Wednesday 28 March 2012

Games take their toll

As we all scrutinise the league tables and remaining fixtures, the maths we do are invariably based upon sides winning or losing all of their remaining matches. It's the logic process of "worst and best case" which means almost by definition that it lacks logic. Probably more a case of the neurosis process or irrational fear process.


Anyhow, if you are still in a state of panic, last night's results should have provided comforting news. MK Dons lost at home to challengers Carlisle and Stevenage drew at home to AFC Bournemouth. What that means it that we are effectively guaranteed a play-off finish. On the basis that Stevenage win their last 8 games and we lose all of ours, they could still catch us if their goal difference improves on ours by 22. I'm not calculating the odds but it's not going to happen.


Sheffield United are the lone match this evening when they will expect to make short work of bottom-of-the-table, Johnson Paint Trophy winners, Chesterfield.  They should win, of course, but this could be a tricky fixture for them.


I will also point out that despite putting one over us at the weekend, I expect Huddersfield's automatic challenge to end in the next three games. They are away at Carlisle (victors at MK Dons last night) on Saturday and then face a trip to E10 in the week before a potentially decisive encounter with Sheffield Wednesday at the Galpharm.


Once it's officially a three horse race, we should be able to determine that elusive promotion fixture...onward and upward.

1 comment:

  1. Games do indeed take their toll, if we look back from January 28th, all of February and into early March we see Charlton playing Saturday and Tuesday every week. During this period we played ten games winning five, drawing three and loosing two (note those two came right at the end of the period). That is eighteen points from a possible thirty in a tough period, not scintillating form but nonetheless good considering.

    Now we go into a period in which we play only Saturday every week, excepting one very odd Monday against Walsall following a Saturday away at Oldham and that follows until the end of the season. I fully expect our verve to return, weather that nets us more points is another matter, note we are missing some key players at this point. However there is no reason we can not go on another run now (historical reasons aside), one would imagine that Chris has their heads in the right place.

    My beer glass in still half full, come on you red boys!

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