Charlton Athletic 1 Middlesbrough 4

We got our arses handed to us today by a high-flying Boro side. This despite taking a lead through Rob Hulse, the first time we have led at home this season incidentally but by the end of it the Addicks were on the end of their biggest defeat of the season.

This week some of us including me were talking about almost every league game that we have played being tight and settled by small margins. That wasn’t the case today as Boro won with ease, their 6th successive away win, and moved into an automatic promotion place.

Annoyingly this defeat came again on the back of a good away result, two in fact, and our home form continues to worry. Nonetheless these two games, today and Tuesday at home to top placed Cardiff are very tough games making our defeats at home to Watford and Barnsley all the more frustrating.

Powell was forced into more changes with Ceddy Evina’s knee injury confirmed before kick off. I believe Salim Kerkar started at left back, so again Powell playing a player out of position, this time to protect the blossoming partnership between Solly and Wilson. BWP was up top alongside Hulse, who sounded as if he took his goal well, but as some had feared switching from a five-man midfield left us very exposed at the back.

We started the game well though and if we could have held our lead longer it may have been different, but goals are proving a problem, particularly at home where only Aldershot have scored less goals than us outside of the Premiership.

Lawrie Wilson, whose recent form has been a revelation, now joins the injury room and that fixture list and the table both look a bit ominous.

Addicks Bloggers at The Valley: Charlton Casualty
Powell-ometer: With the injuries piling up Powell’s squad looks even more short on quality, and in front of our own fans we are not instilling any confidence at all. Powell switched to his favoured 4-4-2 but for me we have to start with five in midfield on Tuesday.
Elsewhere: Palace don’t need a manager as they brushed aside Henning Berg’s Blackburn 2-0, Leicester went down to Watford and Hull beat Barnsley. Millwall had the result of the day beating Forest at the City Ground 4-1, Derby beat Holloway-less Blackpool by the same score whist Huddersfield beat Bristol City 1-0 and Ipswich won at Birmingham under Mick McCarthy. Sheffield Wednesday beat Peterborough 2-1, Llera with their second, Austin scored again as Burnley beat Wolves 2-1 and last night Brighton and Leeds shared the spoils. Tuesday’s opponents Cardiff are playing Bolton now.