Wrexham 3 Charlton Athletic 0
That was thoroughly disappointing.
Two early quick fire goals stunned us and Wrexham simply out-Charlton’d us throughout and were deserved winners. Fair play to them and Parky.
Stories of a training ground struggling with injuries became fact and we played as if this game was one too many. We’ve been good at re-setting and banishing bad weeks and we have to do that once again, and primarily get key players ready to go 110%.
The circus comment was unhelpful, although Jones’ elucidation was true and Sky’s coverage only emphasized that. We were all set up to be party pushovers and not poopers, and that is how it came to fruition despite Wycombe losing in the early game. I hate these different kick-off times by the way.
Wrexham’s two goal lead was down to our defending more than anything, and it gave us a mountain to climb. The atmosphere would have been very different if we could have kept it level until the 2nd half, and we’ve finished strong in many similar games.
Wrexham have a big experienced team and they work really hard and on the day were better than us all over the pitch. We were overrun in midfield, Small missing meant that TC was just smothered, and we were not ourselves at the back, although Edwards had a strong game.
There were half-chances to get a goal back, but the ball either didn’t fall or we lacked the quality to make a really good chance happen. Watson probably had our best goalscoring opportunity in the 1st half.
Jones made the changes I think more with an eye on the next games over actually getting something on the day, but the two benches told it’s own story of investment v under resourcing.
Let’s not dwell on it. A day to forget, safe journey home Addicks but tomorrow will be another day.
🎙️“We were second best all game, they were excellent today. We didn’t do the basics well. We’ve had a really tough week. This isn’t an excuse but a really tough week. We lost Berry, we lost Thierry, we lost Gassan, we lost Ashley Maynard-Brewer, we lost Lloyd. Lloyd hasn’t trained all week, he’s been on more painkillers than I can imagine and he wasn’t right today.” – Nathan Jones
⭐️ Josh Edwards
🏟️ 12,774 (1,276 Addicks)
📸 Kyle Andrews
i always felt getting to second was long shot.
Today the team let us down, we were never in it and the better side won.
One more game and a chance to finish third or fourth. We have to do our utmost to achieve that and hope our rivals falter. Home advantage in the play offs semis is vital.
It was a massive long shot when you at the points and GD differential four or five games ago. The play-off’s were a long shot in and of itself before Christmas.
It was a painful couple of hours.
Gonna be tough in the playoffs.
A game too far for sure for a depleted patched up squad running on fumes after the battle on Monday. Looked to me like they gave it everything just second best on the day.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see a few rested on Saturday, home advantage important for sure but as long as we’ve got Lloydy fully fit and TC firing (hasn’t looked the same since cambridge) not fussed either way. Stockport won’t be easy but winnable if strongly reffed, Wycombe we’ve beaten 6-1 on aggregate so reasons to be cheerful I’d say. So would’ve taken this in December and Jones patently knows what he’s doing.
Se for Disney FC and their ‘fans’ don’t get me started.
Even if we’d won we still need a few pieces of the jigsaw to fall in place next week.
Some great last ditch defending saved a few chances and kept us out, but Wrexham’s game management and determination were just too strong for us on the day.
We’re definitely in the play-offs though and have two weeks to go before the first leg so maybe give one or two players a rest next Saturday and come back refreshed. Lloyd Jones is clearly struggling, and one or two others are running on fumes. We have a small squad and injuries have cut it down even further, but we should still beat Burton.
There’s no need to panic we are going to be difficult opponents in the play-offs. Our record against the teams currently in the play-offs is good, we’ve done the double over Orient and Wycombe and have two draws against Stockport. None of these teams will want to play us – but our record doesn’t guarantee a win…
The old adage of ‘you can’t buy promotion’ has been well and truly put to bed this season in League One. Both the promoted sides have had substantial financial backing. If that sounds like sour grapes, it is.Half of the Wrexham eleven have played higher standard football and have commanded six and seven figure transfer fees Our bench was full of under 21’s while Wrexham’s was full of hardened professionals. Yes,I know we had injury problems,but we were never really in the game. We were flat at the back, over run and bullied in midfield, and our attacking threat snuffed out. I am hoping that NJ was thinking that we couldn’t really compete yesterday and almost ‘surrendered’ the game before kick off, in lieu of having a fully fit squad for the play-offs. Fingers crossed.
I agree that Small’s absence was a blow. He’s such an influential player for us. I really hope we can re-sign him. I think his loss would be much bigger than when Dobbo left, and who I always felt was overrated by many Charlton fans.
I hope that Small and probably more importantly his agent see that Charlton for another a season or two will be so much better for his career than being a squad player somewhere else. He still has so much to learn and develop.
But for us, when he is not starting I feel it changes the whole way that we play especially offensively.
Dobbo outshone Coventry and Docherty yesterday though.
as you know CA I Don’t see this as the end of the world. We are running on fumes but it has been a magnificent effort. I know we can rest players on Saturday- as we should, but in all honesty a trip to Wembley fills me with horror.
I am so irritated by all the fuss over Wrexham buying their way up the leagues when Stockport and their fans have done it the right way.
ps. As for people saying the team let us down- I’d quite to give them a few pain killing injections somewhere. You have no idea.
Annoys me that is a lot of fawning over the result too. I always of Curbs in these moments.
The most creative players in our squad, in my opinion, are Campbell, Small and Edwards, so with Small missing I would have been tempted to move Edwards forward and move Campbell to the right. The problem with that is that there is no cover for Edwards at LB which is NJ’s fault as he allowed Edun to leave without signing a replacement.
N.B None of the midfield players are creative which is a distinct problem.