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.

Charlton 1-0 QPR: Jackson Wins Thriller

Its been a tough season for Charlton. Only five league wins, and plenty of performances where luck hasn't been on our side. Its felt like we've been about to turn the corner for months, without ever quite managing to do so. The visit of QPR to the Valley didn't promise much for the Addicks, who were coming up against the league's strongest squad. To take a point from the game would require resilience, fight and desire. But this Charlton side showed that there is far more to football than throwing big names together to make an eleven - hunger, heart and passion make a team what it is. Charlton Athletic possesses all of those traits, and more. It was a defiant and brilliant performance capped off by a moment of pure delirium, as Johnnie Jackson headed home the winner. His goal sent the Valley into pandemonium, and, against all the odds, gave Charlton a fully deserved three points.

Initially, it was the visiting side that looked the most fluent of the two. QPR possess some quality individuals in their squad even without the recent addition of loan signed Ravel Morrison. He looked to have a certain arrogance and flair about him, floating around at the top of the midfield and looking to create chances. A few counter-attacks saw chances fall for QPR, but none of them found the target, and Kevin Doyle cut a lone figure up front at times.

Despite starting slightly slower, Charlton had the best chance(s) of the half. Jordan Cousins found space on the edge of the box, firing a shot past Robert Green which cannoned back off the post. The ball fell to an unmarked Reza Ghoochanejhad (just 'Reza'...) who only had to side-foot the simple chance into the empty net, what with Green still on the floor. His effort found the left post, bounced back out and was cleared, despite many home fans thinking it had gone in. It left me with a feeling that we'd regret missing a chance as golden as that against a side as good as QPR.

Reza fought hard, but struggled to make an impact against the imposing Richard Dunne in the Rangers defence. Church ran himself into the ground, but found few openings to exploit. Despite the solid defensive and midfield performance in the first half, we still looked quite weak in attack, with no crosses coming from Danny Green on the right, and nobody in the box able to win headers. I won't name the player we were missing, but you can probably work it out.

The second half saw Charlton grow into the game to the extent that they dominated the last twenty minutes of play. QPR still threatened, with Morrison playing a central role in the play, but he was twice only able to slice wide when he should have done better.

The match was transformed when Powell made a double substitution, withdrawing the eager but tiring Reza, and the ineffective Danny Green, and replacing them with debutant Marcus Tudgay and midfield maestro Astrit Ajdarevic. They gave the team renewed impetus, and the clever and canny play of Ajdarevic was instrumental in pushing the Addicks forward.

Charlton's industry was being rewarded, with chances became more frequent. Cousins and Poyet had controlled the central areas, allowing the skipper to roam down the left flank. Jackson looked to fire a shot across goal after a nice move down the left, but he could only skew it wide. The skipper was at the heart of the attacking play down the left, but also vital in defence. He was doing all that you could ask of a captain, and his side responded to the encouragement from the Valley crowd.

Sensing that QPR were not at the races, and that the game was there to be won, with 20 minutes to go the home crowd urged Charlton on every time they took possession. There was unity in the stands, with everyone fully behind the players in red on the pitch. The players fed off the atmosphere, and showed great heart in the final quarter of the match. The game was building to a crescendo - a goal would have set the place alight.

A huge moment of panic at the back almost gifted QPR a goal. Yohan Thuram, who had looked far from composed throughout the game despite not being forced into a save, received a back-pass from Dervite with Maiga running towards him. Instead of hoofing clear, the keeper tried to play the ball back past the onrushing striker, but only succeeded in giving it straight to him. Maiga, fortunately, ran out of space trying to go round Thuram, and the on-loan keeper was reprieved.

Minutes later, the ball was bouncing around the Charlton area, with Will Keane looking to fire off a shot. The ball found its way towards the back post where Maiga had the chance to control and finish, but his touch let him down. Thuram leapt across goal to catch the ball, and succeeded. It was met with fervent scenes in the crowd, as many jumped to their feet to celebrate the keeper demonstrating for the first time that he actually had a safe pair of hands.

Charlton's best spell came towards the end of 90 minutes, with Dunne, Hill and Onuoha repelling frequent forays forward. A scramble in the box resulted in the ball breaking free on the edge of the area, with Onuoha racing after it. Diego Poyet put in a thumping slide tackle, winning the ball and sending it to Ajdarevic on the right-hand side of the area. He curled a shot that was creeping inside the post, but a fantastic full-stretch save from Robert Green tipped it around the post.

Ajdarevic came over to take the corner, with the Covered End roaring the home side on. His ball curved over the area towards the back post, where Johnnie Jackson looked to have the better of his man. He soared into the air, met the ball with a strong header down into the ground. The ball beat Green, bounced up and glanced a defender on its way across goal. It hit the back of the net. GOAL!

Cue wild scenes of some of the most incredible joy I've seen at the Valley. The crowd went absolutely bonkers, a delirious explosion which was just perfect. Jackson charged over to the front of the North Stand, jumping into the crowd and being mobbed by fans and team-mates alike. Still the crowd celebrated. It was absolute carnage! The most satisfying, deserved and important late goal we've seen for a very long time.

It makes me smile just thinking about how good that moment was. Those memories last for years.

The stuffing had been well and truly knocked out of QPR, and Charlton were able to cling on for the final couple of minutes of added time. The final whistle sparked further celebration, with most of the crowd staying to cheer off their heroes. Chris Powell was so delighted, he shook the hands of every single person on the field, including random ground staff. He embraced his captain; Johnnie Jackson - the matchwinner - had sealed his hero status with the Valley faithful, although in the eyes of many, he'd done that a long time ago. The players were visibly emotional, with hugs happening all over the place. It was a truly wonderful time to be at the Valley.

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There is still work to be done, particularly in attack, but the performance today showed that you can't put a price on team spirit. Chris Powell's value to this club has been difficult for a minority to see, but not even they could deny how pivotal a role he played in lifting this team to the heights they reached. To start with two teenagers in central midfield, against the likes of Jermaine Jenas and Ravel Morrison, shows how much faith he has in his players, and their performance reflected their pride in wearing the red shirt. Poyet and Cousins were superb, making tackles but also spreading the play to wider areas. Wilson and Wiggins ran the touchlines superbly, and defended with their typical solidity. Morrison and Dervite were stout at the back, repelling attacks with increasing conviction as the game went on.

Astrit Ajdarevic might not run as much as we want, but my goodness does he have something about him. His introduction breathed new life into the side. He has a clever footballing brain, making a long diagonal pass to Cousins which almost came off, but resulted in a throw high up the pitch. He played a clever one-two with Jackson down the left soon after coming on, and although it came to nothing, it showed that he could make things happen. His shot pushed a former England goalkeeper to his limits in order to keep the score level, and his corner provided the assist for one of the great Valley goals in terms of importance and meaning. Add to that the fact that he's a bit of a hero, tweeting lines such as: "Massive games ahead of us. We need all help we can get, and we need to stick together." He certainly has that quality which will be vital if we want to score goals, and remain in the Championship.

