Not Much Clarity Yet

It’s been eight weeks since we drew the curtain on the poor 2022/23 season, tomorrow we turn out for the first time for the new campaign (at Welling), and we’re about five weeks away from the start of real hostilities. All that can be said is that right now we’re nowhere near where we would want to be if we are to mount a promotion challenge. That’s news to nobody and of course much is going to change in the month ahead, just that the chances of hitting the ground running have faded as the ownership situation is not resolved and there’s no indication yet of how the team/squad will shape up. All perhaps understandable, judgement for sure is reserved, doesn’t mean it isn’t disappointing.

We are told repeatedly that the budget has been agreed with all interested parties and the protracted process of the transfer of ownership will have no impact on signings. That’s hard to believe, just in terms of the profile we present to a prospective player with other options. And it isn’t as if other clubs are sitting around. Portsmouth have made I think seven new signings against one for us, plus two players – Hector and Thomas - putting pen to paper on new deals. And whether or not we did have an offer accepted for May, if he ends up joining Gillingham, as indicted, it will mean that two obvious and available forward targets (with Stockton having joined Burton) will not be coming our way.

As so often the case, whether or not this proves material depends on what happens next, ie who if anyone really does get signed. We felt the same way when Washington was released. He wasn’t replaced and we suffered as a result. Everyone knows we need at least one, preferably two, forwards, with just Aneke, Leaburn and Kanu currently on the books. You might argue that’s enough if we play one up front (keeping the ‘front three’ shape even though Rak-Sakyi is not longer around), but two young, developing players and Chuk’s injury record say otherwise.

Retaining Hector and Thomas is good news. Thomas, who was within a whisker of being shipped out in January, has taken his opportunity and with Clare gone offers cover at full-back, while Hector slotted in well enough since his arrival in January. But there are no surprises here. Either/both may have preferred to move on, might have attracted better terms from other League One clubs, but neither was going up a division. You are left with the impression that the defence is going to rest on how well Ness returns and progresses, whether Egbo stays clear of injury, what other full back is brought in, whether Lavelle finds a new home and another centre-back is signed, and whether other youngsters (Mitchell, Asiimwe etc) are ready. That’s quite a few imponderables for a club saying it is aiming for the top six.

Our one signing to date, of keeper Isted, is also positive, if a little surprising. With Harness not retained and Wollacott opting to join Hibernian (seemingly to get the game time he needs for his international career), it was clear we would need to bring in a keeper. But with Maynard-Brewer seemingly having established himself as our number one, ahead of Wollacott, most people would have guessed it would be a back-up, someone ready to step in in the event of injury or loss of form. I doubt Isted is ready to play second-fiddle, or that Maynard-Brewer will take kindly to finding himself back on the bench. As Holden stressed, competition for places is healthy, usually, not always for the goalkeeping spot as a defence needs to adapt to the guy behind them and get used to his strengths and weaknesses. Chopping and changing in this area isn’t desirable, so I’d assume one of the two will become established and the other will hopefully react in the right fashion. That can often depend on how the team does. Keep winning and have a place around the top and all are happy – and vice versa.

Wollacott choosing to move on was understandable and we wish him the best, he did nothing wrong while with us, circumstances conspired against him. But that does raise the issue of who else might still be shipped out to clear up room. Kirk, Jaiyesimi, McGrandles and Lavelle have all returned from loan and we have no idea if they might form part of Holden’s plans for the season. As especially the midfield line-up and preferred formation seem to hinge as much on who stays as who is brought in, it would help if we knew.

Finally, just belated good wishes to Morgan, Inniss and Clare. A move to Blackpool looks a great opportunity for Morgan to make his mark on a team. Hopefully he will, albeit not to the extent of taking a promotion place instead of us. For Inniss it’s the usual proviso, if he can stay fit and not suspended he will be a powerhouse at Forest Green. In both cases I think the decisions to part company were fair enough, that forming a defence and midfield to challenge at the top required something different. I’m still surprised that we let Clare go, and that he hasn’t yet been snapped up, but no doubt he will be. It may be small comfort, but he was my partner Suzanne’s favourite player. I keep telling her we’re going to bring in new, really, really good alternatives. Please let it be so.

