Things the Leyton Orient League Cup defeat has taught us.

(Much of this was already fairly clear, but has been clarified somewhat following tonight's thrilling encounter...)

1) Don't ever attend a League Cup match expecting a Charlton win. It won't happen, and if it does, it was a mere blip, a temporary shift from the norm. Lethargic, disjointed cup performances are a trademark of this club.

2) Underdogs always want it more. The body language of the players during penalties showed this more than anything. Orient cared, we didn't really.

Jordan Cook made a very promising start to his Addicks career
Photo © Keith Gillard

3) Of all the wide players Cook looks the most skilful, threatening and reliable. Green wasted a plethora of chances, Wagstaff flattered to deceive, his play rarely resulting in anything of substance. (The goal was deflected in, otherwise the keeper had it covered.) Cook's trickery and delicate touches often found him space, before passing to a threatening position for one of the other two to miss from. His long pass into Waggy's feet on the counter set up our goal. His late substitution might well indicate Powell's desire to start him on Saturday.

4) David Mooney is still laughably bad. Three chances fell to him in the first half, with his best effort equating to that of a soft backpass to the keeper. The crowd behind Hamer's goal were always alert in case the ball came their way, but they needn't have worried given his shots are as powerful as a Reliant Robin (only much less reliant.) Early in the second half he pulled out the most adventurous dive, and bought Orient a penalty. Thrilled with his work, Mooney decided he should be rewarded by taking the spot kick. Few envy the crossbar, which took a hammering from his attempt. A miss. Substituted on 60 minutes. His performance served as a reminder of what horrors haunted us in League One...

5) Smith needs somebody to play off him properly as he struggles big time when isolated.

No longer will the FA stand for abuse. Of water bottles.

6) Referees remain over-officious. More pressingly, they have been urged to ensure the safety of touchline water bottles this season. It is now an offence to harm them in any way. Well, clearly it must be, following the 4th official's demand that Chris Powell must be banished from the vicinity for causing undue harm to the poor things.

7) Orient players were clearly miffed at their omission from the GB Handball team competing at London 2012.

8) Kermorgant is still my favourite player. Nothing will ever change that.

9) We can be too keen to pump the ball long in search of a goal. The cute passing game of the early first half was replaced by aimless long passes, of which none resulted in much.

10) Kerkar isn't very good in the air at all. He seems to get lost when looking upwards, unable to judge the flight of the ball, or even jump. His defensive ability doesn't fill you with confidence either, but he's got an exceptional eye for a pass. An encouraging debut nonetheless.

11) The draw for the second round is tomorrow, and we won't be in it. Also, very few people seem concerned about this.

12) Chris Powell can kick as many water bottles as he likes and we will all still love him.

13) Never read too much into a Cup match that really seemed to be treated as a pre-season friendly predominantly for our second string. 

Bring on Birmingham. 

Jubilation for Charlton as Hat-trick of Brunton Park Promotions sealed

The whole week was one where the prospect of clinching promotion at Carlisle crossed all of our minds. Could we do it for the third time at Brunton Park? There was a chance, but one few dared dream of as the game approached. It required a Charlton victory and Sheffield Wednesday to drop points at Colchester to confirm a return to the Championship. By the end of the afternoon, those dreams had become a wonderful reality.

I'll cut to the chase, and avoid talking through the long journey north. All I'll say on that matter is the Lake District provided excellent scenery, as opposed to the other rather gloomy towns we passed on the way up. Brunton Park reminded me of the Memorial Stadium, where Bristol Rovers play, in that it was a mix of standing and seated areas that didn't quite fit together properly. 930 Charlton fans made the trip, and were in good voice, ably assisted by the drum at the back of the stand. When kick-off arrived, the extended wait for the game was over.

The first half performance was a nervy one. A scramble in the Carlisle box allowed N'Guessan a clear shot at goal, but he blasted the ball wildly over the bar. As it was at the far end, it was hard to figure whether a free-kick had been given or not, but it was a great chance that went begging. Carlisle were the better side for most of the half, keeping hold of the ball well and using it effectively. They also created more chances, including one shot that flashed past the far post. The Addicks' haste was shown by numerous long balls hit forward unsuccessfully. The odd chance here and there, but no reward for either side. Half time arrived, and news from elsewhere was great. Neither Sheffield team was winning. It was almost the perfect situation, but just needed a Charlton goal...

The second half started with much of the same. Again Carlisle looked threatening, keeping the ball and playing incisive passes forward. They were almost rewarded with a goal, though the post came to our rescue. Then from 60 minutes Charlton started to dominate. Pressure was applied. A glorious one-on-one chance was spurned by Wright-Phillips, and a string of corners were dealt with by the defence, with one bullet header from Kermorgant expertly pushed over the bar from goalkeeper Collin, who had an excellent game. Powell swapped N'Guessan for Wagstaff, a sensible move given that the loanee often was lost in the formation and Waggy would be more comfortable in the wide role.