Jackson: "Forget the goal though,best part of the day was trying
to high jump the railing behind the goal and getting stuck!!

As for Johnnie Jackson, well, he's a hero. Chris Powell mentioned that a lot of the work he does goes unnoticed, with it involving defensive positioning, organisation and hard work-rate. Today, in his role on the left, we saw what had been missing a few times this season, which was the attacking ability of Jackson. He was a key player on the left-hand side, teaming up with Wiggins and later Ajdarevic to cause QPR problems. But what singles Jackson out is his ability to score important goals for the club. He pulled the side back into the game when 2-0 down to Cardiff last season; again, when 2-0 to Bolton, he came up with a goal; who could forget his winner at Watford in that incredible 4-3 victory. And when it mattered, he was there at the back post to head home the winner against QPR, with the threat of relegation looming. Its not just his goals, but his obvious passion for the club that makes him a vital asset. He's singled out for criticism for not playing an influential enough role in games, but this is just wrong. Jackson embodies the heart and passion of this football club. Just look at the way that goal was celebrated. Him and Powell are two vitally important people in our battle to avoid the drop, and today was the perfect demonstration of that. What a hero.

Powell spoke of Jackson's importance. “He led from the front. People always look at the manager and the captain to lead the team and he does it in a different way. He does it with a lot of unseen work and moments of quality and normally with John that's with his goals. He put in such a terrific shift, the fans want that and the fans can see that. 

“It's a terrific day for this football club."

"It's a great day for my players, they were immense today. It was a terrific performance. They got their just reward.”

How can you read those words and not be bursting with pride? Chris Powell might not be a tactician, but his ability to motivate a side is exceptional. The eleven on the field today did not include many quality players, but Powell has this ability to make a side exceed the sum of its parts. To beat a team of QPR's quality shows what a vital asset he is to our football club. Admittedly, there seemed to be a lot of mercenaries in that Rangers side, but it reflects the way the manager has put it together. Redknapp's reputation exceeds the qualities of the man. Powell is the opposite. He is under-rated even by a number of Charlton fans. I struggle to see how anybody else could've held things together over the past season or so, with such turmoil off the field and a lack of resources to add quality to the side. Powell has been the glue holding us together, instilling such a wonderful team spirit in the side. We've suffered a number of setbacks, but every time we've come out fighting in the next game. Rarely have the players let the manager down. To have a man so adept at creating a strong dressing room is one thing; to have a man able to do that as well as having such a passion for the club is another. Chris Powell is Charlton's great asset, and he needs to stay for many years to come.

A wonderful afternoon of football thanks to the heart and passion shown by Charlton's players. They want this as much as we do. The vibe is so different to that of the previous Championship relegation battle, where players cracked under pressure and shirked responsibility. We've got a side that will fight to the very end here. The reason for that is the team spirit we've got. That spirit flows from Johnnie Jackson, and Chris Powell. We are far stronger with them than without them.

Charlton 3-2 Brighton: "It just felt like Charlton today"

Following the encouraging draw at Bolton, Chris Powell's men were able to successfully defeat a strong Brighton side thanks to a heroic team performance. 

On the long journey home from Bolton following Saturday's draw, my thoughts rarely deviated from the performance of Yann Kermorgant. The combative Frenchman - such a rare commodity - had put in an archetypal performance, hinting that he could reach and surpass the heights of his exploits last season. This obsessive focus was partly as a consequence of my love of the man, but that was not all. The dynamism that a fit-and-firing Kermorgant brings to the side gave real reason for optimism. The pieces were falling in to place on Saturday, and whilst we'd rather have returned south with three points instead of one, Yann's performance in that role gave hope of better things to come.

Fast forward to Boxing Day, skipping out the ritual festivities, and that hope remained. Brighton promised to pose a stern test for this Charlton side, but one that they were capable of passing should the performance be of the required standard.

An early kick-off gave the Addicks a chance to secure points before fellow strugglers had the chance, perhaps instilling a bit of worry into their subsequent performance. Rarely should another team's score factor into match preparation, but you can't rule it out. Far from focussing on others, though, the Addicks had to concentrate on the task at hand. Two home games in four days provided a great chance to ease those relegation fears.

Chris Powell retained the same players that started the game at Bolton, meaning Chris Solly was making his first home appearance since his injury lay-off. Alnwick continued in Hamer's absence, whilst Richard Wood was back at the heart of defence with Michael Morrison. Wilson's more advanced role would give him more freedom to venture forward, whilst Kermorgant partnered Church up top once again.

A strong contingent had travelled up from the south coast, ready to cheer on a side which had won three of their last four away games.

The Valley surface was heavy, meaning many of the early passes were a little short of pace. Once the sides adjusted, the contest began in earnest...

Brighton looked a strong side. Close control of the ball enabled them to put together a few clinical passes to shift the ball out of areas of danger and into space. Ulloa's return up front gave their attack a focal point, and a few swift moves enabled them to trouble the Charlton back line. He threatened to set up an opener, but his cut-back was too far away for the oncoming attacker to connect with.

A dangerous Brighton move down the left saw a Will Buckley shot blocked on the edge of the area. The rebounding ball fell towards Stephens, who was nudged in the back by Crofts, but no foul was given. The header fell to Ulloa, who twisted, turned and struck a low shot into the right corner of the net. Alnwick was unable to adjust and dive in the muddy goalmouth. Goal for the Seagulls.

Far from feeling sorry for themselves after the goal, Charlton were energised, and sought an immediate response. Cameron Stewart cut inside and fired a shot towards goal, but it kept on rising and was comfortably over the bar by the time it reached the goal.

An incisive pass from Stephens found Kermorgant, moving towards his own goal away from his marker. He controlled, turned and fed through Church, who was slightly too far away from goal, his curled effort blocked.

A couple of half-chances followed, one for each side. Crofts had a shot comfortably held by Alnwick, whilst Stephens arrowed a long range free-kick over the bar and into the crowd.

Cousins and Stephens in the middle weren't sitting as deep as they had been at Bolton, and their industry combined with heart saw many Brighton moves thwarted. Wood and Morrison were winning the contest in the air, whilst Solly and Wiggins were standing firm against the threat of Buckley and Lopez.

Another promising attack was created down the left hand side thanks to some positive play by Rhoys Wiggins. His cross into the box didn't quite fall for Kermorgant, deflecting off the defender close by. Yann instinctively stabbed the ball through into space on the right side of the area, where Lawrie Wilson had advanced. The right-midfielder had a free shot, which he powered past Brezovan in the Brighton goal, hauling the Addicks level.