Passable Contest To Round Things Off

It is done and finally tenth place it is to be. As end-of-season affairs go the game itself was passably diverting, with four goals, a stream of other chances (of which we had the majority), a referee reluctant to view fouls in the box as penalties, and the chance to blood some more youngsters. We probably should have won, but through the game Cheltenham looked capable of scoring and had marginally the better of the second half. So nobody’s really begrudging them a point in front of their own fans; and it matters very, very little. It is a game which few will remember to conclude a season we want to forget – other than for it marking the arrival of Holden.

The team saw Dobson given the day off to avoid the risk of a ban at the start of next season, Clare not risked, the available again Inniss overlooked, and the absence of Bonne, Kane, Penney and Kilkenny reflecting their chances of being seen again. Egbo and Sessegnon started as the full-backs either side of Hector and Thomas; Henry took the midfield holding role, with Morgan and Fraser to accompany him, Campbell and Rak-Sakyi either side of Leaburn. To say the bench had a youthful feel to it would be an understatement, with Kanu and Mitchell joined by Rylah, Asiimwe and Roddy; Payne sitting with them on the bench must have felt like he’d turned up at an U21 game by mistake.

In the first half we had enough good chances to have led by more than one, perhaps to have put the game to bed. Inside 10 minutes Fraser had the ball in the net only to have been judged offside; then Morgan shot powerfully but over the bar, Rak-Sakyi and Egbo combined down the right, leading to the latter trying a sneaky effort which was turned behind, a corner reached Campbell at the far post only for him to demonstrate that, for now at least, headed goals from him are going to be rare, then Campbell cut across the box to find Morgan and his cross probably should have been converted by Rak-Sakyi. We did finally take the lead on 34 minutes as a well-timed Thomas ball forward found Morgan, who moved it on to Campbell. He cut inside and tried his luck. The shot was deflected but dropped kindly for Fraser, who managed a deft touch around the keeper before he planted it across their backtracking defender and into the net.

Before the break it really should have been two, one way or another. A good break and Fraser played it across for Rak-Sakyi to run in on the keeper, albeit with a defender getting across. He opted not to shoot first time, cut back but then stumbled and the keeper blocked his effort, then as Rak-Sakyi tried to go beyond him to have another go the keeper stuck out his leg to bring him down. No penalty awarded.

For sure it wasn’t all one-way traffic. Cheltenham had the ball in dangerous positions several times, although I can’t remember Maynard-Brewer actually being called on to make a meaningful save.

Whatever our first-half edge, only a few minutes into the second and the game was all-square. Maynard-Brewer cleared rather indecisively and their guy shot from their left side. It proved a carbon copy of a recent one at The Valley as Maynard-Brewer dived to his left to stop the shot, only to direct it into the path of another attacker who tapped it into an empty net. Once more the opposition had been more alive than us to the possibility of a rebound, while Maynard-Brewer may need to work on trying to make sure shots are diverted to safety.

Not long after Cheltenham could have been awarded a penalty as Sessegnon was caught out by a ball over his head and in struggling to recover let his arm dangle and it made contact with the ball. As was noted afterwards on Charlton TV, you have seen them given. Not by this ref it seems.

Really the next twenty minutes or so could have seen either side take the lead. Rak-Sakyi had another penalty appeal turned down, Campbell collected a long ball forward and tried without success to chip their keeper, then Sessegnon got to the byline but Rak-Sakyi couldn’t convert the cross. From the same side Campbell kept the ball in play and advanced along the goalline, setting up Fraser, whose shot was creeping inside the far post before being turned around. Equally somehow Maynard-Brewer and Hector combined to stop their guy from scoring.

We did take the lead again with less than 10 minutes on the clock, via a combination of astute thinking by Payne – who had joined the fray along with Asiimwe, replacing Henry and Egbo - and slack play on their part. Their keeper rather telegraphed a ball out and Payne pounced on it before it reached the defender, took it on, and finished well. But there was still time for Cheltenham to be denied another penalty as Hector rather put himself in the way of their guy running through. And time enough for them to equalise again as their leading scorer May gave a demonstration that he didn’t need to be asked twice when given a sight of goal. Mitchell – who had only just come on, for Rak-Sakyi, after Roddy and Rylah made their debuts, for Sessegnon and Campbell – gave him a little too much space after he collected the ball and he set himself then shot home well from the edge of the area.

That proved to be it, honours even. We had put in a credible enough performance in the circumstances and bloodied more youngsters. Now the curtain is drawn and the focus shifts back to what on earth is happening on the ownership front and whether we can really believe that before any actual change a budget has been agreed for us to create the squad necessary to challenge for promotion next season. Obviously the jury is out on that. And there is an awful lot to be done, including dealing with those still under contract returning from loan spells, before we can draw any conclusions.

