A much improved passing game from Charlton today gave the foundation for our first win since the 3-2 victory over Peterborough at the Valley on 12th February, year of our Lord, 2011. Thoughts of relegation can now be put away and the players have the opportunity to create some momentum and positivity for next season. Not before time. Chris Powell will be mightily relieved.
The performance owed much to an outstanding display from Thierry Racon. He had his best game of this season by a country mile and better than anything I can readily remember from last season (certainly since the beginning of last season).
It was a largely predictable starting line-up with the only change from the defeat at Rochdale in the week being Paul Benson for the injured Anyinsah. We started well and dominated possession for the opening half-hour without creating any clear-cut opening. The football was impressive nonetheless as we pinged the ball around midfield and had the O's on the backfoot. That changed after 35 minutes when Orient scored against the run of play with a ridiculous looking goal. They broke down the right and the cross looked over-hit as it sailed to the back of the box. The player arriving had, what I thought, was a pop at goal on the volley and the ball was going wide but fell right for Scott McGleish who was able to divert it past Elliot from five yards. That took the wind out of our sails and we were booed quietly off at the break.
The half-time talk clearly put us back on the page and we went after Orient again from the restart. It took only five minutes to get level when Benson netted from close range after a fine run from Racon saw his cross fired goal-ward by Bradley Wright-Phillips and only parried by Jamie Jones. That lifted the mood in the ground and for the first time in months I felt that we would win the game. Solly and Wagstaff were combining well down the right and Parrett was winning his own share of play on the left. BWP and Benson were moving well and pulling the centre-pairing around. I was expecting a second when the O's scored again against the run of play. This time it was a well delivered ball through to three runners, one of whom headed firmly beyond Elliot. It looked a good goal to me and to the celebrating Orient fans behind Elliot in the Jimmy Seed. Fortunately for us, an infringement had been spotted and the goal was disallowed.
That provided the spur for another Charlton break that sent BWP hurtling forward but he didn't have enough time or poise to beat the on-rushing Jones. Just as we were settling back into our seats, Jones inexplicably rolled the ball out to Wright-Phillips who couldn't believe his luck and who wasn't going to miss from there. Two-one and the home fans came alive.
Michael Stewart came on after 77 minutes for Dean Parrett and he made an immediate impact stealing a couple of balls from Orient players and then combining with Racon on the edge of the Orient box to deliver a superbly flighted cross which cleared Jones and the Orient defence but fell beautifully at the back post for the on-rushing Jose Semedo who leapt with glee to head home his first ever Valley goal. That won the game but we had to endure a late finish from Orient and see two efforts of theirs cannon off the crossbar before we could celebrate.
It feels like the last game of the season this evening. I really do hope we can string a run of results together to show this division that we are better than our position suggests and serve notice of some intent for next year.
Up the Addicks!
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