It was a deserved goal. After going behind, the response had been positive. Charlton were looking to put together moves using Kermorgant aerial strength, as well as by overlapping down the flanks.

"He used to be shite, but now he's alright" sang the Upper North contingent. I was confused by the implied criticism of Wilson, who's done a great job every time he's been asked to by Powell. After adjusting to the demands of the Championship, he's been a strong and versatile player down the right for us. He deserves a bit more than being labelled 'alright'!

Few clear-cut chances were created before the break. Wilson broke down the left but Church couldn't divert the cross on target. Bridcutt fired a powerful shot narrowly wide for the visitors. Wiggins charged down the left, but his cross came to nothing.

The interval arrived, greeted by applause from the home fans. A chance for Powell to refocus the players' minds and renew their purpose.

What followed was one of the best spells of high-intensity football I've seen this side play since that blitz against Cardiff 13 months ago. The midfield pressed with more conviction; unrelenting Addicks pressure followed. Stewart broke down the left and reched the by-line, but Upson rose to prevent Kermorgant heading towards goal.

A counter-attack resulted in Kermorgant sprinting clear from the half-way line. He looked to continue the run beyond El-Abd, shifting his angle of attack towards the corner flag. A cynical challenge from El-Abd denied the Frenchman any chance of moving towards goal. Despite the clear absence of any intent to play the ball, referee Russell deemed that only a yellow was required. By the letter of the law, a correct call, but too often players can make professional fouls and escape with a yellow. From the free-kick, the ball was played wide to Solly in space, who crossed into a flock of Seagulls defenders, and the ball was cleared.

After yet more pressing, and yet more pressure, Charlton put together another great attack. Stewart crossed towards the edge of the box, behind Kermorgant. He tried an acrobatic shot to divert the ball into the net, but it was mis-kicked. Wilson had again advanced into the box, and he collected the ball, knocked it out wider into a bit of space, before firing high into the net once again. For the second time, Brezovan was beaten by power, and for the second time Wilson stood with hands behind his ears, a sign that he had answered those critics.

Charlton attacked again. Church and Kermorgant broke from half-way, with the former charging down the left wing. Only a defensive leap could prevent Kermorgant from heading at goal once again.

Brighton calmed the game down with some slow passing around the back, which enabled them to regain a foothold. A few pot-shots failed to trouble Alnwick in the Charlton goal, but the threat of a few well-placed passes releasing Ulloa had not disappeared.

Church once again covered a lot of ground to take the ball down the left. He knocked the ball past El-Abd and attempted to run beyond him, only to be pushed to ground cynically once again. Surely another foul worthy of a yellow, and a deserved sending off. Referee Russell, however, baffled the home crowd by waving away protests for a free-kick. Shambles.

Barnes, brought on to give Brighton some impetus up top, and immediately found himself unmarked at a corner, but couldn't adjust to the flight of the ball and headed over. Soon after, Ulloa gave the Addicks cause for alarm, heading a Brodcutt corner past Alnwick towards the front post. Fortunately, Dale Stephens was positioned to nod the ball clear, and preserve the home side's lead.

Down the other end, in front of the North Upper, Wiggins beat two players and shaped to cut inside. His run took him across the edge of the area, where he was scythed down by El-Abd in the process of passing to Wilson on the right. After an advantage, the referee awarded the free kick to Charlton.

The ball was a few yards to the left of the D, just outside the line of the post. The referee failed to move the wall back ten yards, so just gave up. Yann was standing over the ball, narrowing his eyes to focus on finding the top left corner. The wall encroached gradually as Kermrogant waited for the whistle. It was blown and a hush fell over the Valley.

Yann stepped up to the ball and struck the ball over the wall. It curved, it dipped. Brezovan stood motionless. The crowd stared. Whilst the ball was in the air, time seemed to slow. The ball was destined for the top corner. It found the target. A goal for Kermorgant!

Pure unbridled joy in the Covered End. It was as cleanly struck as they come. The perfect free-kick from a man who had battled hard all day to create and deny at both ends of the pitch. His first set-piece goal since scoring against Wycombe in the game where the League One title was secured. A fitting finish from a man capable of footballing perfection.

With 15 minutes still to play, Powell looked to secure the three points that were there for the taking. But Brighton were able to apply some pressure, and came very close to scoring with 10 to go. A shot hit one post, before another hit the other. Narrow escapes for the home side.

Stewart was replaced by Evina to strengthen the defences down the left hand side, whilst the hard-working Church was replaced by Dervite. Once again he'd run himself into the ground up front, chasing scraps. An important role but an under-appreciated one.

Charlton dug deep, with Solly, Wilson and Kermorgant combining admirably with little support in an attempt to keep the ball away from their own goal. Solly had been superb, displaying strength in defence and energy in attack. But there was only so much they could do before Brighton stole the ball and launched another offensive.

90 minutes had elapsed before the seemingly inevitable goal came about. Stephens made a rash challenge that could've conceded a penalty, but Brighton played on, with the ball crossed to Barnes. His first shot was blocked, but a second bounced through to Ulloa, who tapped home despite a hint of offside.

Charlton clung on thanks to some unsubtle time-wasting, but the job was done. Three points!

Yann was covered in mud, showing just how good his performance had been. He was applauded off the park a hero, along with all the other players. To witness Powell's tunnel jump once more was a welcome moment of happiness after a tough season up to this point. The man himself was thrilled as well.

That was a proper Charlton performance. One we can all be proud of.

Wilson will rightly win many plaudits for his performance, one that was undoubtedly among his best for Charlton. The two goals will grab the headlines, but it was not the only aspect of his play that impressed. Both goals were taken clinically, struck with power and accuracy that strikers would be proud of. He was a threat on the right as well, often combining with Solly to piece together dangerous attacks. The song does him a disservice, as he's settled into the club extremely well. Another 'Powell player' who makes up for any potential shortcomings with energy and desire.

Solly also caught the eye, with his defending strong and that darting attacking instinct back on display. On one occasion he span past a player and cut inside to set up a chance, delighting the crowd. The sight of him charging down the flank is an inspiring one. A true Charlton lad, his heart well and truly devoted to the cause.

Morrison and Wood were excellent at the back, with the latter particularly strong. He adds an extra organisational element to the backline, and whilst he might not be the polished ball-player like Dervite, he adds solidity at the back. The first goal will have frustrated, but otherwise the pair were strong and repelled a lot of danger.

Wiggins had a superb game. He is a real threat going forward down the left, combining with Stewart, swinging crosses in and sometimes even cutting inside on his own individual run. Powell's flat 4-4-2 system requires strong full-back assistance going forward, and that's exactly what Wiggins provides. Earning the free-kick for Yann to score was among his best moments.

