Saturday 3 December 2011

Charlton Athletic 2 v Carlisle United 0

As predicted, we strolled to our eighth successive win although it was a pretty drab affair until the last half hour. Chris Powell made a few more changes than I would have and I was a tad disappointed that those given their chance didn't really take it until later in the game.

John Sullivan was the most predictable change and Leon Cort came in for Matt Taylor in central defence. Solly, Morrison and Wiggins kept their places, so we were relatively stable at the back. The midfield saw Evina start on the left, Green on the right with Hollands and Pritchard in the middle. The attack was a weak-looking Hayes and Wagstaff.

There really wasn't much to report from the first half. Carlisle laboured away but couldn't make much impression against a Charlton side who refused to get out of second gear. The one notable exception was Michael Morrison who was a step ahead of everyone else, as usual, and who snuffed out what little threat Carlisle managed to present. Danny Hollands came closest to a goal but Collin saved at closed range.

The second-half picked up from we left off in the first and it was really only a case of who would score first. Carlisle kept trying to get forward and Sullivan had a couple of routine saves to make but they never really looked capable of scoring. Just after the hour we won a corner attacking the Covered End and when the ball traced it's way towards the back post, Morrsion met it ten yards out with a downward header than Collin could only parry and as the ball squirmed away from him, Morrsion was first to reach it as he continued his run and he lashed home from close range, very John Terry-like. After that we breathed easy and began to exert some control. Green rasped a shot into the side netting from twenty yards. Yann Kermorgant was a pleasant and unsuspected substitution and Bradley Wright-Phillips also came on. BWP should have scored the second when he burst through but his shot was blocked by Collin.

There was time for Jason Euell to get another cap and it was he who recorded the second. I will need to see it again but it looked like his first touch on the ball in was as poor as usual but it caught Collin flat-footed and trickled in at the foot of the post.

Morrison was man-of-the-match and I must mention Pritchard who came into the game strongly after we scored. His ability to kill a dropping ball is impressive and he switches play very quickly.

A disappointing gate of 7,400-odd and not much of an atmosphere but we have made it safely through to the third round which is a success at League One level. The draw is tomorrow afternoon following the Bristol Rovers v AFC Totton game and should be drawn c 2.40pm on ITV. I would love to draw the Geordies at home. That sort of draw would give us close to a full house and we could give them a good game.

4 comments:

  1. I didn't know we had a Matt Stephens in central defense.....

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  2. Agree with you about Morrision, perhaps his best game yet.
    Pritchard looks a real find, Evina looks like he will disappoint, I thought he had a poor game.However, it was nowhere near to the l;evel that Hayes' game was his, he had a real stinker; hope he has got that one oput of his system.
    Once again, Euell looked a spent force, even though he was on for such a short time.

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  3. I wondered whether Pritchard had a twin and they switched at half time. The transformation was extraordinary in the second half.
    Much as we love Jase the Legend it's sad to see him scoring on account of being so slow that he could only flick the ball with the outside toe, leaving the keeper fooled, like a cricket tail-ender not coping with a slower ball.

    Effect of no reserve games very clear in Evina, Waggy and Hayes. Glad we have the Hulk and Russell for League games.

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