Charlton Athletic 2 Northampton Town 1
The players were back in the home dressing room tonight, which may well have inspired them to a home win!
In all seriousness changing in the bar or wherever they have been cannot have been helpful these last few months. The players also actually entered the pitch through the tunnel tonight, and not down the west stand steps. Little things.
We were deserved winners without being any more than effective, but it was still a very welcome win in front of home fans seats. We were dominant throughout, although we can’t help but cause some slight nervousness for ourselves at the end.
In particular I though Millar and Washington were key, both found space, dragged their defenders around and sought width at every opportunity as well as put in crosses or enabled others to put in crosses many times. Both tracked back regularly as well and were my joint men of the match.
Washington got both the goals. I couldn’t watch the penalty, but he took it like a pro and the second one was a striker’s finish after some good attacking play.
Pratley and Pearce (combined age 104) had a quiet night, but didn’t put a foot wrong. Ben Amos didn’t have much to do but commanded his area very well when called upon.
I think Northampton showed the contrariety of the division tonight. They were no better than poor, but thrashed Portsmouth 4-1 three days ago.
I didn’t see a tunnel jump, but more good home times please.
“He (Washington) works so hard for the team, Iām so pleased for him. He does a lot of unselfish work and got his reward tonight.” – Lee Bowyer
Photo credit: Kyle Andrew
Chicago Addick 
Effective just about sums last night up, sometimes turning a corner can just take a bit longer than you want, but it’s been pleasing to see that spirit and resilience back during the past 3 games and gradually as confidence returns (and it is), we can hopefully see that Charlton who start to outplay and dominate the opposition………fingers crossed!
Another poor performance but at least it ended with a win. One more win and we’ll be safe from relegation š
Lets be honest it wasn’t a great performance and as seen on replays afterwards, as the panel said it was never a penalty, their manager was furious and said it turned the game as Charlton had never really looked like scoring up until then. Which was true and if it had happened the other way round, Bowyer would have been going mad at the officlals!!!
Still we have had a few bad decisions against us and we got away with that one.
One of the main bright points was Albie Morgans inclusion, Washington may have scored the two goals, though up until the penalty he had done nothing, he was the star of the show and why Bowyer has been leaving him out after those dire performances is a complete mystery! It would seem he is not one of Bowyers favourites so only really plays him when he has to. Morgan looks to try and get the ball forward rather than just sideways and backwards passing and you could see the difference straight away. Another point is, he is good at crossing dead balls, look at his corners all bar one were into the box, Shinnie comes on and its almost like, get away son I’m on here now free kicks and corners are mine and he takes three corners almost one after another and each one goes low and straight to their defender who just cleared it each time! Doesn’t Bowyer, like penalties, pick a player who is best at corners and tell the team hes taking them! Both Shinnie and JFC can’t seem to take a decent corner, we seemed to have had that problem for ages the last real good corner taker was Gudmunson, now we have someone who can swing the ball in well, Morgan so let him take them! The same as free kicks, how many times does Shinnie and JFC send the ball sailing over everyones head wasting them. JFC hits some wonder passes across field and into the box when moving with the ball, but a dead ball is completely different. At present, Morgan is our best dead ball kicker, so let him take them, instead of other more senior players rushing other and claiming them!
Finally, when we were reasonably comfortable holding onto a two goal lead, why on earth did he bring Ronnie on, I understand Smith for Morgan, but Ronnie for Washington! It mean’t only Chucks up front, with no one else to hold the ball up as yet again, he didn’t even touch the ball, last time was only once, we might as well have been playing with 10 men! That gave them some extra impetus and they forced a goal and could have been another when Watson didn’t track his man and it was a free for all, but fortunately would have been off side anyway!
Lets hope he actually keeps Morgan in the team now as with JFC they are the only real two decent midfielders and we can put on a real decent performance for once so we can get a few more points from these next games, as Daggs said to make us safe from relegation. š