Stephens showed a marked improvement on his Bolton display, accurately feeding the ball to Kermorgant on occasion. A lot of his best work was done in defence, alongside Cousins, who once again covered a lot of ground and protected the back four on numerous occasions. We are benefitting not only from a settled midfield pairing, but also the contrasting roles the two play. Stephens can involve himself more in attack thanks to the defensive cover that Cousins provides. The latter is growing in confidence and skill with every game.

Stewart had one of his quieter games, but he still caused trouble down the right hand side. He forced Salter to concede foul and collect a yellow card for a cynical shirt pull after he'd been beaten. A couple of crosses caused alarm, and a couple of shots almost found their way towards goal.

Church's role was one that could easily go unnoticed, but his tireless efforts up front are vital to Charlton's attacking play. He had to chase a few balls over the top and into the channels, and did so with success. He couldn't always find his man with the crosses, but his industry allows Charlton to win the ball high up the pitch, and commit men forward. He is starting to click in his partnership with Kermorgant, which is hugely encouraging.

Now, on to Yann himself. The Gallic genius was back to his heroic best. His battling, warrior-like display was characterised by his muddied shirt and shorts at full time. He had thrown himself around in both attack and defence to win the game for his side. His headers in defence were almost as important as his headers in attack. He dropped deep, played others in, took the running up himself at times, looked to score when he could. Everything. Oh, and that free kick. It was as well struck as is humanly possibly. Perfection. He was everywhere for the team today. Back to his best. A vital component of this Charlton side, and one who can win us games on days like this.

Chris Powell rightly kept faith in those that played at Bolton, as they rewarded him with three points. A fantastic team performance which showed real cohesion, particularly after half time in that spell leading up to the second goal. Given the lack of resources we have, the team spirit has become a priceless commodity, as it is strong enough to lift all involved to play as well as they did today. Kermorgant typified the brilliance of the Addicks. Brighton were no pushovers, and it needed a collective effort to overcome them.

The win eases the pressure in this relegation scrap. Furthermore, results went Charlton's way in the subsequent kick-offs, meaning a gap of four points has been opened up.

Games like that live long in the memory. In the words of Powell himself, "it just felt like Charlton today". A team of heroes pull together to put in a superb collective performance and take all three points. It helps when those Charlton players show their quality. It wasn't just Yann who did that today. You could make a case to suggest that everyone was at the top of their game. Long may it continue.

With the encouragement of the Bolton performance, and now the uplifting success of the Brighton effort, attention now turns to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday. If we can maintain the same level of intensity and spirit, then we have a great chance of picking up another victory, and further easing the fears of relegation.

Once again, Powell shows he's capable of turning things around with a settled group of players. We don't have the ability to splash the cash on Premier League players, so his hands are tied. When you consider the contract situation, his efforts appear nothing short of miraculous. He makes up for perceived tactically conservativeness by instilling the players with enough self-belief and confidence to play as they did today. The man is worth his weight in gold.

Powell's delight was reflected by the Valley faithful. A fantastic Christmas present after a tough few weeks and months. His job now is to harness this feeling and keep up the momentum. He has dispelled the doubters once again, but much remains to be done.

A great victory. Chris Powell is a hero. And I bloody love Yann Kermorgant.

Yeovil Town 2-2 Charlton: Luck Deserts Addicks Again

A huge game for Charlton was going perfectly, until a mad few minutes saw hopes of victory crushed. Luck has completely deserted us. The team put in a great shift but just a couple of errors and again things conspired against them. Times are tough but the team need to be backed, and certainly don't deserve much of the criticism being levelled at them.

Following a tricky run of games against QPR, Ipswich and Reading, the trip to fellow struggles Yeovil was one of huge importance. It represented a great chance for Charlton to distance themselves further from the relegation scrap.

Powell selected the same team that had beaten Doncaster and lost to Ipswich, but he added a slight tactical slant to the XI. Instead of playing Jackson out on the left, he was deployed as part of a central midfield trio. Cameron Stewart switched from right wing to left wing at will, meaning the formation was somewhat lopsided - but not in a bad way.

The sun shone during a good first half for the away side

The first half an hour of the game saw both teams struggle to string together decent passages of play, but of the two sides Yeovil had marginally more success. Alnwick was forced into a couple of comfortable saves as Ishmael Miller made a nuisance of himself. One shot from outside the box looked destined for the top corner but it drifted over the bar.

Despite Yeovil having more attacks, Charlton had the best chance of the half. Cameron Stewart was given the ball out on the left and cut inside and aimed a shot at the far corner. Only a flying save by Dunn denied the Addicks an opener.

Soon after it was Yeovil again pressing, but Alnwick diffused the situation with a confident catch from a corner. He made a quick throw out to Stewart on the left wing, who only had a couple of defenders ahead of him. He carried the ball forward to the left corner of the box, once again cut inside and fired a shot from just inside the D. It curved away from Dunn, who was unable to divert the path of the ball with his despairing dive, and the ball buried itself in the bottom right hand corner.

Absolute joy in the away end. Before long there was even more cause for celebration. Again the ball was with Stewart on the left, but instead of cutting inside he shaped to beat the right back on the outside. His left footed chipped cross was too heavy for Church, but he knew Jackson was advancing towards the back post so cleared the way. The Addicks skipper headed the ball downward and past Dunn in the Yeovil goal. Double delight. Jackson was once again saluting the travelling support - he embodies the heart and the fighting spirit of this club more than anyone else.

For the first time in a while, we'd taken our chances, and the 2-0 scoreline was a reflection of the effectiveness of our counter-attacking play. Having watched Charlton for a number of years, though, we knew the job wasn't finished.

Yeovil made a double substitution but the impact on the pattern of play was minimal. Charlton were defending slightly deeper down the far end of the pitch, and that obviously causes nerves, but we actually enjoyed our best spell of the match as the hour mark approached. Some good passing football moved the ball up the pitch, and Cousins fired a shot narrowly wide from just outside the area.

Yeovil started to apply the pressure, and having worked an opportunity down the left. The cross from just outside the box was aimed across goal, deflecting off Morrison and into the net past the helpless Alnwick. The home crowd burst into life and and the momentum swung towards the home team.

Kermorgant challenged for a header but was harshly penalised due to the Yeovil player making a meal of it. Inexplicably, he was booked. It was a genuine challenge for the ball which Yann won, but as the defender went to ground he got the decision. From the long ball forward, Charlton failed to deal with a scramble outside the box, and with Miller having turned Dervite, he was brought down, and a penalty awarded. Difficult to tell from a distance but word is that the decision was indisputable. The incident that led up to it wasn't, however.