Almost Over

And so we are a material step closer to the end. Last home game completed (and with this my only actual game at The Valley this season), club shop emptied of end-of-the-range stock (come on, I couldn’t resist a Charlton Xmas jumper at £3, would have bought more if I could have carried them to France), opportunity for pre- and post-match drinks with fellow Addicks (including some of the International Addicks), and with the three points secured the options for our final placing much reduced. We will now end up either 10th, 11th or 12th, depending on which of us, Lincoln or Shrewsbury (who meet in the final round of fixtures) can put aside the beach towels for one more effort.

The game itself, despite five goals, never got above interesting, with the fans acknowledging the circumstances – although of course for Port Vale the afternoon ended happily for their decent turnout with MK Dons’ failure to hold onto a three-goal advantage securing their place in the division for next season irrespective of the result. We will of course be joining  them in that regard, although this has been clear to us for a long time (basically once the threat of relegation had been seen off).

What were the points of note? Our first was marked by this conversation with another Addick as the move developed. We were discussing the isolation of the lone forward and what he – and those around him – could do to minimise this. As we worked the ball down the right I commented to him that this is where Campbell has to get into the box and close to Leaburn. “He’s getting there but he’s not going to score” was the reply. Well, he did. And with Rak-Sakyi forging another one of his own doing, winning a tussle for the ball with their defender then moving across the box before shooting home, followed by Leaburn notching our third, it meant that all the front three had scored.

The game might have had a different outcome had the ref not mystifyingly decided not to give Hector a second yellow shortly before half-time. He had seen a first for his part in a bit of handbags with one of theirs, then blatantly pulled back another who had gone past him. Morgan was yellow carded in the second half for a much less obvious one in a less dangerous situation. Perhaps the ref just felt generous in the circumstances. The gesture was reciprocated as Hector went over to shake his hand when substituted in the second half.

The end of the game was followed by a ‘lap of appreciation’, which was remarkable for Holden taking the opportunity to address the fans and talk of delivering next season a team we could be proud of. The message surely can’t have gone unnoticed by the players actually walking around the pitch. A number of course simply return to their clubs (some, such as Bonne and Penney, may have already done so, not being called on). But others will be waiting to find out if there will be a contract offer, bearing in mind also those who will return to us still under contract.

Otherwise the only actually disappointing note of the afternoon was that there was no concrete news on the takeover front. There was the possibility of those involved waiting for the final game to make the announcement and introduce themselves, whether or not with guitar in hand, but nothing happened. We continue to ‘watch this space’.

Back To Below-Par And Beaten

As the season limps to its undramatic conclusion, it was the turn of another team scrambling for points at the foot of the table to come to The Valley. While for us the midweek win at MK Dons had eased just a little of the pain of the Ipswich drubbing, Morecambe arrived on the back of a win over Wycombe, and before that a creditable (if reportedly resolute – ie backs to the wall) 0-0 at Portsmouth, results which had given them renewed hope of avoiding the drop. It didn’t promise to be an especially entertaining afternoon. Rather surprisingly it delivered goals in a curiously unbalanced game. Having put in another lame first 45 minutes, we remarkably went into the break on level terms; then despite a better second-half showing we conceded twice more and lost the game.

The team showed some minor surprises, in that Fraser was given a rest, dropping to the bench, replaced by Henry, while Campbell returns from injury but also only as a sub, Payne keeping his place in the front three having scored the winner at MK Dons. And despite having seemingly paid for his social media faux pas by being left out of the midweek squad, there was no return for Bonne; neither did Kilkenny make the squad, having been a sub in midweek. Kanu supplied the only forward option from the bench, Campbell the only wide option.

Holden after the game, clearly angered by what he had seen, said “we didn’t turn up first half”. No disagreement there. Although Payne looked quite lively, Rak-Sakyi was well marshalled and appeared jaded, Leaburn was static and ineffective while seeming out of sorts (summed up by a silly shove on one of their guys to get a yellow), while Henry disappointed, more for a number of misplaced passes than his hand in their opener. He was not the only one. Once more we lapsed into a slow tempo with little or no movement, creating precious little.