The ball finds the back of the net. Cue jubilant scenes.
Image © Jon Laysell 2012 

On 76 minutes, another Johnnie Jackson corner, taken right in front of the travelling support, floated over to the back post, where Stephens nodded it towards goal. Wright-Phillips got a touch on it, and the ball gloriously crossed the line and hit the back of the net. We went mental. The players flooded over to us, Wright-Phillips fired up, Jackson and Wagstaff hugging him to bits. He jumped into the crowd, was mobbed by fans. Pritchard joined in, and was loving it. Other players came over. And still we were going mental. It was a joyous moment. The pressure Carlisle had resisted and the situation elsewhere meant that when the moment finally arrived it was something special. By no means the greatest goal that's ever been scored, but in terms of meaning, you'll have to go far to find one bigger than that.

Powell quickly moved to secure the lead. With 5 minutes to go the goalscorer was replaced by Matt Taylor. We invited the pressure, and managed to deal with it. Four minutes were added. The crowd was signing the repertoire of songs magnificently. Two minutes in, with the defence holding out, news of a goal filtered through. It appeared Wednesday had won it. Silence almost descended in the away section. They couldn't have ruined it now. Thankfully, the goal was disallowed, and once again everyone started dreaming. The perfect situation for all those that had travelled. A free-kick won by Kermorgant just outside the Carlisle box - no intention of going for goal. A throw in was won, and the ref blew for full time. Victory was secured.

A pitch invasion ensued, with a number of fans running over to congratulate the heroic players that had made promotion possible this season. For two minutes, we cheered and applauded, waiting the news from Colchester. And then, the final score came through. 1-1. There was an explosion of noise, and outpouring of joy. The dream had become a reality. Another surge of fans graced the Brunton Park turf. For one it was too much, as he knelt by the penalty spot and kissed the turf. Pritchard, Hamer, Kermorgant and Wagstaff all came over amid the invasion, cheering and celebrating with the jubilant fans. Nobody knew what to do, but nobody cared. All the players were embraced, including Yann who was mobbed by many and kissed by some. Pritchard managed to find the drummer, and orchestrated a chant. There was utter joy everywhere.

The players were called off. Graciously they were applauded by the home fans, showing great appreciation despite having just experienced defeat. Stewards attempted to inform the away support that the pitch invasion meant the players would not re-emerge. As you can imagine, this was not accepted by us. Nobody left. The songs kept coming, "We want Chrissy Powell" among them. The stewards pressed the invaders back into the stand, and a cordon of police enabled the promoted Charlton Athletic squad to emerge. They sprinted over and slid towards the fans. Then a wonderful moment of togetherness as the players bounced Chris Powell in the air. Celebrations and hugs galore. The team gathered for a photo. Still we celebrated. The same man that knelt before the goal was in tears, and hugged a steward for a good 30 seconds. Chants continued to reverberate about the rickety old ground. As the players finally returned to the dressing room, Powell walked towards the fans, holding aloft the "We Are Going Up" flag. He was overcome with emotion. The club that means so much to us also means so much to him. The sense of achievement was enormous. Calling him a club legend would not do him justice. even as the last players disappeared down the tunnel, Powell was interviewed. He had a congratulatory hug with Alex Dyer and Damian Matthew before taking a moment to let the whole thing sink in. He wandered the turf, occasionally brushing away tears. The fans cheered. He waved back. Not only our dreams, but his own dream, had become a reality. He had led Charlton Athletic to promotion.

Years of pain have been endured. For those there yesterday, it almost seemed worth it. The journey has just begun. Chris Powell has led this club from the wilderness, and for that alone, we love him to bits.

Charlton 2-4 Notts County

There was a sense of hope on the way to The Valley this afternoon. A defeat at home in midweek to Colchester was most unwelcome, but it was hoped the result would act as a kick up the backside and the team would return to winning ways today. Safe to say, that didn't happen.

Notts County fully deserved their four goals following
an excellent first half performance

The game started in the usual way - patient play from Charlton, but once again lacking the cutting edge. Notts County looked dangerous on the break, and took advantage of Jonathan Forte's lay-offs to move forward. The opening goal was desperately similar to that on Tuesday - the defence stood off and allowed a shot from distance, and Judge's effort beat Hamer into the corner of the goal. From my diagonal viewpoint, I couldn't tell whether Hamer should have done better, but I get the impression he should have done. Soon after, and this was a theme of the first half, County took advantage of an out-of-position full back and moved down the flank, putting in an excellent cross in for Forte to head in unchallenged. A disastrous start. 