We never seem to save penalties, and there was no change here. Alnwick dived to right but Miller had drilled his spot-kick high down the middle into the back of the net. 2-2, Huish Park rocking.

Charlton hadn't defended the set piece well, but they still had a chance to win the game. That was until referee Dawson had his say. Hughes and Miller had collided going for a header, with the former lying injured on the floor as a result. The ball rebounded out to the left where Jackson made a strong challenge, winning the ball convincingly. However, the Yeovil player made a meal of it, and as there was a hint of aggression detected by the ref, it was deemed a foul. Whether it was two-footed was debatable. Pawson blew for the foul and gleefully reached for his back pocket, producing a red card. Tackling has increasingly been demonised in football, and Jackson certainly has reason to feel aggrieved.

The change in weather reflected the change in fortunes for the Addicks

Distraught. In the space of ten minutes a comfortable lead had vanished, replaced by a desperation to cling on to a point, and deny Yeovil a vital win. There was a sense of disbelief on the away terrace, with a combination of mistakes and misfortune conspiring to prevent victory.

Yeovil pressed for a winner. A quick break down the left almost saw the home side to break into the box, only for a superbly timed sliding challenge from Wiggins to deny them. Soon after, after a long ball and lots of headed contests, the ball fell to Miller, who seemed to have the goal at his mercy but placed his shot wide of the post.

Charlton held on, with Hughes having replaced Cousins after a knock, Church making way for Solly after the sending off, and Wood replacing Stewart in added time. Dawson added five minutes to try and allow his side to score a winner, but the game was drawn after a late but ultimately futile a track by the Addicks.

The players trudged over to thank the travelling support, who responded with their own applause. There was a feeling of defeat despite the point that had been secured. It took a while to shake off that feeling.

The refereeing performance was terrible. Dawson favoured the home side in the second half especially, with a couple of key decisions going against the Addicks. When will we finally get a good break...

Rhoys Wiggins had a fantastic game, with heroic defending and threatening attacking play down the left. Stephens played well centrally, whilst Church worked his socks off again without being created a clear cut chance. Kermorgant played really well in patches, particularly the early period of the second half, but he couldn't make enough clinical passes in the final third. Alnwick played well, particularly when he threw the ball for Stewart to score the opening goal, and claimed each cross with conviction. Stewart himself was the reason we took a two goal lead into half time.

Tactically, Powell's slant on 4-4-2 worked very well, largely down to the creative spark that Cameron Stewart gives us. He may not be the most consistent player but his importance to our side cannot be overstated. The liveliness of his play combined with the powerful right foot he has makes him a vital component of the side. We somehow need to keep hold of him beyond January.

The performance was once again valiant but the smallest of errors carried the dearest of consequences. Powell will undoubtedly take positives from the way we played, but in not closing out the game we displayed our vulnerability when our backs are against the wall.

It's undeniable that we are in a poor position in this league, but this bunch of players are trying so hard at the moment without getting any reward. Football is a results business, of course, but these players have proven capable of winning games, and with a bit more confidence and that rub of the green, our form will pick up. It's just a matter of sticking with the team through this tough spell and showing our full support for them. It's a two-way process, supporting a football club. Big tests lie ahead, and a lot of work needs to be done, but the players need us to keep backing them.

Charlton 0-1 Ipswich Town: Addicks' Inconsistency Frustrates

The 21st anniversary of the great return to the Valley
was not celebrated with on-field success.

You know things won't go well when the teams switch ends before kick-off... An early goal and an inability to create meaningful chances to get back into the game left many Addicks feeling dejected at full-time. 

The main differences between today and Tuesday night's win against Doncaster were composure on the ball, accuracy of passing and success down the wings. Ipswich did their job after taking the lead, closing down each Charlton player with haste and forcing mistakes. Morrison and Dervite initially struggled to deal with the loose ball, and a good through ball released McGoldrick in on goal, only to be denied by a great Alnwick save, diving to his left. From the corner, the keeper was forced to make another save from a free header, and then reacted superbly to block a close-range shot. Clearly rattled, Charlton still struggled to settle. Another routine corner was not dealt with, and Smith headed Ipswich in front. From that moment on, it was an exercise in game management for Mick McCarthy's men. For all their efforts, Charlton were not playing much coherent football - a consequence of both Ipswich's high-tempo pressing game and a desertion of composure. The game saw few chances, as Charlton struggled to create down the flanks, whilst long balls forward were easily dealt with by the strong centre-back pairing of Smith and Berra. Frustration was compounded late on, when at last a chance was created, but the referee had failed to play advantage, having blown early to deny Stewart a clear chance on goal. It was not a game worth recounting in any great detail. Instead, it served to highlight a number of issues Charlton are going to have to deal with in order to avoid an unpleasant relegation scrap.

One of the main issues facing this current Charlton side is the lack of goals being scored. 14 scored in 17 games this season shows why wins have been few and far between. Only Yeovil (13) have scored fewer. Ipswich hassled the Addicks well, but that does not entirely explain why the only shot on target was a mis-hit Wiggins cross. Pressed high up the pitch, decisions were rushed and too often we resorted to searching balls over the top for Church to chase on to. With Stewart more suited to cutting inside, and Jackson playing more centrally, we struggle for width - a price worth paying to be more defensively solid. The full-backs are important players given the way Powell sets the team up, but today they struggled for support, and the final ball was often blocked, or just poorly hit. Wiggins didn't have the best of games, whilst Wilson managed a couple of decent crosses without success. The other option available was the long ball - often decried for its predictability and lack of success. Kermorgant was winning the odd header, but was visibly annoyed at times when team-mates failed to make the correct run for the flick on. Similarly, Church struggled to get on the end of the hopeful balls aimed in his direction. The one save Gerken made was when Wiggins got into an advanced position in the box and skewed his cross towards the top corner. Not a prolific afternoon in front of goal.

How do we remedy the lack of goals? The suggestion that Kermorgant is more of a hindrance than a help is odd, given his creativity and strength in the air. Whilst we did resort to too many long balls, this was fuelled by a lack of success in other areas of the pitch. This is symptomatic of the style of play Powell is forced to adopt with the resources he has available. Counter-attacking play is the best method with which to have success, but as was seen last season, this was often to the detriment of home successes. By committing more players to attacking roles, he leaves the defence slightly more exposed, and we probably don't have the individual skill to deal with that imbalance. The game against Doncaster showed that success can be had at home with this style, but the high-tempo pressing game of Ipswich caused innumerable errors. Decision making was rushed, and thus poor. The accuracy of passing fell and the tight control of the ball required deserted Charlton. When usually they can break quickly up the pitch, Ipswich's defensive mentality for much of the game prevented significant counter-attacks. The consequence was a lacklustre performance which left many feeling dejected.