We were behind inside the first 10 minutes as from our throw-in just inside our own half Henry had a poor touch and Stockton saw the opportunity. He really had nothing else on as he collected the ball but saw Maynard-Brewer off his line and hit a screamer beyond him into the top corner. As others said, it was a harsh penalty for what was a routine – and in the context of the first half an unexceptional – mistake by Henry. Indeed, shortly before the interval Dobson and Hector managed to upset each other with a badly placed pass, then Dobson’s ball back was easily intercepted. The resulting cross to the far post found Stockton on his own, but fortunately Maynard-Brewer closed down the space quickly and he lifted the ball over the bar.

Morecambe were to rue that miss as somehow we levelled it up (we did have the ball in the net around the half-hour when the ref blew for a foul for us, not waiting for an advantage; Payne went on to shoot home but to be fair everyone else had stopped with the whistle). Sessegnon received the ball inside the box and laid it out to Payne on the left. For once we had numbers in the box and his ball across was bundled in by Rak-Sakyi, who had done well to stay ahead of his marker.

At the break nobody was in any doubt that we were very fortunate to be level rather than 0-2 down. But despite their efforts Morecambe are in the relegation zone for a reason and the feeling was that with a few choice words in the dressing room we could come out and take the game by the scruff of the neck. We’d been given a lifeline, we needed to exploit it.

We did indeed up the tempo and had the better of the first 10 minutes of the second half. Leaburn headed over from a corner – or rather the ball hit Leaburn’s head with him still on the ground after their guy missed a clearing header – and a good run by Morgan down the left ended with his dangerous ball into the box not converted. A free kick in a decent position was hit into the wall by Henry.

Then rather out of the blue Morecambe regained the lead. We were not given a free kick around the centre-circle and failed to regroup. From the right side their guy slid a ball into the box along the ground. Almost in slow motion you saw the danger emerge as it bisected Hector and Maynard-Brewer. The former let it go behind him and it just didn’t reach the latter as Stockton showed a striker’s instinct to read the situation and get a decisive touch.

Our first changes came on the hour as Campbell and Fraser came on for Payne and Henry. Both were to have an impact, but before they could we had gone further behind. Nobody closed down Stockton on their left around our box and he was able to put in a curling shot. It was decently saved by Maynard-Brewer but palmed out into a dangerous area. Two in a red shirt stood and watched as their guy anticipated a possible opening, leaving him to tap into an empty net.

That prompted a further change and a switch in formation as Kanu replaced Sessegnon, to give us two up front. And we then had a couple of decent shouts for a penalty as first a long ball reached Kanu in their box. He was having his shirt pulled and was unable to bring the ball down, the ref was a long way away and his assistant didn’t flag. Seen them given. Then Campbell worked his way to the by-line and laid the ball off, only to get clipped. The ref decided presumably he no longer had the ball or the contact was not a foul. I thought it was but it wasn’t a stone-cold one. Nevertheless, with 12 minutes left on the clock we did narrow the gap. Good work down the right saw the ball played in for Fraser to control and shoot home.

That not surprisingly shook Morecambe as they saw the risk of at least two precious (for them) points being dropped. And we might have nabbed an equaliser, with a couple of crosses finding a number of red shirts competing for the ball but nobody able to apply a decisive finish. Morecambe were able to run down the clock and see out six minutes of stoppage time with no further serious scares.

So rather than the MK Dons win drawing a line under the Ipswich humiliation it now seems like a blip between two poor defeats. Two games left and the stark reality is that we can at best make tenth (we have known that for a while), while conceivably we could end up 17th. Holden will no doubt want a response next Saturday when Port Vale come to town – accompanied by my good self, with a weekend visit to London enabling me to take in what is likely to be a muted end-of-season affair – but we’ve surely gone past the stage when he is looking to find out about players for next season. It isn’t fair on them to be assessed when too many are underperforming and look jaded. Let’s get this season over with, then leave it to Holden to determine just who he wants from what he has, what will return from loan spells, and what is brought in, with long-awaited clarity on the ownership front.

Poorer Opposition, Better Result

When you’ve been thumped 6-0 the game before you want to put something on the board less unpalatable and some distance from the previous game. We did just about manage that, against poor opposition (but a team which had been unbeaten in a while, had posted some decent results of late, and still needed points to end relegation fears), on the back of a much improved second-half performance (which followed a cautious, low-key – OK dull - first-half, with most entertainment provided by a series of weird decisions by the ref). Indeed, for a period of time after we took the lead we could well have put the game to bed as MK Dons’ heads dropped, before several changes and them throwing caution to the wind meant some desperate defending at the last to hold onto the points.

