate is just fantastic.

Harriott was also superb, creating chances  and causing problems for the Leeds defence. His first-half shot was spectacular, but inaccurate. He fully deserves to carry on playing left-midfield for the season as he's learning every game.

Andy Hughes is a legend. He didn't have his best game today as a few clearances were sliced and he - unfortunately - deflected Varney's shot over Hamer and in. But would I have wanted somebody else playing instead? No. His brilliance was demonstrated by his diving header, under pressure, to get the ball back to Hamer. Even the Leeds fans sung "Hughesy" after he shepherded the ball off for a goal kick late on. He motivates, leads by example, and tidies up the play extremely well in the middle. A great asset for our club. As is Johnnie Jackson, who took his goal incredibly well, and despite his poor challenge that brought the yellow card, he worked really well with Hughes centrally once again. After a shaky start in the Championship he has become one of our better players, and he is a superb leader. Love the central duo, they were great today.

Fuller worked very well today, threatening to create chances throughout, and getting onto knockdowns from Kermorgant superbly. He was unlucky not to get a chance on goal, but with him playing like that, we look a constant threat in attack.

Lastly of the starters, we come to Yann Kermorgant. Quite simply, he is a brilliant footballer. He won so many headers, and as I mentioned earlier, his technique in playing the ball from awkward positions is sublime. He was unlucky not to score, with a header saved and another denied by a blatant foul, but as the man who created so many opportunities today, he was great. I know I'm biased because I love the man, but I think he deserves Man of the Match for his efforts today. Heroic. 

Of the substitutes, Obika made the greatest impression, with an excellent run to create a chance, and of course that perfect injury time headed winner. Powell's ability to keep the morale of players up is one of the reasons he is indispensable as a manager. Kerkar came on and you can also see why Powell is once again considering him for the first team. Involved in the goal, but worked hard and kept the play going. Both show the value of maintaining a good squad, and crucially, keeping morale high. 

A brief point, which is that Stuart Attwell was terrible. He missed countless handballs and refused to give free-kicks for pushing and pulling when players challenged for headers. Yet he gave a foul for Kermorgant's attempted challenge which led to the Leeds goal. An incompetent performance, which thankfully didn't prove costly for us.

The tactics between the Charlton goal and the Leeds equaliser were a tad suspect, but I don't think that should reflect badly on Chris Powell. He went defensive too early, but still inspired his side to a second home victory in as many game - quite frankly a miraculous achievement the way this season has gone. He continues to bring the best out of his players, and in motivating the whole squad to keep at it, his side are deservedly moving away from the relegation places. 12th place is a fine effort, even if the season is not yet over, and safety not mathematically secured. Results favoured Charlton today, and whilst that is to be cheered, there is still work to do. Have I got faith in Powell and the team to win more games though? Of course. 

A great afternoon at the Valley, despite the gloom when the game was seemingly headed for a draw. You don't need to look further than Chris Powell's post-match celebrations to work out how much the result means for our football club. I felt earlier that 54 points would be enough for safety, and whilst that is obviously by no means a factual statement, the team is well positioned to keep picking up points and move away from the drop zone.

A famous victory in SE7. Up the Addicks.

Addicks collect three vital points from lively Bolton encounter

Alarming home form this season and a couple of bad results has seen the Addicks slide towards that frightening relegation scrap, and though the three points were well deserved and incredibly welcome, more wins for lower clubs means there is still no justification in relaxing - and Chris Powell will certainly know that. Whilst the scrap is a frantic one, the game today highlights the spirit, hunger, desire and determination that the squad possess should mean safety isn't too far away.

Hamer returned in goal, whilst Dervite filled in for the presumably injured Matt Taylor at centre back. Pritchard played right midfield with Jackson accompanied in the middle by Andy Hughes, after a lengthy injury absence. Harriott continued on the left whilst Kermorgant and Fuller started up front. Bolton fielded a strong team, including David Ngog, who scored twice in the reverse fixture, and Jay Spearing, in on loan from Liverpool. 

Charlton got off to a terrible start, with Bolton's inter-linking play between midfield and the forward line cut the Addicks apart. Hamer was forced to make an excellent early save to his left, but a goal was coming. Sordell was free in space near the edge of the area - Dervite leaving too much room for him - and the striker took the ball, beat his man with ease and fired home. 0-1 inside four minutes. 

Charlton improved after initial lifelessness, but Kamara wasn't closed down on the edge of the box, and his shot curled into the bottom corner, in off the post. Hamer scrambled but couldn't save it. A good shot, probably too easy for him to hit it. 0-2, with some pockets of booing heard above the cheers of the travelling Bolton fans. 