The one chance we did create was after an incompetent refereeing decision, late on when Kermorgant was cynically fouled (again) and an advantage was not played. Sordell's well-timed through ball had released Cameron Stewart clean through on goal for the first time, but to the utter dismay of every Charlton fan, play had been halted. It merely served to make the afternoon's experience an even more painful one.

The long-ball to Yann is an easy option, and rightly it has been pointed out that we resort to it too often. When used well, it is a deadly weapon, as Kermorgant has the ability to rise above defenders and create goal-scoring opportunities. However, when defences work out how to deal with it, which usually involves inhibiting Yann so that he can't leap as successfully, alternative routes to goal need to be used. Kermorgant dropping deep offers a good option as he is a skilled distributor, but the issue today was a lack of space as well as a lack of quality out wide. We struggled to get Stewart in good advanced positions. Jackson is better employed centrally. Without the full-backs charging forward we have little else to offer, especially when the midfield has little time on the ball. What all these deficiencies really point to is a lack of quality player able to change the game.

Our squad is thin, and after two seasons without investment, its lack of evolution is becoming clear. Powell continues to do a great job with the players available, but the lack of depth in quality means he is restricted in his tactical approach. Without the variety, there is no reliable formation set in stone that will guarantee success. The players work hard and often they are rewarded for their graft with victory, but when that extra bit of quality is required to get something from a game, we often fall down.

The potential takeover offers hope, along with fears of a relocation from the Valley. In the short term, though, it could provide the relief needed. There is no doubt that the uncertain contract situation will be affecting various players in different ways from others. Uncertainty breeds doubt, and confidence falls. Whilst today's performance is clearly not all down to the off-field situation, it certainly plays its part. If the purchase of the club does go through, the contract situation needs to be resolved quickly, as it will bring necessary stability. The potential to bring in a couple of quality players, especially in attack, would hopefully bring the impetus we need to increase our goals-per-game ratio. That said, without it we need a more balanced strategy. The searching balls for Church are too often uncusccessful, and without dominance in the air, long-balls to Yann become too much of a lottery. What is missing is composure, conviction and accuracy. When chances do come, we need to be far more clinical, but the lack of opportunities created must be remedied as well. To do that, the midfield needs to be stronger, and the defence must refrain from pumping long-balls forward all the time. Kermorgant and Church received poor service, with the former having to adjust to inaccurate long-balls too often, and the latter chasing numerous lost causes. With accuracy and composure we may have created an opening to level the game.

Credit must be given to Ipswich. It was a classic Mick McCarthy victory, which involved defending the lead from early on with high-tempo pressing up the pitch. His tactics played a massive part in the result. Charlton improved as the game went on, but failed to find the incision required. I never like to hear booing, but the crowd's reaction was one of frustration at full-time, understandable after a game with such limited success. Criticism of Powell overlooks the issue he has with squad depth - his options are extremely limited. He is confident in the eleven men he sends out onto the field, but is not always rewarded with success. He will be as gutted as anyone after the defeat, and will use the pain to motivate a return to form.

The whole afternoon was one that is best forgotten, mainly due to the crippling despair it inflicted on me. Looking ahead, we have the chance to repeat our successes away from home with trips to Reading and Yeovil. The latter is a huge fixture - potentially what pundits love to call a "six pointer". I will simply term it a must-win game. We are struggling - that much is clear to see. Faith in the manager and the squad is required. If investment does come, Powell is exactly the man to use it wisely. Now is not a time to panic. There is plenty of time left in the season, but still clearly a lot of work still to do.

Keep the faith.

Charlton Athletic 2-0 Doncaster: Three Points, Job Done

Despite the catastrophic public transport failures trying to prevent fans getting to the game, nothing could stop the Addicks securing a vital victory over Doncaster.

The Addicks ready to defend a free-kick

Utter chaos at London Bridge made the journey to the ground an absolute nightmare. Instead of the train to Charlton, I was forced to get the DLR, a tube, two buses and then had to run to make kick off. It took about ten minutes for the stress to subside and to settle into watching the game.

The smaller crowd (caused by a combination of public transport incompetence and apathy towards the fixture) meant the Valley struggled to create the intense atmosphere synonymous with a floodlit midweek game. That said, the home side were dominant.

Church had an early chance, controlling a through ball on his chest with only the keeper to beat, but he couldn't repeat his fine finish from the Blackburn game, skewing his shot wide of the left post.

Charlton continued to threaten, largely brought about by the control that Stephens and Cousins were bringing in central midfield. The defence repelled Doncaster's long balls forward with ease, and stood firm when they countered on the floor.

Further chances came and went. Kermorgant found the ball at his feet twelve yards from goal after a good attack down the left and a dummy from Stephens, but his first-time side-footed effort wasn't hit cleanly, and bounced off the post despite many (including myself) thinking it was heading into the net. Soon after, Church tried an acrobatic volley from the edge of the area, which was well hit but soon blocked.

Doncaster struggled to get create chances despite often breaking forward with slick passing football. These forays were too infrequent. When they eventually got the ball to Macheda in the box, he spun and turned like a competent Artur Boruc, before firing over the bar from a tight angle.

As half time approached, Charlton found themselves on the attack once again. Cameron Stewart was playing on the right as Jackson was deployed on the left, but was still a constant threat to the Doncaster defence. His ball into the box rebounded out to Stephens, who twisted in the air to fire an outstanding shot across his body from outside the area. It was struck with such power and dipped viciously, which took it under the bar and into the top left corner. What a strike!

All those chances, yet we'd scored from by far the most difficult.

Only one nil up at half time, but that could easily have been more as Church had missed a couple of great opportunities. Doncaster weren't looking a particularly coherent threat, but there was still work to be done before the three points were secure.

The second half progressed much in the same way as the first, though an element of caution had crept into our play which prevented over-committing in attack. Powell kept with the same formation, but Kermorgant had a deeper role behind Church which added extra defensive protection.

Wilson found himself with the ball near the area on the right, with Stewart overlapping, but a slip from the defender allowed him a clear run into the box. His shot was well parried by Turnbull, and Cousins couldn't get his shot on target from outside the box.

Charlton broke forward again on sixty minutes, Jackson carrying the ball down the left. He slotted a beautiful diagonal pass between the two centre backs to the feet of Church. Clean through on goal, he took the ball into the box, waited for Turnbull to go down and slotted to his left. The ball clipped the post before going in, but the Addicks had doubled their lead! Church looked relieved more than anything, but a smile of delight was visible on his face. Instead of joining in with the celebrations in front of the North-East corner, Yann decided to go and give a short defensive lecture to the back four. What a hero.