The team showed a couple of enforced changes, plus a couple more for different reasons. With Inniss suspended and Campbell apparently picking up a niggle. Holden’s choice was to stick with the formation, bringing Thomas into the centre alongside Hector, helped by the return of Clare at right-back, with Sessegnon replacing Egbo on the left side. Midfield was unchanged while Payne, available again after his suspension, came in to play on the left, Rak-Sakyi on the right, while Leaburn returned in place of Bonne, whose post-Ipswich social media actions saw him excluded from the squad.

Family commitments meant I actually missed the first 20 minutes. But from the sound of it, and from what followed until the break, I didn’t miss much. Perhaps it was understandable that after Saturday and with a reshaped back four we focused on keeping things tight, seldom venturing forward in numbers, while MK Dons buzzed around but generally to little effect. What was missing included any sense of high tempo or precision in passing. We had no attempts on target in the first half (and just two in total) and the only moment of note I can recall was on the half-hour Clare and Morgan combining down the right and Morgan’s cross finding Fraser in a good spot but unable to bring the ball down or make decisive contact. That we made it to half-time all square was then down to Maynard-Brewer, who managed to get a touch on a powerful drive from the edge of the box from Leko (who we remember well and who apparently signed for MK Dons in the January window) to deflect the ball onto the post and behind.

And early in the second half we were again indebted to Maynard-Brewer, although this time his save was fairly routine. Some comical defending on our right side allowed their guy to dance down the wing and put in a decent cross, which found another in space inside the box. The volley was turned aside for another corner (and MK Dons did have plenty of them).

Increasingly you felt that one goal would probably win it and early in the second half that did not look like us. But rather out of the blue, before the hour mark, Sessegnon cut inside and unleashed a powerful, swerving drive. Not as dramatic as his recent goal, but enough to unsettle their keeper and seemingly give us a reminder that we were allowed to attempt to score and that we were not up against a team like Ipswich. Shortly after Leaburn, who had been generally out of the game, managed to wriggle through to get off a shot palmed away for a corner. And from that we did take the lead, the ball played back then forward to Rak-Sakyi, who laid off a good pass into the path of Payne in space inside the box. He was able to curl it around their keeper and into the net.

For the next 20 minutes or so it was really all us, aside from a Leko run which Dobson ended at the cost of another yellow card. Morgan found Rak-Sakyi at the near post but his flick went just wide, a low Payne cross didn’t get converted, then Sessegnon had another shot blocked. But as we seemed to tire and MK Dons made changes to chase the game, the tide turned towards the end. Egbo came on for Clare with about 15 minutes left, then after a remarkable Dobson run forward led to Rak-Sakyi curling a shot wide Kane and Kilkenney replaced Rak-Sakyi and Fraser, later Mitchell for Sessegnon. In the final minutes, including seven of stoppage time (perhaps the ref added time for his strange decisions), there was some desperate last-ditch defending and shots blocked, but nobody got through to test Maynard-Brewer again and the points were finally ours.

The win of course doesn’t compensate for Saturday, but it was the best we could expect and at least sees us back into 10th, albeit with Lincoln and Shrewsbury having a game in hand. Three to go, all against shall we say uninspiring opposition (Morecambe next up will presumably be desperate for the points but Port Vale and Cheltenham should both be on their holidays by the time we play them). I don’t think we’re really finding out anything more about the players now. With Ness, Inniss, Aneke and Blackett-Taylor all unavailable, Rak-Sakyi and other loan players set to depart (whether any return remains to be seen), and very little available in reserve (just where is Penney?), we hope I think for a dignified end to the season – and more important some news on the ownership front to give us some grounds for optimism over next season.

Exposed And Humiliated

If the thoughts ahead of last Saturday’s game were that anything less than a win would be disappointing, this time around I’m sure I was not alone in being pleased if we could avoid defeat, perhaps just avoid a nasty defeat. We knew Ipswich were desperate for the points, probably still smarting from the two they dropped in the dramatic stoppage time at The Valley, and remembered the dismantling of JJ’s team last time out at Portman Road almost exactly a year ago. But hey, this is football, everything is possible.

In the event, what Holden had flagged as a “fantastic challenge for us” became an embarrassing rout. From the first minute to the last we were torn to shreds, exposed as a team neither capable of competing with the best in the league (and yes, Ipswich were excellent, full of verve and attacking threat) nor prepared to tailor its approach to try to neuter the opposition, even to engage in damage-limitation. When you lose 6-0 there’s normally a goal or two you can pin on the keeper, perhaps a worldie or two from distance. Not the case here.