The two goals had thankfully shocked the hone side into life, with the greatest threat being posed down the left. Harriott was a livewire, and Wiggins arrived on the overlap. A number of crosses and shots came from that side, until the half hour mark arrived. Jackson made a darting run through the centre, and Fuller managed to avoid obstructing his progress and instead laid the ball off nicely for the skipper who fired a left-footed shot across goal into the bottom right corner. 1-2, the crowd roaring encouragement.

The sides traded blows until half time, with the Addicks seeing a couple of shots deflected behind, and a frantic mis-punch from Lonergan almost presenting a chance from one resulting corner, but the sides went in at the break with the score 1-2. The home side were applauded off after their positive efforts to get back into the game, drowning out any who thought booing would be a good idea. The game was well poised, and almost irrationally I still felt Charlton could win it, despite the dreadful home form. 

Charlton threatened, and continued to trouble down the left. Harriott enjoyed perhaps a few too many shots, but he was the most creative player, and his performance was a real plus. 

It could be argued that just before the hour mark was the game's real turning point. A long ball towards Fuller saw Knight and Ricketts close towards him. The Charlton striker won the header and was brought down immediately after by Ricketts in attempting to play the ball. A free-kick was given 30 yards out, and somewhat to the displeasure of Dougie Freedman, the defender was given a second yellow card. It definitely looked like a yellow card offence, given Fuller had nodded the ball towards goal and was looking good to get on the end of it, although all three had made an honest attempt to get the ball, so perhaps you could argue it was a tad harsh. Immediately Sordell was brought off and Butterfield sent on. It presented the Addicks with a golden opportunity to steal the three points.

Jackson and Kermorgant were both poised, ready to strike the free kick. The whistle went. Yann stepped forward and curled his typically sublime effort towards the bottom left corner of the goal. Lonergan sprawled. The ball clattered the post. Players flung themselves towards the rebound, the ball deflecting slightly off Pritchard, making Hughes attempt at a header look comical given the ball was nowhere near when he completed his dive. It travelled past them. Dervite, free in the area, rolled a first time left footed shot, resembling more of a pass, into the wide open right side of the goal. A frantic few seconds capped off by a calm finish, and another great roar from the home crowd. One man advantage, with half an hour to play. What an opportunity.

Not long after that, Fuller again won the ball in the far corner, and flicked the ball past Butterfield into the penalty area. In the process of chasing back, Pratley clipped the leg of Fuller who was forced to ground. Trevor Kettle pointed to the spot. What a chance. After the initial protestations, it became clear who was going to take the penalty, although a couple of double-takes were necessary. Yann Kermorgant was waiting by the spot. It would be his first competitive penalty since the infamous chip that was saved in the playoff semi-final - the reason Leicester gave him so much stick. He placed the ball confidently on the spot. It was the pressure of a normal penalty, heightened by the terrible home form this season, the desperation to secure three points to climb away from the dropzone, and yet the overriding feeling was that of fear, for the talismanic striker who was about to take a step into the unknown. 

The whistle went. Kermorgant charged towards the ball, side-footing a powerful effort that curved away from the diving Lonergan and crashed into the back of the net, sparking an even greater roar than before from the home supporters. Yann celebrated properly, once again illustrating his commitment to this club. The goal completed the comeback, from the depths of despair at 0-2, to the joy and ecstasy of 3-2. However, there was the small matter of defending for the next 25 minutes, which Chris Powell unfortunately seemed all too eager to do. 

Hughes was withdrawn after a fine comeback on 70 minutes, replaced by the impressively calm and clinical Mark Gower. Kermorgant dropped off Fuller and played more of a covering central midfield role. Charlton sat deep. Worryingly deep. 

The chances still came, but the intensity in attack was significantly reduced, given the desire not to give a goal away. Kermorgant had acres of space on the right and chose his target when crossing for the far post, only to see Harriott mishit the shot which went wide. Pritchard almost turned in a cross from the left but the effort was superbly blocked by a flying Wanderers defender. Towards the end of the 90 minutes, Kermorgant rose above Butterfield at the back post and his header was touched superbly over the bar by the jumping Lonergan. 

Bolton attempted to salvage something from the game, bringing on Craig Davies. It was an odd change as his sole objective throughout the short period he spent on the pitch seemed to be to just act like a complete idiot and make as many fouls as possible. He used his arms, elbows and all to try and get the ball, all to no avail. He was booked for shoving Michael Morrison, and when the ball dropped for Wiggins to hoof clear, his lunge from behind flattened the left-back, and earned him a deserved second yellow card. A quite magnificent display of incompetence and ineptitude from the former Barnsley front-man. 