Church celebrates his goal with team-mates, while Yann
offers some instruction to the defence in the background

Two more chances were created by Stewart, choosing to shoot on both occasions after a sharp cutback onto his right foot. The first was just outside the box, well tipped over the bar by Turnbull, but the second was outrageous. When it looked like he should've passed to set up a better opportunity, he unleashed a dipping thirty yard strike that crashed back of the crossbar. He really has got a fantastic right foot. And I still maintain he should've passed!

Another glorious opportunity to make it 3-0 went begging, as the ball bounced across goal towards Church, twelve yards from goal. His swivelled effort saw him mis-kick horribly, and he just lay on the turf in despair. Turnbull helped him to his feet, probably thinking him for keeping the score down to two nil.

Charlton controlled and the game well, but Macheda had a couple of half chances before the end. One shot was well saved by Alnwick, deputising for Hamer after an injury in the warm up, and another flew over the bar much in the same way his chance in the first half had done.

Church and Jackson were replaced after excellent shifts, although the former probably should've had a hat-trick. Andy Hughes came on to much joy, as did Sordell, who ran a bit before getting bored. Green replaced the excellent Stewart, and promptly fired a shot from wide into the post, though the whistle had gone for offside.

Doncaster had precious little to offer going forward, unable to utilise the assistance of a waterlogged pitch this time round. "3-1, and you f-cked it up" was the rather harsh but amusing view from the North Upper.

Full time was greeted with muted cheers, with the result hardly in doubt from the moment Charlton went two to the good. The players clapped the fans as they went off, with Andy Hughes looking paticularly enthusiastic and inspirational. Chris Powell did his usual and waited to be the last man down the tunnel. The crowd expectantly waited him to re-emerge for his celebratory jump, and he did so having gloriously donned his flat cap. A fine way to end the night.

It was a professional performance by the Addicks, and much needed after a couple of defeats which had checked our momentum. Doncaster were poor, and struggled to have any significant attempts on goal. The Addicks defence restricted them to just the one shot on target. Morrison and Dervite won most of the aerial balls aimed at them, with the two full backs as energetic as ever. Wiggins and Wilson bombing forward is vital to our attacking threat, but they also defended stoutly.

Cousins and Stephens provided the real foundation for the victory. They tackled well, played some excellent short passes between themselves and spread the play going forward. It's great to see a settled duo, especially as it allows Stephens to play in a more advanced position. His passing was particularly good, whilst his goal rivals Cameron Stewart's volley as one of the best we've seen all season.

Stewart was fantastic, a constant threat down the right hand side. He has a tendency to cut onto his right foot a little too often, but Doncaster failed to cope, and he came incredibly close to scoring. He also managed to put a couple of dangerous crosses in, which is more difficult to do when he plays on the left. Jackson's role on the left was more defensive, seeing him tucking inside to provide defensive assistance. His pass to set up Church was exceptional.

Church really must be on the verge of scoring a shed load of goals. He continues to get into great positions and his understanding with Kermorgant is developing nicely. Even though it wasn't his night, he still managed to score. A little too often the defence played long balls over the top to run onto, but again his work rate was outstanding.

Kermorgant showed flashes of his brilliance, with a couple of magnificent and perfectly accurate flick-ons. He was deployed in the deeper centre forward role, meaning he wasn't in the box as often as would be liked, but the defensive duties he carried out made up for that. It was great to see the big Breton back on the field.

Powell got his tactics right, and although the opposition performance was below par, it was a professional job to secure three points as comfortably as Charlton did. The defensive-minded 4-4-2 formation has its limitations in attack, but has provided the side with extremely solid foundations on which they can build on. Another clean sheet and a vital three points will certainly lift the squad after Saturday's narrow loss at QPR. It also shows a steely resilience, as there was no sign of lingering disappointment from the game three days earlier.

For those that could make it, the display was a very encouraging one from a side who've struggled for goals. Ipswich at home on Saturday provides another opportunity to move up the table and build some momentum. Once again Chris Powell has lifted his players to achieve a great result. Here's to more of the same with him at the helm. I doff my flat cap to him.

Up The Addicks!

Revitalised Addicks Desperately Close to a Deserved Win

Charlton Athletic 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Following a difficult start to the season, and particular hardship in the last two games, Charlton rallied to produce a sensational performance which fell agonisingly short of victory. 

Forced into more changes to his team, the initial feeling was one of worry. It was going to take a spirited effort to get a result against what looked like a strong visiting Forest side. Bradley Pritchard was out following concussion on Saturday. Kermorgant wasn't deemed fit enough to make the squad, and neither was Jackson. With Cort and Solly still absent, Powell was once again forced to experiment tactically with the players available. Hamer remained in goal, whilst Richard Wood was preferred to Dorian Dervite at the heart of defence. Powell went with a central midfield trio of Cousins, Stephens and Gower, with Callum Harriott deployed behind the strike pairing of Church and Sordell.

The Match

The atmosphere built superbly, with a chorus of 'Chrissy Powell's Red Army' ringing around the ground. But the game got off to the worst possible start. Cousins was deemed to have made a very soft foul wide on the right, level with the 18 yard line. Andy Reid swung the kick in towards the far post, lobbing Hamer, kissing the post and landing in the back of the net. It was typical of our lack of fortune of late.

Ben Hamer stares aghast as Reid's free-kick goes in off the post

Despite the setback, the home crowd remained positive and noisy, continuing to back the team and refuse to give in to the negative minority that has been vocal recently. And despite the goal, the Addicks looked hungry, their spirit unwavering. They created a number of chances, many of which could (and probably should) have been taken: Wiggins crossed for Church, a deflection making the flight of the ball more favourable, but his header was weak and the ball cleared. Similarly, Sordell was on the end of a Harriott cross but couldn't score. Then followed an agonising quadruple-chance: Stephens shot from range but the keeper could only parry. A couple of scuffed Sordell efforts were blocked before the ball fell perfectly to Stephens at an angle about 10 yards out. He went for power but blazed the shot well over the bar.

Forest were clinging on, but almost doubled their lead following some very fortunate ricochets that almost took the ball into the net. Wood headed clear but only to Mackie, who stumbled into the box and had his low shot well saved. The ball bounced up into Wilson's chest and was heading in, but he managed to chase it and avert the danger with a clinical left footed clearance.

Half-time arrived, with the Addicks applauded off the field. The home side had been by far the superior team, but when you're struggling for points things don't always fall your way. The early goal could well have punctured the spirit and belief of Charlton, but they had admirably fought back, and were unlucky not to have at least been level.

Little changed after half time, with Charlton still creating chances and the home crowd continuing to be very vocal in their support.

