A Most Satisfactory Afternoon

After those two wins and a draw in a week had put us seemingly within touching distance of safety, relative ease, successive home defeats and the prospect of some (or all) below us in the league picking up points obviously raised the stakes for this one. A third consecutive loss and we’re looking nervously at the remaining fixtures; get something from the game and the gap to the bottom three would still look reassuring. It was a fixture which cried out for a performance of grit and determination on the road, a la Ipswich, Middlesbrough etc.

In terms of the game we didn’t really get that, it was a much more open game than might have been expected, with plenty of chances at either end. We didn’t manage to hold on for the victory having taken the lead, but can’t really complain, given that Mannion was clearly man of the match, making a string of excellent saves from among their 31 shots (and a fellow Addick has pointed out only on four occasions this season has a team faced over 30 shots, three times it has been us – and we’ve not lost one of the games, two wins and a draw). The point, plus three draws for the teams below us, and it all added up to a most satisfactory afternoon – not quite a glorious one but unquestionably good enough.

With a couple of games in quick succession there was always the possibility of Jones the Boss making changes from Friday. And there were two straight swaps for the starting XI, with Coady coming in for Coventry in midfield and Campbell brought in alongside Dykes, Kelman dropping back to the bench. With Kaminski not available with a shoulder injury, Brooks was the back-up keeper, while Berry was added to the subs, like Knibbs and Godden before him returning from injury, with Fullah not included.

Both sides came close in the opening couple of minutes, as first Jones the Player couldn’t quite get on top of a Campbell cross, then Mannion made the first of his saves to divert a good shot from their pacey and dangerous winger. That kind of set the tone. On 14 minutes Campbell cut inside, shot was a mess but the ball dropped quite kindly for Carey, who was unable to get in an effort on target, then Campbell fed Docherty but he couldn’t quite get his shot away, the move ending with Chambers shooting over. Up the other end and Mannion was called on again to turn one around the post as we were caught on the break, and from the resulting corner the ball was played back in to the far post and with Mannion deceived it came back off the woodwork and we managed to clear. That was all in the first 22 minutes.

On 32 minutes we had a free-kick for a foul on Campbell sent to the far post, but the header towards goal was gathered by their keeper. A bad lunge on Campbell resulted in another free-kick (and a well merited yellow, after Docherty had harshly received one). This one was pulled back for Chambers. His ball into the mix resulted in a scramble and as it sat up Docherty met it first only for his header to come back off the post with their keeper nowhere. As if to even things up, a Watford free-kick wasn’t dealt with cleanly and ended up with their guy prodding it into the far corner, only to be pulled up for being offside as the kick was taken.

The stats at half-time showed they had 57% possession with eight attempts on goal, two on target, against our nine and two. That suggested parity, but in truth aside from Docherty hitting the post they had the better chances, hitting the woodwork, pulling out saves from Mannion, and having their effort disallowed. We were the more content of the two with the game goalless, but there were too many chances being created to be confident it would stay that way.

Indeed, Watford began the second half well on top. A break from one of our long throws ended with a Mannion save, followed by another. On 59 minutes Jones the Boss decided on changes, with Rankin-Costello replacing Chambers and Godden on for Carey, who had struggled to influence the game, with Campbell filling in as left-side wing-back. And glory be a couple of minutes later we took the lead.

A Clarke long throw from our right was nodded on twice, the first deliberate the second less so, and suddenly it dropped to Godden, who for some unfathomable reason had been left all alone around the penalty spot (let’s give him credit, he’d lost his marker). He took it on his chest and hit it sweetly into the corner of the net as it dropped. He hadn’t quite managed to get us an equaliser on Friday, but now he gave us something to hold onto.

Watford reacted well to going behind, putting us under pressure for a while. But on 65 minutes we did have the chance to move further ahead. Godden made a nuisance of himself for their defender and Rankin-Costello pounced to pick up the loose ball. He was just about in on goal on the left side but when it came to getting the shot away he was stretching and scuffed it, their keeper able to turn it aside. And that proved costly as Watford drew level on 73 minutes.

