Missed Opportunities

An Addick friend posted a comment on my Burton match report to the effect that after watching a couple of Championship sides recently it was clear we have a long way to go to be back at that level. And if there was a message from the Lincoln defeat yesterday for me that was it. I thought it was a quite entertaining game, one which aside from the period when we were playing with 10 against 11 was pretty even, and we did create enough chances to have taken something from the game (the way it panned out you can’t make a good case for us deserving to win it, unless we had taken the lead in the first half when Stockley’s effort came back off the bar). Then you pull yourself up short and remind yourself that this was a contest against a team trying to keep itself clear of the third division drop zone (which fair play to them they seem to be managing).

For us the game was one of missed opportunities. We should have taken the lead in the first half with the Stockley opening. Gilbey’s cross to the near post was driven, hard to control and direct the effort on goal, but he still should have scored (as he should have done against Doncaster with the follow-up to Washington’s one-on-one saved by their keeper). Go ahead at the game no doubt would have been different.

Having not converted that chance, we suffered two major setbacks before the break. First Lincoln, who had always looked dangerous going forward, especially finding space and getting in behind down our right, took the lead. Too many defenders were drawn towards that side and a square pass found their forward in space on the right side of the box. He had the ability, and touch of good fortune, to get past three challenges as he cut back across goal onto his left side, then planted a good low shot across MacGillivray. Second, after 36 minutes we were down to 10 men. Gilbey, having seen yellow for a pull back on one of their guys, inanely repeated the exercise. The first yellow was perhaps a touch harsh, but the ref could hardly behave differently the second time. Gilbey just seemed unable to control his instincts when someone gets past him or beats him to the ball.

For about 20 minutes after that, either side of the break, it looked as though Lincoln would run out quite comfortable winners. Jackson made no tactical change and took the risk of us being overrun in midfield. To be fair we might have drawn level during this period, when Stockley’s header at the far post may or may not have resulted in all the ball being over the line as their keeper parried it. Fact is I’ve not seen an angle from which we might tell and the linesman didn’t give it. Then Lincoln gave us an unexpected lifeline as the scorer of their first goal was late and rash with the challenge on Purrington. It was as daft as Gilbey’s had been and it could easily have cost his team.

We then had the opportunity to take the game by the scruff of the neck. We had the chances to do so, but failed to take them. First Matthews combined with Washington down the right and his cross found Stockley unmarked around the penalty spot. Either side of the keeper, low or high, and surely he would have scored. Instead the header was too close to the guy and at an acceptable height. Here too, really should have scored. And not long after a Dobson ball into the box found Washington in a great position only for the ball to take a while to come down, enabling their defender to get in a crucial interception.

Just before that second chance we had the very welcome return of Forster-Caskey, who replaced Fraser. The game situation probably suited him in that there was space to exploit and run into, but he went on to remind us what we had been missing with probing and threatening passes. JJ then made a second change, to really go for it, with Leko brought on to replace Matthews.

Unfortunately Leko’s first meaningful involvement was to attempt an interception and fail to get there. That left the space for a pass to their guy on the left side. Clare took time to get to him and when he did was not able to cover/cut out the cut back inside. That proved costly as their guy hit the shot into the far corner, in off the bar.

That seemed to be game over, although we still had opportunities. Forster-Caskey found Clare running out of defence and he went past two and crossed for Washington in space. This time his control let him down and the chance was lost. Leko did prove a handful for them and got in telling crosses, but it was only with a few minutes of normal time left, after Lee had come on for Dobson, that we finally got on the scoresheet with Stockley heading in straight from a corner. There was still time for Forster-Caskey to find Lee, who played in Washington, only for his shot to go agonisingly just wide of the far post. And that, despite four added minutes, was it.

Perhaps it was asking too much to get four wins on the spin. But we had three in the bag and were playing a team below us in the league, so why not? The positives were the fact that we did create chances – and the return of Forster-Caskey. Hopefully he can get good gametime in the remaining matches – and of course there is an open slot in midfield for Tuesday night. The negatives? No point in dwelling on them as they are not new. We have no divine right to be higher than we are but getting to where we want to be is going to require a raising of the standards.