Charlton Athletic 3 Yeovil Town 2
“Please put away your tray tables and turn off all mobile devices.”
Sat on a plane at Miami Airport, I had to turn off my phone at half-time and my mind was then left to race away for two hours overthinking a multitude of potential different outcomes of tonight’s game. Flying above the clouds at 30,000 feet should bring solitude and calm. Oh no, not when Charlton are playing a relegation six-pointer it doesn’t!
It’s funny, because if the take-off time had been 10 minutes later, I would have seen the next two tweets from the official CAFC guys that screamed GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL! Nah, being 3-1 up probably wouldn’t have made that journey any easier, and from reading reports, that sounded the case as Riga’s men clung on for a huge 3 points.
Three goals then for just the second time this season, with confidence boosting strikes/tap ins from Astrit Ajdarevic and Marvin Sordell and another power header under the floodlights from Dorian Dervite, said to be considering a new contract.
Defensively we sounded all over the place, surely not helped by Morrison moving to right back in place of an injured Lawrie Wilson. Riga obviously has never seen Morrison play there, and it is beyond me that he would rather change the whole foundation of the back four instead of playing Loic Nego. I mean, how rubbish is this bloke with a 4-year contract? Cousins would have been a much more sensible option at right-back if you ask me.
Wilson has a fractured eye socket but hopes to play with a mask at Brighton. Then again, Riga may forego Saturday’s game and concentrate on next Tuesday. Heck, perhaps he will play Nego.
Hugely important win tonight, well done lads. COYR.
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Chicago Addick 
Great result. Haven’t read any reports yet. I couldn’t sleep, listening for the buzz from my phone for goal alerts. Shame about the Millwall score but three teams above us now well within reach.
Possibly not as nervy as you’d imagine, however the two goals we gave away were jokes & utterly avoidable. All Wiggins had to do was step up, he didn’t, and their player Grant had acres of space, & quite what the defence & Hamer were doing for the second is beyond belief. However a vital 3 points and well deserved, one thing you could not fault the players for was a desire to work and secure a victory. I am confident of survival but whoever takes over next season needs to show Mr Sordell the door (I know he is a loanee) but from the 1st minute when he got legally clattered he was terrified of the centre backs all night, yes I know he scored but one laughable moment saw him cut in from the left, the intention of hitting a curler, the ball curled alright straight to the Trade Point advertising board for an embarrassing thrown in without bouncing, once side of the pitch to the other. I thought “Dave” (Iranian chap) showed what he can offer quick feet, two footed, and can get behind players with ease, 2 great runs one we should of, the other we did score from, a bit more consistency and strengthening we just might have a player. A great noisy Valley night under floodlights.
Wigan rested 8 players last night as they have an FA Cup semi-final at weekend – so that puts Millwall’s win into perspective. Still, it would’ve given them confidence and hope.
Our win was deserved, but Yeovil were a threat with some big forwards causing problems. Not realising Wilson was injured put paid to our pre-match hope of him being pushed into midfield.
But moving Morrison to right back was dumb. Powell tried this originally at Stevenage a few seasons back, and it failed. Morrison is a rock in the middle, but never a fullback. Riga may have been advised of this (risky) switch by Dyer. Understandably our defence was unbalanced
and against a better side, could’ve been more heavily punished. Full praise goes to our midfield
of Poyet (outstanding), Cousins and Jackson – and Astrit until he re-“tired” early in 2nd half.
Sordell played his best game albeit helped by a weak Yeovil defence. Reza has the touches, but not the strength for the English game. Anyway, he tried. Then another blow to my pre-match
hopes. Obika came on in 2nd half and looked anything but match fit or the answer to our lack of a goalscorer. Harriott came on a bit later on the right wing and was an “accident waiting to happen”. The boy has lost his confidence and is an absolute liability, making bad challenges and bad decisions yet again. On a better note, it was terrific to see Cort come on for the last minutes and use his physique to power away a dangerous high ball in customary style.
I’m going to Brighton (who beat Leicester away 4-1) this Saturday. Hopefully Wilson will return.
The way our pattern of results are going I expect we’ll lose, but if our defence is back to its best and last night’s starting midfield perform to their highest level, we could get a draw even with our woeful forwards – just as long as Brighton don’t score!