Unfortunately for us their dangerous winger had not left the scene injured late in the first half, and when they won the ball in the middle of the park it was played square to their guy, who hit an immediate inch-perfect pass to the winger in full flight. Ramsay couldn’t get back to him and although the angle was fairly tight the winger hit it crisply low and across Mannion, for the one and only time in the game unable to get a hand to it.

We were now on the rack and it was them against Mannion. One from a narrow angle was turned around for another corner, and he repeated the exercise a minute later. Jones the Boss made another change on 80 minutes to try and stem the flow, with Dykes withdrawn for Fevrier, with a switch to a kind of front three. Fevrier, as on Friday, made a real impact. He won a corner and from that Godden blocked off their keeper but a defender go to it first before someone could head it into an empty net.

A Watford guy cutting inside saw his shot, predictably by now, turned around by Mannion, then on 89 minutes, just as the officials were indicating six minutes of stoppage time, Watford play around our box ended with substitute Ince hitting a fierce shot which hit Coady on the head and poleaxed him. After a long delay he was stretchered off, Gillesphey replacing him. I haven’t seen any word yet on how Coady is doing, but hopefully all will be well after some rest. Talk about taking one for the team.

Six added minutes became 15. There was still time for another Charlton break, with a three-on-three. But Rankin-Costello didn’t quite make up his mind and eventually his shot was diverted wide for a corner. And that proved to be that.

Before the game we would have been content with a point – and the other games all finishing as draws, meaning the gap to the bottom three stays at eight points with another round chalked off. Only five to go now. Of course Jones continues to talk of finishing the season on a high, but the overwhelming priority is just to be in this division next year. We now have Preston at home followed by Sheffield Wednesday away. If we can take four – ideally six of course – points from these two, we could be all but mathematically safe with three games to play. That, let’s not forget, will be no mean achievement.

Another Tight One Goes Against Us (Part Two)

Jones the Boss seemed to sum this one up in his preview, commenting that we would have little idea how Bristol City would shape up against us, having been on a very poor run but having sacked their manager and brought in Hodgson. Before that move we would have looked at this fixture and thought we could be confident of a win, one which would ensure that we at least maintained the gap to the bottom three, even though early in the season we had been very pleased to come away from Ashton Gate with a 0-0 draw. A lot of water under the bridge since then. We still had those hopes of course, just mixed with a little more caution.

In the event, we didn’t play well enough to have complaints about a second consecutive home defeat by the odd goal. Bristol played with a fluency and purpose that caused us all sorts of problems defensively, especially in the opening period, finding space between our back three and dominating midfield. They might have scored before they did. The surprise was that we pulled level, with a rare piece of enterprising play between Dykes and Kelman, albeit after the officials had erroneously given us a throw-in. At the break you felt we were fortunate to be level but that now it would be a really good game to go on and win. Instead we conceded a horrible goal to fall behind again, then when throwing caution to the wind in the final stages came up against a goalkeeper in fine form, or failed to be clinical when the chances came, and our claims for deserving a point based on this period have to be balanced by the breakaways that Bristol failed to convert.

The starting XI was pretty familiar: Mannion keeping his place; Ramsay, Jones and Bell forming the central defensive three, flanked by Clarke and Chambers as the wing-backs; Coventry, Docherty and Carey retained in midfield; while up front Dykes returned from international duty seemingly unscathed and Kelman got the nod over Campbell (among the subs) to start alongside him. On the bench we would have the very welcome return of two faces: Godden and more surprisingly Knibbs were back available, with not in the squad (an ankle injury according to the club) and Gough missing out.

In the opening 15 minutes or so we barely got a kick – and when we did have the ball were unable to do anything with it, with a scared back line reluctant to venture forward and the midfield pressed back to try to plug the holes, leaving the front two isolated.

We were almost behind just two minutes in as our back three seemed to be caught out moving forward, by a routine pass between them, leaving their forward with a clear run on goal. To our good fortune he missed the target, his shot clipping the outside of the post. But it was to be only a temporary reprieve as on 10 minutes there was something of a repeat. A ball threaded through was tempting enough to Jones the Player to stretch for it. But he didn’t make it, leaving their guy to take a touch then bury it in the corner of the net. We know what a season Jones has had, and that he will walk away with the PotY award again, but he seemed culpable for both incidents in a shaky start to the game.

