Northampton 1 Charlton Athletic 1
The only way we were going to concede today was by a mistake and it just shows that they are still lurking within us.
A dreadful error from Harry Isted gifted Northampton a point with their only chance of the game 10 minutes before the end. When will these goalkeepers realise they are not Ederson.
There were plenty of positives however. We imposed our game on a team that are having a very good season, looked tight and cohesive defensively and created chances.
Chances we should have scored though to give us a cushion and to have killed the game in front another sell-out away end.
We had the perfect start with Karoy Anderson scoring on 4 minutes, a deflected shot that looked like it was going in anyway.
The conditions were more of a leveller in the second half and we struggled to to reach the same intensity, yet still had chances to get a vital second goal. May with the best one, hitting a post with a header.
Isted then had his moment of madness for which Nathan Jones didn’t sound too forgiving.
There was no lift from the substitutes, with Aneke rested and the game petered out into a draw.
MoW: Conor Coventry.
Elsewhere: Cambridge lost at Bolton, Shrewsbury lost at home to Blackpool and Port Vale lost at Derby. Reading won at Carlisle and Cheltenham and Burton was goalless. Fleetwood beat Wigan 4-2.
After the last three games many were expecting a win at Northampton. Before the game I would have taken a draw.
The way that draw came about was of course very unfortunate. It was 2 points dropped.
On paper the next three look ‘easy’ I’m hoping and expecting seven or nine points …………………………….
A biting cross wind didn’t help, however we created the chances to win comfortably, even moments before we conceded Alfie May hit the post, then they clear the ball, counter-attack and a defensive mistake costs us, from possibly 2-0 to 1-1 took, what a minute? But when you are only one goal up there’s no cushion, a second or third goal in the bank and we’d be saying never mind, we still got three points.
The goal conceded was typical of many we’ve let in this season – simple boneheaded carelessness in defence. How many times has a defender tried to pass the ball out and get caught or just given the ball away? This time it was Harry Isted’s screw up. Good teams don’t make those mistakes, at least as not as frequently as we have this year. Arguably the backpass should never have been made in the first place and even then Isted should have wellied it away with his first touch. Maybe that’s a bit agricultural and ugly but it’s effective.
Other than that we played well, looked solid and shut Northampton out – they created nothing of note and were lucky to get the point.
Hopefully what we get from this is a reaction and not a here we go again loss of confidence after dropping two points. On Tuesday Alfie May will be returning to Cheltenham, hopefully we’ll see Chuks Aneke and Pantuche Camara back to give us a couple of options on the bench, plus Lloyd Jones should return.
The unbeaten run stretches to five games.
One heavy touch. Happens all over the park but can be fatal if a goalkeeper does it. Everyone makes mistakes. Isted acknowledged his to the travelling supporters and also got a right bollocking from the boss, by all accounts.
We will stay up and as for next season – hang on to your hats!
So CA. This is it. The winning run starts here as we leave the country tonight and are joining you as Overseas Addicks for the rest of the season. All the dross and awfulness we have sat through and now we miss the best bit!! However we are doing a “trip of a lifetime” so I can’t complain and if our absence tips the balance – well great.
See you next season for a much, much better one. X
Enjoy LP, last night was a good start. Curious to where you’ll be going. Sounds like a world cruise.