Campaign All But Done But Duchere Still In The Hunt

So, when they come to write the next volume in the history of Charlton Athletic, what will Saturday’s game be remembered for? Wickham’s first goal for the club (first of many or one and only?), the one that marked formal confirmation that we have avoided relegation, the unbeaten run being extended to 13 (only two more to have it last until the end of the season), for yet another bloody draw, or for the extension of another sequence which seems to have been going on a while, namely games after which Jones expressed his frustration at not having won? Probably all and none of the above.

Sure, we might have won it, another game in which we outdid the opposition on attempts on goal and an inch the other way and May’s one off the post would probably have been the winner. Having taken the lead we were dominant in the first half, even if the pitch and conditions worked against anyone playing football. However, I really couldn’t begrudge Cambridge their point. They dug deep in the second half to get something out of the game and probably had the better of things in that period, without carrying much of a threat, aside from the confusion caused by long throws into the box. Their goal was disappointing from our perspective, but then the reverse also applied – Wickham did exceptionally well but their centre-backs left him to do what he did unchallenged. Ultimately we didn’t do enough well enough in either box to win the game, a familiar story.

The game ultimately left me feeling that it really is time to draw a veil over this season. The record books will show us ending in the lower half of the third flight and another season of disappointment. I suspect that the stats freaks among us will question how many clubs have a season which includes a winless run of 18 games followed by 13 (perhaps up to 15) unbeaten? The rest of us will remember it as a campaign which saw us never truly threaten to secure a top-six finish and which included a disastrous period which saw us come closer to relegation to the fourth division than ever before in our lifetimes. Of course, we all fervently hope it will also be remembered as the watershed which prompted the arrival of Jones at the club and the start of the period of glorious revival and unparalleled success.

Rather than going over the details of another mid-table game I thought it was appropriate to give a quick update on French football matters, ie the contest for promotion from National 3 involving my adopted team, Lyon Duchere. The last update was after the 17th round of the 26-round campaign, with Duchere then in second place, two points behind near neighbours Saint-Priest, following a 2-2 draw between the two. Since then Duchere have beaten comfortably St Etienne’s second string 3-1, but then came unstuck, losing 2-3 away at Chassieu Decines. They were back on track with a 3-0 home win over US Feurs, a 2-1 victory away at FC Espaly, and a 3-0 win over Limonest Dardilly. Over the same period Saint-Priest were held to a 2-2 away at lowly Ain Sud, beat Chambery Savoie 1-0 at home, but then surprisingly lost 1-2 to Clermont Foot reserves. They followed this with a 2-0 win at Olympique de Valence and a 2-1 victory over Vaulx en Velin.

The upshot of all this is that the pair are still locked together at the top, both on 46 points from 22 games, with four to play. I confess I’m not sure why, but the sites of both Duchere and Saint-Priest show Duchere in the top spot, despite a goal difference of 15 against one of 23 for Saint-Priest. With only one to go up, it is the time that Alex Ferguson used to refer to. Indeed, the next round of games is going to centre on Lyon, with Duchere to take on Olympique Lyonnais’ second string while Saint-Priest will host Haut-Lyonnais.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on developments on that front, although this weekend I will be at The Valley! Planned a trip to take in the final home game of the season, more I confess for the ambience and company than in anticipation of a footballing classic. Hopefully we will enjoy a decent game and emerge unbeaten again, a few goals wouldn’t come amiss. But I suspect like most others the main theme of the debate will be who should stay and who should go – and what players we need to bring in. I am sure that during the glasses of wine before and after the game, then the obligatory curry, deep and meaningful conclusions will be drawn.