After some clever interplay, Harriott was released into the area with a chance to shoot. The defender just got a boot to it, forcing the ball across the face of goal. Sordell slid but couldn't reach it. The ball ran towards Wilson in acres of space near the byline. Sordell was quick to his feet and free. Wilson swept in a low cross, and the striker turned the ball into the net with a clinical and powerful side footed strike.

GET IN THERE!

The goal had been a very long time coming, and was nothing less than the home side deserved. Sordell was joyous, running over towards a leaping Wilson and sliding toward the North-East corner. The crowd had erupted - each chance had built the pressure and it was finally released in one explosion of ecstasy. For five full minutes the Covered End was so loud that you couldn't hear yourself think. The spirit of Cardiff rekindled.

Spurred on by the phenomenal home support, Charlton almost stole a second. Church applied the pressure out wide left, forcing a hasty clearance which bounced off Mark Gower into the path of Sordell in the area. Stephens was making the perfect run into the 18 yard box to be fed the ball, but Sordell - now brimming with confidence - turned and shot with his left foot, but couldn't beat the keeper.

Billy Davies was forced into a double change, and ordered his side to calm the game down, as they had been startled by the tempo and noise in the early stages of the second half. He succeeded to an extent, as Andy Reid had an opening but stabbed his shot over.

The home crowd began to waver, suddenly filled with nerves. But still Charlton created chances. A Harriott cross was almost turned in at the back post by Richard Wood, who stretched but couldn't reach the ball. Forest hit back, with Mackie's back heeled effort at the other end soon after was well saved by Ben Hamer.

Sordell was clearly on a high following his goal, as he turned to fire a 30-yard strike just wide of goal. Powell made his first change fairly late in the game, with Andy Hughes replacing Gower in midfield.

Charlton once again came agonisingly close to winning it. The ball was bouncing around in the Forest area, until Cousins flicked it goalwards with a technical left footed effort. It curved and crashed into the bar, and the ensuing scramble saw two more half chances blocked and cleared.

A Wiggins free kick was angled towards the far post, where Andy Hughes was in space. He scuffed his cross, which was chested back by Morrison at the front post towards Harriott, who fired his shot gloriously over the bar and into the upper tier.

For all the enterprise of Stephens, and the industry of Hughes, it was Jordan Cousins who continued to star; the ball broke loose in the Charlton box and it looked like Forest might have stolen a winner, but Cousins flung himself to ground and made a spectacular, vital block.

Despite a nervy string of corners for Forest, the game finished all square.

The Addicks were applauded from the pitch, and deservedly so. It had been a fantastic performance, one which would have seen us score about four or five goals if on a good run of form. But whenever things look bleak, Chris Powell manages to motivate his side to produce performances like that. He was cheered as he left the pitch. The way the game had gone, especially following the past two weeks, it felt like a victory. Powell showed huge appreciation to the Valley faithful, whose support had been flawless all night.

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Player Performances

Few Addicks fans were able to agree on a man of the match, simply because so many had played out of their skins. For me, two players deserve particular praise, given what they were tasked with and what they produced.

Jordan Cousins: After impressing during his home debut in that infamous abandoned game, Cousins again showed his class with a clinical, all-round performance. He was strong in the tackle, precise in his passing and positive going forward. His block was crucial and he was ultimately unfortunate not to score. Not only was he technically very good, but also he was composed on and off the ball. A 90-minute showing that promises a lot to come from him in future.

Richard Wood: One of the less heralded signings, but definitely one of the most shrewd. Wood won everything in the air, timing his leaps to perfection. He was strong in the air, composed on the ball, and robust in the tackle. He even stretched to try and score at the far post. Before the game, you wondered why Dervite had been dropped, but Wood showed why Powell had put his faith in the former Coventry skipper. A classic centre-half performance.

It wasn't just the two above who deserved praise. Wiggins and Wilson were magnificent, especially given the absence of wide midfielders to work with. They always looked to burst forward on the counter, with Wilson creating the equaliser. Wiggins, criticised recently for his performances, emphatically proved his worth. Morrison was again steady at the heart of defence, leading the side well.

Stephens benefitted from the formation Powell had chosen, as it meant he had options open to him in the middle of the pitch. A few times he was able to instigate incisive fast-flowing passing moves, with the help of Mark Gower. He also played well, passing and hassling with energy.

Harriott was once again a live-wire, able to provide the link between the midfield and the forwards. Whilst he's someone that doesn't always offer an end product, the fact that be is constantly looking to create chances is a real positive, and with time he can become a quality attacking threat. 

Simon Church will probably be wondering how he didn't score tonight, but he put in a valiant and important effort up front. He was industrious, and was rewarded in his regular chasing down of the Forest defence by forcing the error that almost allowed Sordell to score. Church was forced off due to a leg injury, his absence allowing Forest more time at the back.

Sordell had a game of two halves. The first largely passed him by, as frustratingly he didn't quite appear to be on the same wavelength as the midfielders looking to play him the ball. But after his superbly taken goal, he was a man transformed. His confidence rocketed, which is what you want from a striker. He kept looking for goal, although he may have been better off looking for Stephens on the occasion that he was better positioned. However, his renewed self belief will give the whole squad a boost, as at last he's given them a reason to be confident in him.

Andy Hughes came on and orchestrated the midfield. He made one exceptional interception that enabled a counter attack, and was often seen motivating his team-mates. Whenever he takes to the field, he always proves his worth both as a footballer and a leader.

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A word on Andy Reid. Forest as a side struggled to produce the quality they are capable of, but Reid definitely stood out as a professional tonight. His technique is superb, and he looked in better shape than ever. Whilst his goal was probably a fluke, he was unlucky not to score another in the second half. One of the few players who warrants applause on return to the Valley, and deservedly so.

Forest manager Billy Davies was full of praise for the Addicks, recognising that his side had been lucky to pick up a point. His assertion that Forest scored too early, however, was one of the weirder excuses I've heard from opposition managers. It was a fortunate goal, which meant that the Addicks had to rebound quickly and not let their heads drop. They did so magnificently.

Chris Powell is such a hero. Once again he's lifted his squad when morale hit rock bottom, to the extent that even though depleted by injury, his side made one of the promotion candidates look the weaker team. The performance was a testament to his continued belief in his players, and hard work on the training ground shaping them into a strong side.

You'd be a fool to want this club to be rid of Chris Powell. He has taken plenty of stick for recent results, and whilst some of it is justified, we are far stronger as a club with him at the helm than we would be without him.

Hopefully a similarly inspiring performance will be produced on Saturday for the visit of Blackpool. If we can maintain that level of quality, with the addition of players like Kermorgant returning from injury, then we have every reason to be confident of producing results.

Tonight, the passion was most definitely there, both on and off the pitch. It renewed the faith of many, and rekindled the spirit of others. If only we'd grabbed all three points...

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.