Both A Point Gained And Two Dropped

This was always going to be a big one, potentially season-defining (or ending if you like). Win and we are reinvigorated, closing the gap on those above us; lose and the gap appears insurmountable, especially as we would have failed again to get anything from a game against a promotion contender; draw and … well, the uncertainty continues. Would we put in a storming and determined performance or feel sorry for ourselves (I didn’t like the way the club site preview listed all those not available through injury, as if we weren't aware and offering an excuse before the game had started) and succumb tamely?

We got the performance but not all the points. We started brightly and generally kept that up (underlining the point that if you begin slowly it’s very hard to up the tempo), with the play often crisp and flowing. The contrast in formations added to a lively encounter, with us often playing like the home team and Barnsley on the break. Their 3-5-2, as we used to find, often left space to exploit, especially for Blackett-Taylor, who might have been more effective in the final third but ended up redeeming himself with the equaliser. Equally both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances. While we dominated possession, Maynard-Brewer was called on to make a couple of excellent saves (one superb tip over the bar at full stretch) whereas all their keeper’s work was routine aside from our goal. Against that, the world and his dog knows that the ball was out and I’m in the camp which believes we should have had a first-half penalty for handball, their guy stretching out his arm having turned his back on a cross. I’ve no doubt that if it had been in front of the Charlton fans, a unified howl for a spot kick would have moved the ref. Perhaps those critical of VAR can be invited to see what we have to put up with in this division.

The team showed just one change from the starting X1 against Cambridge, with Rylah going from starter to out of the squad and Tedic doing the reverse. That indicated him playing centrally and either Campbell(C) or May taking up the right side slot in the front three, probably the latter, with one or the other in the No.10 role. The subs bench was unchanged. It looked like the opportunity to impress that Tedic had hopefully been waiting for.

Again, we were bright from the start, with Campbell and Blackett-Taylor involved. And the first real chance fell to him. A Barnsley defender made a hash of an interception and CBT had a run-in on goal on the left side. Into the box but then a weak effort which went wide. It looked a bad miss, especially with a square ball to May available, but I think the ball bobbled up as he went to strike it. Still within the first 10 mins a challenge on CBT inside the box might have resulted in a soft penalty.

In the first 20 minutes Barnsley had a couple of moments, one handed to them on a plate by a very poor Campbell pass and the shot from distance that Maynard-Brewer turned over. But it was rather out of the blue, adding insult to injury, when they took the lead on 23 minutes. Surely everyone by now has seen it, but a ball forward down their left side was overhit. Their guy chased it down, covered by Dobson. He got his foot to it, but not sufficiently to kill the momentum of the ball and, with the guy now on his back, Dobson was content to let it run out for a goal kick. When the prostrate guy played the ball again we paid it no mind, but play continued, he played it across the box, and another planted an excellent first-time shot back inside the far post. All you can say is that the linesman can have had no view from the other side of the pitch and it will have been hard for the ref from his position to be sure all the ball had gone out. Watching on TV we had the best angle and that left no doubt.

For the rest of the first half we persevered in the face of adversity, salt rubbed in when the ref inexplicably gave a goal kick when their guy under pressure from May had hoofed it behind. There was the possible handball penalty on 40 mins, when Edun’s cross was defelected – but perhaps crucially not fully blocked – by their defender’s outstretched arm. But at the break, despite the lion’s share of possession, we were behind and you felt another Barnsley goal, which they looked capable of scoring, and we could be done for.

We started the second half well too and had a couple of half-chances. Dobson found Tedic, who turned well and shot only just wide from the edge of the box, then CBT was played in by Tedic only for a couple of efforts to be blocked. That said, after the hour mark we had a sloppy period, relying more on long balls and passes not finding their targets, which seemed to let Barnsley in again. Maynard-Brewer was called on again, this time blocking an effort from close range, while another guy fluffed a shot from a decent position.

Consequently it was slightly surprising that we squared the game. Tedun seemed to be going nowhere down the left side, but his ball forward took a deflection which wrong-footed their defenders. Blackett-Taylor read the flight of it best and made it his, shrugging off a desperate challenge. Instead of shooting first time he had the calmness (I didn’t, screaming at the TV for a shot) to cut across the goal before from a central spot finding the net.

After that either side could have won it, but neither was able to fashion a decisive clear chance. Kanu, who had replaced Tedic (who I thought had a decent game leading the line) before our equaliser, was lively, Mbick came on the tiring Campbell, with Kanu moving to the right side and May dropping into the hole, while late on Campbell(T) replaced a knackered CBT. All to no avail.

As underlined in the post-match TV show, if we had taken the three points against Cambridge the draw away against a promotion contender would have been much sweeter. As it is now, we are 12 points behind Stevenage (on a points per game basis the team in sixth) with two games in hand and four places to climb to get into sixth. It isn’t insurmountable, it is obviously tough. As things stand, Stevenage are on course to get 83/84 points for the season. For us to get to 84 it will require we average 2.15 points per game. Things are never that simple of course, the chances are that one or more of the teams in the top six will fall away (surprisingly at the moment it’s Bolton) and the points required could be lowered. Either way, as Curbs stressed we will need to go on a run of wins sooner rather than later – and with Burton at home, followed by Leyton Orient away, Bristol Rovers away, Oxford at home, and Port Vale away all condensed into the festive season there are 15 points up for grabs. Irrespective of the transfer window, perhaps we have to take 10 points from these games, including a win against Oxford, if our position is to be strengthened. We are unbeaten in six, albeit with only one win in the last five, and as at Portsmouth showed that we are capable of at least matching teams above us.

As for what yesterday’s game said about January objectives, there were in my view positives. Again, I thought Tedic had a decent game, although clearly the guy needs a goal, and Kanu is looking less raw than last season. Although we are missing Leaburn, Aneke and Camara, that means we can choose between May (not really a choice, he is nailed on in whatever position), Tedic, Kanu, Mbic, both Campbells, and CBT, perhaps Rylah too, to fill three spots. We do at least have options. And I thought Hector, as against Cambridge, played well, marshalling the defence more clearly.

Finally, like everyone else I’m sending best wishes to Tom Lockyer and his family. Hopefully he and they will have a festive period they can look back on happily.