The final 20 minutes weren't entirely pleasant to watch. The Addicks initially held the ball well up the field, but that soon turned to panicked clearances and brave headers as Bolton heaved the ball forward in an attempt to steal a late equaliser. Hamer collected a fierce low ball across goal, as well as a couple of tame shots, while dealing with crosses well. With a linesman being replaced injured, we knew there would be some added time to come, but we weren't prepared when the board was raised and the number 7 was staring back at us. SEVEN? I clicked my stopwatch into action and let the panic commence. A couple of nervy moments were well negotiated, and the sending off occurred too, but despite Bolton's best efforts, the Addicks defence held firm, and three points were secured. Get in.

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It was a superb team performance, one where picking a standout player proved extremely difficult. 

Hamer dealt with everything he had to, and save for one dubious moment when challenging for a high ball, he was very solid on his return to the side.

Solly was immense, yet again. He cleared up at the back when Bolton threatened to break, proved extremely difficult to beat at right back, and made one of the most heroic charging runs late on that you'd wish to see. The ball was hoofed clear, with nobody chasing, so Solly took it upon himself to sprint after it. He managed to win the ball, before being spectacularly hauled to the ground, winning a free kick. He really is f---ing quality. 

Wiggins was superb as well, defending solidly and linking up beautifully with Harriott down the left. Though his crosses didn't find the target, the main threat came down the left and he deserves credit for creating space for Harriott to exploit. 

Morrison had a tough task in dealing with Ngog all game, but he did so resolutely. There were a number of balls contested where fouls could have been given either way, but weren't, hence it was a real scrap to win. He did so more often than not. 

Dervite had a rather terrible first half. He was five yards off Sordell and was beaten too easily in the process of scoring the first goal, and threw himself into 50-50 situations where he was taking too much of a risk, many of which he came off second best. But come the second half, he had become far more solid. He took his goal calmly, and won a number of headers to keep Bolton at bay. 

Pritchard was the bundle of energy he always has been, charging up and down the right flank all game. There was some good inter-linking play when he got forward, but the combination down the left showed that an out-and-out right midfielder offers more. However, he's in the team because of his tireless efforts and defensive assistance, and as ever he gave his all. 

Jackson was once again excellent, he leads the team incredibly well. He took his goal superbly, and calmed the game down when he got the ball by spreading the play, as well as tackling when necessary. A great leader.

Hughes played a similar role. A number of first-touch passes opened the play up nicely. His strength is that he brings other players into the game, and it was clear he plays a big motivational role in the centre as well. We've missed him. A great guy to have in the middle, and at the club.

Harriott was lively for the whole game. He runs around ceaselessly like Pritchard, and had a number of efforts on goal. Only one really found the target, which was well saved, but the number of chances he created with his trickery down the left prove he really is a valuable asset to have, and a threatening attacker. Really promising performance. 

Kermorgant was superb, as ever. He made two excellent sliding tackles and managed to somehow swing round the other leg when on the ground to pass the ball. His free-kick was quality, desperately unlucky not to go in, and he showed his bravery when stepping up to take that penalty. It was an emphatic finish. He won headers to link the play up, and put himself about like he always does. Great man.

Fuller flitted in and out of the game. In the first half he did nothing until getting the wrong side of Knight and firing a shot wide. In the second half, his trickery won the penalty, and his header won the free-kick that resulted in the sending off. Apparently he popped his shoulder out again, so to fight through that pain was a truly brave effort.

Gower showed he is a composed midfielder during his 20 minute spell on the pitch, offering a lovely calming influence, similar to the role Hughes had carried out, but with a little more conviction in the final ball. Haynes came on and should probably have outpaced the defence to score, but slowed the ball down and passed the ball wider to create a chance. Wilson did his duties.

Chris Powell was prevented from doing his usual celebratory tunnel jump by a grumpy Trevor Kettle, who had been heckled by Freedman continuously on his way off as a result of the first red card he'd given. The manager deserves great credit for instilling that confidence and belief in his Charlton side. They showed superb fight to come back from 0-2 down, and though there was a red card to assist the victory, we were very much in the ascendancy before that red was given. Powell really deserves a lot of credit for his work this season.

Though ultimately the result did not alter the points difference between us and the bottom three, a performance like that illustrates that the squad has the fight to come up with another few results to make Championship status secure for next year. Hopefully we might be treated to the luxury of another home win in the process!

A vital three points, well deserved. Up the Addicks. 

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Video of Kermorgant's penalty can be seen here. (Credit to @Strayslacks for uploading it.)

An excellent article from Valley Talk on Chris Powell's position can be read here.