After the dreadful opening spell we did manage to make the next 15 more even, without looking in any way threatening. But remarkably on 29 minutes we drew level. The ball went out on our right side for what seemed to be a Bristol throw, but the officials thought otherwise and Clarke quickly threw down the line. Dykes and Kelman combined in a fashion seldom seen of late between two Charlton forwards, passing to each other. Kelman ended up playing the ball astutely inside for Dykes, but there still seemed little danger as the angle was very tight and no supporting options were available. Nevertheless, Dykes managed to poke the ball goalwards and placed it perfectly, to rebound in off the far post. An excellent goal and all the two forwards’ work, leaving aside a little help from the officials.

The goal did set them back and, coupled with greater aggression in midfield on our part, the remainder of the first half was a balanced affair. Bristol did have a cheeky long-range free-kick which nearly caught out Mannion, we had some set pieces which caused them problems. But at the break you felt that if we could raise our game, attacking the Covered End, we could come away with the points.

That didn’t happen. Instead we began again rather tentatively, some incoherent play at the back resulting in a corner needlessly given away. Then on 54 minutes Coventry was adjudged to have fouled their guy on the edge of the box in a central position. That free-kick came to nothing, but we didn’t learn the lesson and just two minutes later Jones was penalised for a challenge, this time left-of-centre. The effort sent in took a deflection and clearly deceived Mannion, who pushed it to the side but not decisively. The ball seemed to be still going in and he managed to claw it away, but only to their guy running in. Confusingly he made a mess of it but the ball still found its way over Mannion and over the line before Ramsay could reach it. It looked a dreadful goal to concede, but not one you could simply label a goalkeeper howler.

We almost equalised again straight away as Bell and Ramsay down the right managed to set up Carey for an effort from close range, but he sent his shot wide. As the game opened up, Bristol twice almost added to their lead, first with a shot from a narrow angle which Mannion pushed away, then another save from him.

After the hour Jones the Boss made the first of his changes, with Campbell and Fullah introduced for Chambers and Kelman, pointing to a sort of 4-5-1. There was no decisive change to the pattern of the game, although we did come close as a Clarke cross was not dealt with and the move ended with a Fullah shot bringing a decent save.

On 78 minutes we began the devil-may-care finale, with Rankin-Costello and Godden replacing Coventry and Clarke. And on 81 minutes it was so nearly 2-2. A ball into the box was headed on by Jones and Godden was in. He shot low but their keeper somehow managed to get a leg in the way and the rebound didn’t drop to one of ours. That was followed by the first of Bristol’s clear breakaways against a team focused on attack, although they didn’t make the most of the space they had. Then on 85 minutes it was Ferrier for Docherty, with Campbell and Ferrier operating down the flanks and Dykes and Godden in the middle.

We did give it everything we had. Ferrier caused them no end of problems down the right and on 86 minutes an excellent cross from him found Campbell in space at the far post. He had to wait for the ball to come down but didn’t manage to compose himself and sent his shot badly wide. Dykes headed over the bar, then just before stoppage time a pass was intercepted and suddenly Bristol were in again, this time denied by a very well-time Ramsay tackle.

In the five minutes of stoppage time Campbell set up Rankin-Costello, only for his shot to be saved. From a corner Mannion came up and Bristol broke with three on two. Somehow Mannion made it back in time to make the save, then Godden was played in behind their defence but pulled his shot just wide. Another corner and a final long throw came to nothing and the whistle went.

A frustrating and potentially still very damaging result. My abiding thought after the game was that we continue to struggle when the gameplan is more than defend like dogs and hope to nick one at the other end. When the team goes out with that mentality the defence and midfield do an excellent job of protecting our goal. When, especially at home, we are inclined to think we ought to play a more open game we tend to come unstuck, usually falling behind and leaving it to a late onslaught taking risks to get anything from the game.

None of this matters if we go to Watford and grind out something, a draw or a win. Six games left and still a seven/eight points gap to the bottom three – but of course teams below us will pick up points on Monday as the six below us are playing each other. We can do nothing about those results, but we can steady the ship by getting something from Watford. Starting with another of those very welcome clean sheets.