Whether the bulk of the blame lies with the defence or midfield is a bit chicken and egg. With good passing and movement Ipswich poured through our midfield, asking questions of our defenders, who invariably came up with the wrong answers, epitomised by Hector, who committed himself to stopping the ball across the box and couldn’t make it, then charged forward to their guy with the ball only to have it chipped over him to leave the scorer of the first in the clear again. That’s not to say Inniss didn’t have a dire game too, as for the first time since they were paired together a team fully exploited their weaknesses. And Inniss’ afternoon was summed up by his late dismissal, an almost indecisive challenge from the wrong side which left the ref with no option. His lengthy ban means his season is over.

Neither should the midfield escape blame. Morgan was a virtual bystander as the game went on around him, Fraser was involved in our best moments going forward but was frequently left trailing in the wake of their guys as they headed towards our box. Dobson tried manfully to cover, but was swamped and like Hector ended up making poor decisions. At the other end, while the service to them was poor, Campbell and Rak-Sakyi were sat on by their opposite numbers, usually doubled up on and dispossessed – the notable exception being when the latter beat his man with a deft control and might have won a penalty – which all left Bonne, then Leaburn after him, isolated. Bonne’s one chance was a good one, a delightful cross from the left by Fraser met with a decent header but one not powerful enough or directed far enough away to beat their keeper.

None of this explains why we were so nervous and hesitant from the start. Ipswich won three corners in the first minute and were two up before the 15th minute. It was as if we wanted to play a slow, deliberate game, to perhaps grow into it, and were taken by surprise by a team which wasn’t going to put up with that. Then we were incapable of reacting, either immediately or when we had the chance to regroup at half-time, being still only 2-0 down. As against Bristol Rovers we ended up persevering with something not working for too long, switching to a back 3/5 after their third goal had ended any lingering doubts about the outcome. That is perhaps understandable, given the absence of alternatives available to Holden (there was no like-for-like from the bench for either wide man). But if the switch in formation after their third was an exercise in damage-limitation, that didn’t exactly work either.

Four games to go, starting with MK Dons on Tuesday. They have been grinding out results of late to try to beat the drop (draws against Derby, Portsmouth and Wycombe, plus a win over Morecambe) and will be angry at having dropped two points yesterday, conceding a very late stoppage-time equaliser. With Inniss unavailable presumably either Thomas moves inside and leaves Sessegnon, Egbo, Kane and possibly Clare to contest full-back positions, or Mitchell comes into the reckoning with a back five. Quite honestly it matters little, although hopefully there will be a reaction in the form of determination and character following a drubbing. After all, from 10th and top of the also-rans league we could conceivably find ourselves back to 14th if we lose.

Top Of The Also-Rans

With Shrewsbury and Exeter also having lost on Friday, the same permutations applied ahead of today’s game: on top of our game we’re looking for favours, this time from Barnsley and Peterborough, if we are to go up a place or two, while this time we could even drop a place if Fleetwood were to do what we failed to and beat Bristol Rovers. Really after a poor performance and defeat and back on home turf it was a case of anything less than getting back to winning ways counting as a disappointment. Burton have rescued their season after a decidedly sticky start under Hesselbaink and, with three wins out of the last five (including over Barnsley and Wycombe), have pulled clear of the relegation zone, albeit not yet sufficiently to feel really relaxed. Hopefully relaxed enough to be a tad below par.

In the end we did end up with the points – and we got the favours we were looking for, to sit at the end of the day in 10th place, top of the also-rans. But what for a period had looked capable of being a repeat of the Shrewsbury game turned into something altogether tougher, an ugly contest which we failed to either run away with or shut the door on, with a two-goal cushion twice pared back and us hanging on in the final stages.

The team showed a couple of what looked like forced changes. Sessegnon was deemed not available so soon after playing on Friday, with Egbo getting his first start since October, which meant Thomas switching to left-back, while Leaburn was also not risked after picking up a knock. Bonne came in for him. Otherwise it was same as before, with Kane and Kilkenny taking the two vacant slots on the bench. When it came to renewing old acquaintances, MacGillivray was in goal for Burton, Oshilaja in midfield for them, while Kirk and Lavelle were not available being on loan from us (with the latter injured in any event).