Charlton then seemed to panic, and were desperately lacking in the basics. Too often County won the ball in midfield, and passes were misplaced. A bouncing ball towards Hamer's goal was shepherded by Taylor, but Hamer was indecisive and delayed his effort to take the ball, allowing Forte a chance to nip in and lob the keeper. A shambolic goal to concede. A fourth was added before the half as another ball across goal was tapped in at the back post by Forte, capping of an abysmal half of football from the Addicks. I am not a fan of booing, especially when we're doing so well this season, but the outburst of the crowd was entirely justified. It was the worst first half of football I think I've ever witnessed at the Valley following about 10 years of watching. There was a lack of desire, as County won every second ball, worked harder, and played much better. Powell would be thoroughly justified in giving the players a bollocking in the dressing room, and it sounds like he did.

Wagstaff gave Charlton hope by bringing the
score back to 2-4, but it wasn't to be

The second half was a vast improvement, as once again the goals showed that if you could get to the by-line and get a good cross in goals could be scored. After three minutes, Wagstaff ran round the left back and put a cross in, which both the keeper and Bradley Wright-Phillips challenged for. The ball looped into the air and Bradley's classy overhead-kick brought the score to 1-4. And before the hour mark, Wagstaff was this time on the end of a cross, heading into the bottom corner as the keeper failed to tip it round the post. The atmosphere at this stage was excellent - the crowd were fully behind the team, willing them forward, and there was a real sense that the most unlikely of comebacks was possible. There was a shout for a penalty as BWP was shoved unceremoniously off the ball as it bounced towards goal, but the portly referee said no, as did his equally incompetent linesman. No penalty, and the game petered out. The Addicks ran out of ideas and started hoofing it randomly forward. The momentum was lost and the game result that looked certain at half time was indeed confirmed. With both Sheffield clubs winning, the lead at the top was cut to 10 points, and just 11 points between first and third. 

What went wrong? The midfield was outplayed today. The first half saw County dominate there. They won more balls, passed more effectively and didn't put their own players under pressure, unlike those wearing red. Stephens has been poor of late, and today was another bad day at the office. He tries to be too clever and cute with his passing, which often puts us under a lot of pressure. Hollands was also weak in there today. Losing Haynes early didn't help, but in the 14 minutes he was on the pitch I can't remember him touching the ball. Wagstaff was very poor first half but improved in the second. Jackson, so often the key player, was ineffective, losing possession too often and getting caught out of position, along with the two full backs that contributed to at least two of County's goals. The centre halves were also poor today, Taylor especially. They backed off to allow the shot for the first goal and defended the crosses badly. The third goal was just a mess. Hamer and Taylor clearly had a misunderstanding, but as a keeper you just have to step out and collect the ball there. Hamer failed to do so and was left looking like a fool, with the ball in the net and the game effectively lost. Could he have saved the first goal? I don't know, but it was a very poor performance from him.

Bring back Hughes, I say

How do we change things? Well, I think teams are starting to realise they need to stop Kermorgant, and are committing fouls on him that prevents him jumping and winning headers. I think the midfield needs a shake-up, as I don't think Stephens is playing well enough to justify his place. I miss Andy Hughes in there. He allows Hollands to get forward and dissipates the pressure when necessary by playing the ball to the back four, or keeper. But in the main I think the team need to sort themselves out, as two defeats on the bounce poses a real risk of this becoming a slump. The first half performance and ensuing reaction should be what we need.

Onto Chris Powell. I don't think he can be blamed for that first half. His comments certainly show he was not pleased, and the reaction after his team talk certainly showed he's one that can give a half-time team talk.  The problem is we don't seem to be able to come out first half and be clinical. It often takes half time to turn things around, whereas earlier in the season things were coming more easily. I shared Powell's view that the first half was unacceptable:

Powell: "After you concede one... you respond. But it just wasn't there. We just didn't have the basics right at all. We made some bad decisions, so my dressing room at half-time was not a pretty place. My supporters here at the club love their team and they don't want to see their team do that. Stern words would be a gimme at half-time - it wasn't as if I was going to offer them a cup of tea. That's not going to happen, not at all. It was not acceptable for me being their manager. I will back them, because they have been outstanding for 35-and-a-half games, but that half? No."

10 games to go, and a 10 point lead at the top, but the jitters have well and truly set in. I want us to win this league properly, as we've come this far and played so well, to waste the chance now would be devastating. I have complete faith in Chris Powell to arrest this mini-slide and set us back on the right track. I just worry, having experienced the last few years, that nothing is certain at Charlton.

Keep the faith.