Portsmouth 0 Charlton Athletic 1
What a difference a week makes..
How an earth is that the same team that we saw last Saturday? Bowyer may well have learnt more from two defeats than three consecutive wins, and he deserves massive credit for turning it around.
That was an outstanding result today by a team that carried out his instructions exactly. I watched the 2nd half on iFollow and there wasn’t one moment when a Pompey player wasn’t surrounded by one or two Charlton ones. They chased and harried every single ball, and when in possession we were clever and precise with it.
Possibly the only complaint was that we got into some good forward positions in the 2nd period, especially from wide, but failed to find the right final cross or pass.
Nevertheless it was a tremendous performance in front outstanding fans who created a cracking atmosphere and backed the players the entire game. How often have we been let down when we’ve turned up in big numbers? Not today, the players and crowd fed off each other as Bowyer and JJ glue us together, a bond not seen since the days of Chris Powell.
Pearce led by example, and simply should remain team captain. He and Bauer were immense, particularly in their handling of Brett Pitman. Amos’ decision making was excellent and Konza and Page (whose replacement appeared more of a precaution) and then Dasilva were each all over the pitch.
In the middle JFC, Kashi, Fosu, Reeves and later Marshall moved the ball quickly and carefully and intertwined with each other really well. Gutting that Fosu has ‘done his hamstring,’ and hopefully he will still play a part in this season’s story.
Magennis was Magennis and I think we are all pleased as punch for Ajose, who deserved his goal, and finished it really well.
What a turnaround. Six huge points on the road, and Lee Bowyer’s togetherness and spirt more than a sound bite. Fantastic.
Quote: “Josh won everything in the air today and I manged to gamble on one and managed to put it away which was nice on a personal note, but it was more important to get the three points.” – Nicky Ajose
Addick Bloggers:
An old fashioned route one goal. A long kick out from our penalty area by Amos flicked on by Magennis to Ajose who finlshed well. Would never have happened in KR’s one up front system. Rarely saw anyone goal side of Magennis in a similar situation with KR.
Indeed and so much more effective than the tippy tappy across the back five stuff I witnessed last week. As Powell proved (and Mike Bailey) to get out of this division you need a variation of styles.
It was a cool finish from someone hasn’t scored for a long time.
Best away day ever for me and my son. started singing about 30 mins before ko and didn’t stop until we left 20 mins after the finish. Like many, we wondered if getting Portsmouth and Rochdale tickets was a good idea after Scunny, but you always keep a bit of hope Next Saturday we are off to Bognor to hopefully see the Darts win the title, and are really torn about going to the Valley instead, What an end to the season this could be…
CA that Amos save from the free kick looked a worldy – did it look as good on the laptop?
Pembury Addick
And PA, you and your son see a lot of away games, so that is some conclusion. It was one for the memory for sure.
The iFollow pictures are good, although the sound is a few seconds behind which is off putting, but the save looked excellent. Pitman hit it with real pace and I’d have thought Amos may have been partially unsighted. He has shown what a good keeper he is this season (after a little dodgy start).
I saw the Sky pictures, but they didn’t show the deflection off the wall that I seemed to see with my dodgy mince pies! it seemed to deflect so that instead of going to his right, went above him so that he had to save with his left. We sort of chose Amos as our player of the season a few weeks ago, as he has been consistently 7 or 8 out of ten every week where the performance of so many of our team our team varies from week to week. But you are right about his dodgy start.
Pembury Addick
Worried about this Fosu injury. I’m afraid Marshall is not in the same class and looks low on confidence to me. I guess Bowyer brought on Da Silva for Fosu to beef up the defense, playing 2 left backs but the combination of Marshall and Da Silva, once Page went off looked a little soft to me. Something to watch over the next game or so.
Me too tex77. Marshall can carry the ball and has pace, but not the tricky of Fosu and he definitely doesn’t carry the goal threat. Fosu has bounced back quickly from a lot of injuries this season, hoping he can do it again.
Would a left side of Page (LB) and Dasilva (LM) work?
I think as a containment option yes but not sure offensively. At least now under Bowyer we have two strikers to aim for in the box from wide positions.