Burton had the better of the opening exchanges, with Hector being required to make important interceptions, although Campbell had a decent run down the left and a fierce shot pushed into the air by MacGillivray then cleared. That proved the hors d’oeuvre as inside the first 10 minutes we took the lead with a quite superb goal, all of Rak-Sakyi’s making. He collected the ball on the right touchline, no particular danger. But he cut inside and moved into the box, then as their defenders shaped for him to go onto his left side again touched it the other way, completely wrongfooting them, then struck the shot well across MaGillivray and into the far corner of the net. That one will have had the Palace minders thinking about where’s best for him next season.

That clearly rocked Burton and their defensive frailties stayed to the fore. Thomas on the overlap put in a good cross which neither Bonne nor Rak-Sakyi could convert, then Bonne held it up well and played in Morgan whose shot was saved. And before 20 minutes were up we doubled our lead. This time Fraser lent Rak-Sakyi a helping hand, taking it forward and playing it to him to run onto. He still had to get past a rather lame challenge by their defender but did that, and put the ball into a similar spot to before. When was the last time we had a player on a hat-trick before 20 minutes?

Perhaps predictably we eased off a little after that and Burton had a better spell. Rak-Sakyi did manage to chip the ball into the box from the right for Campbell, who met it on the half-volley but sent it just over the bar. But Burton’s first chance came with a free header, their guy having escaped his marker. Fortunately he headed straight at Maynard-Brewer, followed shortly after by another good position as Hector tried an ill-advised chip over a guy’s head and failed to clear him, making amends with a timely recovery challenge.

Now against Shrewsbury we effectively put the game to bed with a third before the break. There was a third goal, but this one went against us. From a throw the ball was lofted into the area and Maynard-Brewer decided it was his to claim. But Hector couldn’t get out of the way and Maynard-Brewer couldn’t collect, the ball dropping loose and hooked into an empty net by their guy. Keepers make mistakes and this was one.

That rather changed the mood at the break. But not long into the second half it seemed it wouldn’t matter as we restored the advantage. A ball forward found Bonne, who held it up and played it back for Campbell, then made his way into the box. Campbell made it to the byline and his low cross wasn’t dealt with decisively by the Burton defenders, allowing Bonne – by now in poacher position – to prod the loose ball home.

It got rather messy again after that and after the hour Holden made the first changes. Egbo, Fraser and Dobson all departed (Egbo had started the game looking pretty rusty but grew into it, Dobson seemed to be limping), with Henry, Payne and the returning Kane coming on. And the chance to finish the game off seemed to arrive with about 20 minutes left as Rak-Sakyi cut across the box from the right and seemed to be caught by a trailing leg. I thought it was a penalty, but the ball ran on to Bonne who understandably took the shot, which clipped the top of the crossbar. Whether the ref thought he’d played advantage, or just that it wasn’t a penalty, I don’t know (surely another case for football clearly following rugby union and allowing the ref to indicate he is playing an advantage and can come back for an original offence).

Instead with 15 minutes left on the clock Burton were back in it, with another goal conceded by us from a set piece. A corner found a guy in space at the far post, his header back across was flicked goalward. Morgan did manage to hoof it out, but the ball had crossed the line.

That set up a final 20 minutes during which we were pretty much under the cosh and happy for the final whistle to come. Whereas against Bristol Rovers Holden had arguably missed the opportunity to change shape before we went behind, this time around the triple substitution left us rather lightweight and vulnerable. Burton almost levelled things immediately after their goal, their guy getting around Rak-Sakyi in our box and shooting into the side netting. We could have finally settled things in the final 10 minutes as Payne and Bonne combined and the ball was sent over to the far post for Rak-Sakyi to run onto for the match ball. Any low shot would surely have found the net, but instead he caught it on the volley and sent it over the bar.

Rather than being able to relax we had Payne given a yellow for a badly timed tackle, Morgan and Bonne were taken off for Mitchell and Kanu, and it was down to the corner flag when possible. In five minutes of stoppage time Payne was to receive a second yellow and a red for another tackle which missed the ball but caught the guy. Fortunately it was too late to make a difference and blessedly the whistle came with us still with our noses in front.

So, six to go and we are as high as we can realistically get this season. Nobody is going to be predicting us to get anything at Ipswich next time out, especially as they must still be smarting from the stoppage time at The Valley and desperately need the points. It is a no-lose one, although we are getting down to the bare bones and must be starting to think of the summer hols. I know I am.